Logo: a guide across vine slopes French Scout
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enhanced in 2019

Wine reviews

"It is only an auctioneer who can equally    
and impartially admire all schools of art."

Oscar Wilde, The Critic as Artist, 1891

 

Let me present wines that are special: uncommon, diverse, joyful!

International style

label of Dry Comal Creek french colombard, Texas, 1998
Many wines taste the same - whether they are made in California, Bordeaux, Spain or Australia. This "international style" shows high alcohol and big density. It gets good ratings by tasting impressive (mouth impact, "fruit bomb"). This style sometimes uses new oak and always uses much technology.

This easy drinking can prove convenient or tiring over time – depending on your tastes. Big style has become mainstream because it is comfortable on the drinker. It has even been pushed to become a standard because it serves the interests of part of the wine business (notably the media).

Related reviews are my tasting notes of some French red wines that fail to interest.

The Tastes of "vin vivant"

My drinking pleasure dances along with alive or vibrant wines:

The combination of low intervention and a balanced climate enables digest wines with great aromatic intensity.

These two qualities imply that the wines are food-friendly – as opposed to wines good at wine tasting competitions. They often show in wines typical of their areas of origin or true to the personalities of the artisan growers. Are irrelevant: elitism or tradition. Here are a few vintner names.

The wines in the magazines or on most shelves are not the most interesting. In complement recommended wines can be hard to find. This is why I have developped a map app to show addresses of wine stores.

The bottle selections always use the same above criteria. Tasting the wines thus qualified will broaden your wine appreciation and it will strengthen your own taste.

Reviews of fresh and vibrant wines

Here are my selections of alive wines, backed by tasting notes:

A blue map pin