Wine Scene

Wills Winery in Lapeer strikes gold
[May 31, 2007] Just a little over two years ago, Bill and Sue Wills opened their winery and little did they expect to achieve international recognition so quickly. By David Ethridge

Wines from the Lone Star State
[May 17, 2007] When you think of Texas, the first things that come to mind are oil, cattle and ten-gallon hats. One of the last things you would think of is wine, vineyards and winemakers. But that is exactly what is becoming the new Texas industry. By Dave Ethridge

The Traverse City-Argentina connection
[May 3, 2007] Chateau Chantal on Mission Drive just north of Traverse City has been producing interesting and exciting wines for years. They are often on the list of medal winners at various wine judgings throughout the year. By Dave Ethridge

Strong Wines, the Legacy of a Gentle Man
[Apr. 19, 2007] Strong is not usually a word used to describe wines; hearty, robust, big, rich, powerful, or perhaps tannic, but not strong. Using the word “strong” seems to have a negative connotation when referring to wine, much like using the words vinegary, rough, bitter, and unbalanced. By Dave Ethridge

Bocce, Osso Buco and Paul Mann
[Apr. 5, 2007] Bocce is the world’s oldest game dating back as early as 5200 BC in Egypt. As civilization spread, the game found itself in Greece and later in Rome and it is still played there in every little park, boulevard and vacant space imaginable. By Dave Ethridge

South Africa comes back
[Mar. 22, 2007] South Africa has produced wines for more than 350 years. It all started when Commander Jan van Riebeck of the Dutch East India Company set up a provisioning base to accommodate its ships on the Spice Route. By Dave Ethridge

Michigan’s amazing cherry ports
[Mar. 8, 2007] Last fall at one of the wine judgings I participated in, we were presented with a flight of dessert wines of various types. By Dave Ethridge

Tom & the old Governor would be proud
[Feb. 22, 2007] America’s foremost wine lover and often called “the father of American wines” is also one of our founding fathers; none other than patriot, statesman and U.S. President Thomas Jefferson. He is quoted as saying “Good wine is a necessity of life for me.” By Dave Ethridge

Best wine buys of the year, Part II: The Reds
[Feb. 8, 2007] The selection of red wines that appeared on the Best Buys lists of the major wine magazines this year was the most diverse yet. By Dave Ethridge

Best Wine Buys of the Year Part I -- White
[Jan. 25, 2007] It’s always interesting to sift through the national wine journals at the end of the year to see which wines have been selected for their Best Buys list. By Dave Ethridge

A port in the storm
[Jan. 11, 2007] When it gets cold, windy and snowy you know it’s winter (although there hasn’t been much of that yet this year). That’s when I settle down in my big easy chair in front of a nice warm fire in the fireplace with a good book, a nice plate of Stilton cheese and crackers, a bowl of walnuts to munch on, and a nice glass of Ruby Port. That’s my Port in the storm! By Dave Ethridge

A craving for Cava
[Dec. 28, 2006] Here in the U.S. we simply call it sparkling wine. In France it is known as Champagne (except for some produced in the Loire where it is called Cremant). In Germany they call it Sekt and in Italy it is either frizzante or spumante. But in Spain it is called Cava, referring to the huge underground caverns where their sparkling wine is made. By Dave Ethridge

A Christmas shopping list for the wine-lover
[Dec. 14, 2006] It has always seemed to me that Christmas shopping for a wine-lover would be the easiest of persons on your list. But every year about this time I get a couple of phone calls asking just such a question — what do you buy for someone who loves wine? This is the list I usually give them; it just happens to be my list, too. By Dave Ethridge

Good Year & Great Wine
[Nov. 30, 2006] Provence is one of my most favorite places in the world. The scenery is grand, the history unending, the people warm and friendly, the food is of the best of France, and the wines are wonderful. You’ll see all of that in the new feature film starring Russell Crowe (as Max) titled after the Peter Mayle novel, A Good Year. By Dave Ethridge