“We would rather you taste our wines at home.” I can see it now…Īn early morning 2018 pick at Vine Hill Ranch.Īfter a very challenging 2017, vineyard managers, estate owners and winemakers welcomed 2018. Maybe next year they will politely decline my request for an appointment. In fact, some estates received their most glowing notes and highest scores ever from me this year. I know I spent more time with each single wine than usual. What’s not so positive? Well, taking out the garbage and dealing with recycling are at the top of the list.
![radio silence wine radio silence wine](https://untappd.akamaized.net/photos/2020_08_25/d02b64391426b8ddd6130f25079c9fb7_640x640.jpeg)
Another positive aspect of tasting at home is having the ability to follow wines over hours and even days, something that is obviously impossible when traveling.
Radio silence wine full#
At the same time, tasting with some distance allows for a full focus on the wine, just on what’s in the glass. In person visits allow for conversation and a level of context that virtual tastings can’t fully replace. After having tasted several thousand wines from around the world at home over the last ten or so months, it is pretty obvious this is just not true.
![radio silence wine radio silence wine](https://cdn.winebuyoftheday.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/200616_stayhome_inst-350x350.jpg)
One of the biggest myths around wine tasting and criticism is that somehow wines taste ‘better’ at the properties. So many winemakers I spoke with recounted harrowing tales of the 2020 fires unlike anything I have ever heard before, and I have heard and seen a lot. On a personal note, this was a very hard article to write. That’s quite a departure from a typical year in which I spend more than a month in the region between tastings and our map work. For the first time ever I was not able to travel to Napa Valley for my tastings.
![radio silence wine radio silence wine](https://images.vivino.com/thumbs/biFAIJbrRUSI_25sZu8fMw_375x500.jpg)
That was probably overly optimistic, but we went for it anyway. Last Spring I decided I would taste all the wines I always taste and publish my normal schedule of articles, pandemic or not. The 2018s are refined and vibrant, while the young 2019s have a bit more depth and energy. Both vintages produced a bevy of breathtaking wines that will thrill Napa Valley fans. Napa Valley experienced two stunning back-to-back vintages in 20 the likes of which I have never seen. Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Parts 1 & 2