Wine Storage Specialist:

If you live in San Diego and love good wine, you probably steer clear of Pacific Beach.  And I don't blame you.  Garnet Avenue, with its tattoo spots, smoke shops, and hordes of unruly college kids, isn't the most obvious location for a great wine spot.  But lucky for those of us who live in PB for the affordable housing...

As the days start to be sunnier and the nights begin later and later every day, I start to long for the things that say 'spring' to me, like asparagus, apricots, and sandals.  And after months of craving nothing but Cabernet and Pinot Noir, I start to want something different: something light enough to remind me of the sun, and...

So everyone knows that you're supposed to serve white and sparkling wine chilled.  But red is supposed to be served at room temperature, right?  Wrong.  Red wine tastes best served at a temperature between 55º and 65º.  The average room temperature is 70°: great for lounging around without your jacket, bad for red wine. But what's the big deal?  Why is...

Chianti used to be regarded as an inferior wine.  But in the last 40 years, this simple red has undergone what might be bigger changes than any other varietal out there.  Chianti is made mostly from Sangiovese grapes: one of the hardest kinds of wine grapes to grow.  In the past, growers over-cut the Sangiovese vines, and also mixed the...

Here's a new installment to our wine lexicon.  If you missed the first one, "The Top Ten Wine Tasting Terms", check it out now. Acetic: When the alcohol in wine oxidizes, it turns into acetic acid.  The common name for acetic acid?  Vinegar.  All wine has some amount of acetic acid, but too much means that the wine has gone...

Oaky: Many wines are aged in oak barrels.  Over time, the barrels impart a scent of freshly sawn oak to the wine.  An "oaked" wine can have a variety of different aromas, depending on the age of the barrels.  New barrels contribute stronger flavors to the wine.  Oak aging can give wine characteristics called "toasted," "roasted," or "smoky," tastes that...

Ahh, Sangiovese.  Despite its delightfully Italian name (which, incidentally, gives you a great opportunity to do your best Godfather impression), Sangiovese is a great wine that has been loved for a long time.  The first literary reference to Sangiovese was made in 1722, but it is most likely much older than that. Sangiovese is a bit similar to Chianti, because...

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past decade, you know about the "green" revolution.  If you're interested how the eco-movement affects your wine, read on. 1.  What does "green" really mean? "Green" is a pop culture term, so it doesn't have an "official" or standardized meaning.  Though you can usually count on "green" wineries to at minimum...

Sure, the traditional beverage of St. Patrick's day is beer.  Usually it's a frothy pint of Guinness.  And if it's not Guinness, it's most likely dyed green.   And there are some who love their St. Patty's day beer and wouldn't consider parting with it for anything.  But others, faced with a pint glass of green beer, would prefer to...

Along with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling is considered one of the world's greatest white wines.  Riesling has a long history, even for a wine: it has been produced for at least 600 years.  Rieslings are highly versatile: they cover a widerange from dry, crisp wine perfect for a spring picnic, to  highly sweet dessert wines with complex, unctuous flavors. Riesling...

1.  Uncorking the bottle before  service improves the wine. It's true that aeration before service does improve some wines.  But studies show that the neck of a wine bottle is too narrow to allow enough oxygen to get in contact with the wine to make any detectable difference in the taste and aroma.  If you want to aerate your wine...

First off, let's get that pronunciation correct: it's ga-VERTZ-trah-MEE-ner.  Gewürztraminer, besides being a fun way to show off your best German accent, is a great wine that has increased in popularity in recent years.  Besides Germany, it is grown in Alsace, France, and less notably, in California and Australia. Gewürztraminer grapes are difficult to grow.  They require cold conditions, but...

The Easter Bunny is hopping our way, bringing with him (or is it her?) eggs, chocolates, and of course, a big Easter feast. Whether you view Easter as a meaningful religious event, the day that frees you from your Lenten sacrifice, or simply as a time to get together with family and friends and celebrate springtime, Easter always involves a...

With the great wine areas of Napa and Sonoma just a short trip away, it's easy to forget about wine tasting options that are closer to home.  But the San Diego area, along with great beaches, great restaurants, and lots to do and see, has many quality wineries.  A great springtime weekend activity to to gather a group of your...

Pinot Grigio (or Pinot Gris, but more on that later) has long been a wine scorned by experts.  It is thought to be a wine easy to drink—light on acidity, structure, and aroma; in other words, only good for those whose palates aren’t sophisticated enough to enjoy the truly great things about wine.  But is this reputation deserved? First off...

Are you tired of throwing out half-full bottles of wine?  (If this is a frequent problem, maybe it's time for a preservation system!) Do you wish you could put those leftovers to good use?  You can!  Try making homemade red wine vinegar.  Not only is it a great way to use up the ends of bottles, it's easy and the...

Sure, you've heard that wine should always be stored on its side.  But grocery stores and even many wine shops display their bottles upright.  The bottle is meant to stand that way for a reason, right?  Wrong.  Storing wine in the vertical position, especially if you're trying to age it, is a big mistake that can ruin your wine. Here's...

If you're just starting out collecting wine, you probably find wine labels more than a little daunting.  How do you pick through all the fine print and strange words to get the information you need?  What's just advertising and what's useful to know? Although every wine bottle is different, and labeling practices differ between countries and even wineries, there is...

So you're on your way to a dinner party.  You stop at a wine shop to pick up a bottle.  But then you stand there, bewildered.  Red or white?  How expensive?  What do your hosts like?  What will go with their dinner? Let us simplify matters for you: First of all, you should not expect that your hosts will serve...

If you're interested in scoring great deals on wine and prefer your pajamas over your formal wear, you should check out online wine auctions.  Whereas live wine auctions are most useful to that select group of wine collectors that is in a position to drop thousands of dollars an hour on wine, online wine auctions are great for every casual...