It has been two long years since my last trip to Asia for PrimeCellar so I was even more excited than usual. My trip started with a midnight flight Monday on China Air direct to Taipei; it was a rough flight with lots of turbulence so sleeping was difficult. After a transfer to Hong Kong…
Wine lovers around the world will be very pleased with the 2015 vintage from California and Bordeaux. It does not happen often that the more difficult growing season occurred in California, but that was the case in 2015 with both regions reporting outstanding quality. Below are the candid comments from my friends, the winemakers and…
As I reported in this column in July, the 2015 vintage in California has indeed turned out to be hot year with an early harvest and lighter than average production. Warm to hot weather vintages in California are pretty much the norm producing the style of wines that have made Napa and Sonoma famous; wines…
Customers have asked me this question over and over again for a few decades now; if you could choose just one wine to drink on your last day of life and last dinner what would it be? My answer is any vintage of Ch. Latour. During my almost 40 years in the wine business I…
Dear PrimeCellar members and friends, I hope you and your families are enjoying the warm summer weather. I have just returned from a two week vacation with my 11 year old son Alton, it was a father and son trip to get away from the rigors of busy city life, and spend some quality time…
I often refer to the weather in Bordeaux as turbulent and erratic and this always seems to surprise people. The famous worldwide reputation this region has earned leads people to believe that the weather is always great. The reality is that Bordeaux deals with weather adversity almost every year; this can come in the form…
Words can hardly express how excited I was to hear that PrimeCellar would be representing the iconic Napa Valley wines from Grgich Hills Estate in Asia. You don’t often get the chance to sell an estate whose wine literally changed the entire landscape, industry and perception of California wine around the world and forever. That…
Where do you start when describing a love affair that started almost 40 years ago and changed your life forever; I suppose at the beginning. The year was 1978 and I was 23 staring at the wine selection at K&L Liquors in Millbrae California which at this time was 3 by 5 feet in size…
When I received the news that the Kelleher Family 2013 Sauvignon Blanc, “Block 21” and 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon both won Gold medals at the American Fine Wine Competition my first thought was; it’s about time, what took them so long! From my first taste of the Kelleher wines was at the Family Winemakers Tasting at…
Break out the Ch. Mouton Rothschild! Well I have to admit that when I started writing this I had no idea that I myself am a Green Wood Goat being born in 1955! Apparently I am gentle, calm, creative, thoughtful, persevering honest and frank which suits me just fine. Good jobs for me would be…
