Dan Berger
Wine Maker of the Year
In 1989, while I was wine columnist for The Los Angeles Times, I began to name one person as Wine Maker of the Year for exemplary work.
Dan Berger
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WINTER 2012
Finding distinctiveness in the Umpqua
A recent epiphany has led me to believe that greatness in wine can be a result primarily of superb fruit, insightful grape growing and winemaking, and most crucially a distinctiveness that is born of various factors, including terroir.
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FALL 2012
Finally finding a distinctive Malbec
There is no accounting for taste, of course, so when you read that a bottle of Malbec rates a score of 94, you make the assumption the reviewer liked the thing.
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SUMMER 2012
Developing tourism no simple task
My first visit to the Napa Valley, in the early 1970s, was a revelation: There was no traffic, no tourist mobs and no parking woes. But that was partly because there were few wineries, no public restrooms and, notably, no food infrastructure.
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DAN BERGER
Malbec not Washington's next big red
I hear tell that some folks out there in the hinterlands are fixin' to plant some of that there Malbek, or however it's spelt, and that some already have, and I kinda feel like I'm the guy who done brung my pet pig to a formal dinner party.
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DAN BERGER
Riesling key to Washington's reputation
Old World wine areas are often defined by the grapes that are legally permitted to grow in each region. There may be a vine or two of Syrah in Burgundy, but the red wine of the district is, by law, Pinot Noir.
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DAN BERGER
B.C.'s greatness waits to be discovered
In a rut? Tired of the same old wine flavors in the same "big, rich, concentrated" style that has thrilled the number mongers? Tired of flabby wine? Seeking a change of pace? Want a fresh outlook on your (wine) life?
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DAN BERGER
Judging a wine by its roots
Judges at wine competitions see wines differently from average consumers, and in recent years it is getting even more apparent.
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SPRING 2011
Don't put all your Pinot in one basket
It isn't quite like saying that it's best not to put all your hatchlings into a solitary container, but a statistic was just handed to me that makes it seem so.
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DAN BERGER
Variety spice of wine lovers' lives
Two decades ago, at a small cafe in Collio Orientali in northern Italy, I ordered a red wine that was reasonably priced, and I was pleasantly surprised. It tasted sort of like Zinfandel and was a charming accompaniment to my pasta.
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DAN BERGER
Keys to successful wine touring
Planning a tour of any wine country region can be easy or complicated, and a checklist can be as simple as: 1. Make hotel reservations. 2. Use the spit bucket. 3. Get winery tasting room hours.
