Taste Along w/ Adam the Wine Guy # 27 - Diamond Oaks

..decent inexpensive Pinot Noir's are pretty hard to come by..they either are a bit thin, or super fruity..and to find one on the cheap is pretty hard, knowing how fickle that grape varietal can be.. a couple of reasons pinot seems to be bit more expensive are that 1. the grape is difficult to grow, it requires ideal conditions, which include soil as well..and Carneros is one of those great pinot places.. 2. the big wine movie few years ago, put the prices for pinot noir into a tailspin, (which by the way, also, had huge effects in the slump in merlot sales),and all of the sudden everyone wants to be drinking pinot noir living out their wine fantasies..pinot is always a crowd pleaser, and appeals to a wide range of palates..for the novice, it is usually not to aggressive, and makes for an approachable point in which to enter the wild world of red wine..and for the expert, nothing like the ever-unfolding french varieties, from burgandy, with complexity that is unparalleled..and, its soo food friendly, you can even pair it up with that thanksgiving feast..and in my opionion a fantastic match with salmon..had any good recent pinot experiences??

Bang for the Buck, Diamond Oaks, 2006, Carneros, Piont Noir

Taste Along w/ Adam the Wine Guy #21 - Incognito

..these guys are making really cool wines in an up and coming wine growing region right here in Cali..Lodi...hmmm, Lodi you ask, where is that?..well its up north just east of the farthest reaches of the san francisco bay..generally i expect the wines from here to be big and fruity and this Incognito is no exception..although i wouldn't give it quite over the top..this one as well is a real crowd pleaser, many palate's will be satiated with a good mouthful of this juice..

The 2006, Incognito, white, from Lodi, really explodes

Taste Along w/ Adam the Wine Guy #19 - Corsini II

ladies and gentlemen, guys and gals, people of all ages, particularly the ones over 21..Adam the Wine Guy, is proud to welcome the return of Duccio Corsini..


and also would like to send out a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO LAURENCE!!

Taste Along w/ Adam the Wine Guy #17 - Bottleshock

its amazing how wine in the past handful of years has permeated american culture..really great to see, we are now a wine drinking country, outselling beer here in the u.s..and this tremendous rise in wines popularity can definately be seen in the way wine is now marketed and promoted..there are even now full length feature films about wines, and the people who make them..and the history of the business..had the pleasure of having a chance to speak w/ ross schwartz, the screen writer of the new wine movie "bottleshock"..its on the big screen in many major markets across the country..in a nutshell its about the paris tasting, and how california wines kicked ass..check it out in the theater, or as i am told it will be out on video soon..so grab your glasses, kick back and hit play..

with Ross Schwartz, of "Bottleshock", and the 2006, Gustave Thrace, Chard.

Taste Along w/ Adam the Wine Guy #16 - Chanier, rose

some wines are so delicious they remind me of candy for adults..this one is succulent, takes me back to times of jolly ranchers, bubble gum, and cotton candy..but its not overly sweet like your mama's white zin..and definately has a great drinking velocity..this one comes from the Loire, sorta located in the north central part of France..its the region with the highest concentration of chateau's and castles in the country..and really a relatively short tgv ride from paris..considered to be the valley of the kings the loire is like the bel air of france..but way more bel air, than bel air will ever be..

Loirelicious the 2006, Pierre Chanier, 2006, Rose d'Anjou

Taste Along w/ Adam the Wine Guy #14 - Chameleon

out of california, and even more so in napa, you generally see the basic cabernet, merlot, and chardonnay, but there are producers out there really trying different things..these guys at chameleon really make some interesting wines out of traditional italian grape varietals..they also do a pretty cool barbera, but i think that this one's my favorite of their wines..also, i generally stay away, and i mean far away from labels with animals, particularly of the cartoony variety..but, hey, there a some exceptions and this is one of em..and this charbono could be really great w/ foods..i think it would rock with some barbeque..which i found out on one of my recent trips to france is a french word..barb-from the word for beard, and que-from the butt..so if you think about a long skewer and a fire pit and a pig..it would be skewered from the barb to the que...hence barbeque..yeehah!..i think thats french also..

drink up the Chameleon, 2001, Charbono, from Napa

Taste Along w/ Adam the Wine Guy #13 - Caves des Papes, rose

sometimes a rose is just a rose..and other times a rose' is way better..in this case bring me a bottle of this any day, rather than a dozen of the others..this one is a classic style easy drinking summertime rhone rose..personally i love the combination of grapes and balance..and how can you beat the beautiful pink color, practically brings the blue out in any one's eyes..this wine drinks great with seafood, particularly shellfish..i prefer my pink with clams, oysters or mussels even..hope you enjoy as much as i do..with that combination it'll remind you of a great day the south of france..even if you've never gone..

yummy yummy the 2007, Caves des Papes, rose

Taste Along with Adam the Wine Guy #12 - Daphne

...you say mal-vah-see-uh, i say mal-vay-see-a..you say tow-may-tow, i say tow-mah-tow, ahhh, lets just call the whole thing off...no, wait, lets not, lets just say that either pronunciation will work just fine..there are soo many grape varietals, countries and regions out there, that there are bound to be grapes that are exactly the same, but different names or pronunciations are correct depending on where the wine is from and what country you are in..take syrah for example, in Australia, its shiraz, in france its syrah, california syrah..so there is one right off the bat for you..don't get bogged down in the minutia of pronunciation, really, by the time your done with a bottle or two anyhow, the thing that really matters is the experience you come away with..this Malvasia, is a really cool one, definately off the beaten path..with a hint of effervescence, makes an interesting but still Italian alternative to a prosecco (which is a grape)..nice, light, and refreshing..

a summer refresher with the 2003, Medici Ermete, Daphne, Malvasia

Taste Along with Adam the Wine Guy #10 - Rock n Roll Wine

...BIG BIG BIG SHOW TODAY!!..thats right the big 1-0..its our 10th webisode and we are celebrating rock n roll style with some really cool wine..by some guys outta vegas from "Rock n Roll Wine"..not only do they do some of the most fun wine events on the planet, by the way there is one coming up on Sept. 27th, so check it out, or even make a trip to Vegas out of it..if you ever, need a reason to go to Vegas this is a good one..they have big name bands playing and mixed with tons wine and hot chicks you cant go wrong ..gets good and crazy towards the end of the evening..check out their website for more event details.. www.rocknrollwine.com ..and i should be there so, come and say hello if you make it out..and tell em when you get there that Adam the Wine Guy sent ya..

rockin it with Rock n Roll wines 2006 Reggae Rhapsody

Taste Along with Adam the wine Guy #9 - Oppidum

..this is a goofy little wine, totally different than i expected it to be..even i'm surprised sometimes..see, that's what im talkin about, wines a fantastic adventure..i also am asked all the time, what should i drink?..and one of my most frequent responses is something you've never had before..enjoy the adventure of the the exploration..each one of those new tastes will force you to expand your creative thinking..and with each taste and experience comes a new memory..buckle up enjoy the ride..tasted anything new and exciting recently??

we're down with O.P.P.,yeah you know me..gettin into the Oppidum, 2004,Moscato

Taste Along with Adam the Wine Guy #7 - Kopke

Port, port, port...and we're not talking about the left side of a boat here, were talking that mysterious beverage from Portugal..Port, a fortified wine with a long history has many styles and variation within those..there are tawny's which have lighter and more caramel tones, ruby ports which are rich and unctuous with deep grape and brooding fruit notes and vintage ports which are only produced in the best years, usually no more than 5 vintages are declared in a decacde..so this juice is pretty precious..Kopke is the oldest producer of port on the planet goin all the way back to the mid-late 1600's..and recently i had a chance to taste their '57 which was absolutely amazing, almost etherial..this 2000 is excellent, showing signs of a bit of bottle age, and this juice will develop wonderfully in the bottle over the next 20+ years..

gettin down with the Kopke 2000 vintage port..

Taste Along with Adam the Wine Guy #6 - K'orus Cab.

This wines got a really neat story..its brand new to the marketplace and you can pick it up at most chain grocery stores..this wine is produced by Kedar Massenburg who was the Pres. of Motown Records, he discovered Erika Badu and D'Angelo..this is the guy who actually started the whole neo-soul sound..and to top it off Kedar is the first African -American to produce a wine in France and bring it back to the US market..im sure with Kedar's celebrity friends and their endorsements, as well as the approachability of the wine you will be seeing this grow into a huge brand..

we're gettin down with the K'orus Cabernet

Drinking K'orus on the set of the new "Joe" music video, pictured: ATWG, Joe

Taste Along with Adam the Wine Guy #5 - Bota Box

Decent wine in a box..who woulda thunk?..well, i think it started back with the Franzia's and their tremendous marketing of box wine to the general public. and what a job they did. i think i see it in every grocery store i walk into..so one day i get this package and its a big, and heavy, i may add, box, with a bunch of boxes of boxed wine inside..figured we should give it a whirl on the "Taste Along"..I think overall these packages are really great for an everyday type wine, haven't tasted anything high end in a box yet (with out the breathe-ability it would be an interesting experiment) but the package is certainly green. you can recycle the whole thing, and the box itself is even biodegradable..Some bonus' to wine in a box..once opened you can keep it for weeks, maybe even longer, because of the airtight and vacuum sealed bladder this juice doesn't see any air till it comes out of the handy spout. also, as you kids have found out, glass breaks! worst thing that could happen here is you could get a paper cut from the box..and if you live in a small space, this is a great way to jam a ton of wine into a small package..so thats my take for now, what do you think?

rockin the Bota Box, 2005, California, Pinot Grigio

Taste Along with Adam the Wine Guy #4 - Principe Corsini

Buckle up and come on location and taste with special guest Don Duccio Corsini, who is next up to be the 10th prince of Sismano. The history of his family's wines is amazing going back to the 1400's. At one time the Corsini family were the largest land owners in all Italy, and even had a pope in the family. We had a chance to catch up with Duccio on his whirl-wind tour of L.A. And I'd like to give a special thank you to the live audience for their enthusiastic applause.

here we taste Principe Corsini, Chianti Classio,Le Corti, 2005

Taste Along with Adam the Wine Guy #3 - Ch. Dudon

I visited this place a few times this year and their wines and hospitality always impress.. they are located right in the heart of Sauternes nearby the small, and extremely interesting city of Cadillac, and the village of Barsac, all about 40 minutes south of Bordeaux city. The guest house is an amazing place to stay, the accommodations are homey, and comfortable. The gitte's origins go back to the 17th century. Thomas Jefferson even stayed at this joint. The owners, Evelyn and Michel are fantastic hosts. Sharing a meal, a tasting or a tour with them is great, especially with Evelyn's passion for history, you are bound to get more than your average wine tour. There are also many other Chateau's nearby to visit while at Dudon. I totally recommend a visit there and look forward to planning an ADAM THE WINE GUY'S WINE TOURS with Dudon as the destination in the near future..Heres some shots of the view of Chateau Dudon, and the video a tasting of their 2005..

This is the same place that Thomas Jefferson stayed


this is the view i saw from my window each morning



most of the time people think of Sauternes and sweet wines strictly for dessert, this wine makes a wonderful apertif when paired with the right cheeses and accouterments.


lets get down and taste with this unbelievable value in a sauternes from Chateau Dudon, 2005. Stay tuned we will definately revisit Dudon..

Taste Along with Adam the Wine Guy #1- Sylvester

im going to be doing a ton of "taste alongs" some with friends, some with food..the set and overall quality will definately develop and i look forward to seeing it take shape..hope you enjoy, maybe learn something, and get a laugh or two out of the deal..i think you look best with a smile on your face anyhow..and if you have any ideas i am always open to content suggestions..lemme know your thoughts..cheers!!


grab a bottle and taste along with me as we see what sylvester winery has up their sleeve with the 2005 syrah..

visiting dom. des karantes

so this is in the tasting room of domaine karantes in the south of france in the languedoc region, in the very little know appelation of karantes..right near the mediterranian..its situation is one of the most spectacular of any winery i have ever visited..you can see all the way from spain up the coast of france..there are even old german gun implacements from ww2..super friendly people there Nicolas the winemaker was a great guide..also, they accept vistors, so if your ever down there, or planning a trip they have great guest accomidations, really close to the sea, with neat little restaurants lining the beach this is a great place to spend some time..


tasting the domaine karantes rose


in the vineyard at domaine karantes with winemaker Nicolas Laverny, sorry bout the sound, it was really windy up there

On Steakhouses..

..so when did it become cool anyhow for this new wave of steakhouses to charge over 40 bucks for a piece of meat on a platter with nothing else on the plate, im serious, not even a garnish..i'm not sure if its just me, but, when i was a kid, we'd go out to eat, if you ordered a steak it came with a side of potatoes, and a vegetable right on the plate..and if i remember correctly, it usually came with a salad also, pretty much iceberg lettuce, im originally from the midewest and that was before arrugula became all the rage, but a salad anyhow..and im not talking about a sizzler here..nice upscale places, and now, its like 14 bucks for a side of potatoes, which could feed a family for a week, and 12 more for a bucket of veggies..and the iceberg tossed salad, is now served as a classic "iceberg wedge" with bacon and a vinagrette, and its only another 12 bucks..is it me, or do i just not get it?..does this make me just old fashioned or nostalgic? by the way, the 96 Masi Amarone I brought along was drinking beautifully..