Burgundy – THE GRAPE BELT

Vive la France!

One of the beautiful things about wine is that it is an infinite subject. You can never learn it all. And, if you could, as soon as you did, there would be more to learn. Wine will always be too big for us to get our arms and heads around. But that doesn’t stop a […]

by Tom Riley

2013 Jordan Chardonnay

Maybe you’re a big fan of chardonnay. And maybe you’ve heard friends who are a bit ahead of you in the wine game talking about things called Chablis and Burgundy, but you really don’t know much about those wines. What you do know is that wines from those places can often be expensive. Still, you’d […]

by Tom Riley

No, It’s Somm-Thing Else

So, you’re studying to become a sommelier? Uh, no. Not exactly. Since I started formal wine studies five years ago I’ve answered this question approximately seven gajillion times. At first it made me nuts, but I’ve gotten used to it. I know as well as most folks in the wine industry that the majority of […]

by Tom Riley

So Few Places Like Jordan

If you set out to visit Jordan Vineyard and Winery expecting it to be like some of the other wineries you’ve been to, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. Jordan doesn’t have many of the same things that most wineries offer. Jordan doesn’t have crowds. They don’t have guests two and three deep at a […]

by Tom Riley

Burgundy — C’est Tres Beaune!

A few days after our visits to wineries in the Côte de Nuits, my wife and I met up with Stephen Liney, a veteran of the Burgundy wine scene, for another round of meeting winemakers, tasting their wares, and learning as much I could about the Côte de Beaune in eight hours. Our scurrying around […]

by Tom Riley

Burgundy — Beginning To Understand

Burgundy is one of the most important wine regions on the planet, with many of the world’s finest pinot noir and chardonnay wines calling the Côte d’Or home. It’s also one of the most complex and difficult to understand. For someone studying wine, who happens to have a wife who loves pinot noir, a visit […]

by Tom Riley

Hands-On Learning

In the next month and a half, The Grape Belt will be on the road in pursuit of some advanced wine education. You can read about wine all you want, but going out and meeting the grapes in person is the best way to learn. Seeing the vineyards up close and talking with the winemakers […]

by Tom Riley

Wine Education — There’s Work To Be Done

A café in Paris. Four American women fresh from a day of touring, eager for a well-deserved glass of wine, peruse the carte du vin. “There are quite a few wines here I’ve never even heard of.” “Well, there are a couple of merlots.” “Yes, but I don’t think merlot means the same here as […]

by Tom Riley

Wine in Paris, Or Paying Attention In French Class

I just got back from a week in Paris, which is something I don’t get to say or write nearly often enough. While there I was struck by many things regarding the place of wine in the French culture. The five I’ve listed below are all things that American diners, restaurants, and wine producers should […]

by Tom Riley

2009 Regis Bouvier Marsannay “Clos du Roy”

WHITE 4/15/12 2009 Regis Bouvier Marsannay “Clos du Roy” Burgundy (13% abv., $22, Kermit Lynch): Pale gold in the glass, this great value offers mild aromas of lemon peel, vanilla, and oak. Despite its lightness on the palate, an intense combination and balance of fruit and acid gives this wine elegant power, rounded out nicely […]