David White

Are Modern Sommeliers Educators? Absolutely.

I was out past midnight one recent Wednesday, despite a meeting early the next morning. When I headed home, my route took me through Washington, D.C.'s popular 14th Street corridor, where a few bars and restaurants were still open.

Three Wine Trends to Watch for in 2015

2014 will likely go down as the year that powerful wine critics lost their grip on the marketplace.

War, Wine, and Giving Thanks at Christmas

One hundred years ago this week, France launched its first major offensive against Germany in World War I. The fight took place in the winegrowing region of Champagne, which the German army had invaded just weeks after hostilities broke out. Nearly 200,000 lives were lost in the three-month battle.

Delectable: A Wine App That Could Revolutionize Drinking

Alexander Niehenke began to appreciate wine ten years ago. But for the first four years, it was simply a beverage he enjoyed with dinner from time to time, especially when cooking at home.

Rethinking the Tasting Note

"This first wine is a fighter; he's loud. The second wine is pensive; she has a dark side." This past Saturday, as I led a seminar in Chevy Chase, Maryland, one of the participants offered these tasting notes while comparing two wines.

With Priest Ranch, Craig Becker Is Betting On Honesty

"No one needs a new wine brand," explained Craig Becker, a veteran Napa Valley winegrower, over breakfast one recent morning.

A Napa Valley Tech Entrepreneur Is Revolutionizing Customer Service

Earlier this year, the number of wineries in the United States passed 8,000. When the news hit, Napa Valley tech entrepreneur Paul Mabray took to Facebook to remind his followers that "in a world of infinite wine choices, the only differentiator is service."

New Zealand Offers More Than Hobbits and Sauvignon Blanc

New Zealand is home to about 700 wineries. And even though the nation is best known for a single variety from a single region, its winemaking history goes back to 1819

America's Thirst for Wine Insatiable, Despite Rise of Cocktails, Craft Beer

Younger consumers are eating and drinking adventurously. This bodes well for the wine industry

Life Is Richer with Wine

Wine demands to be shared. Enjoying a glass alone is fine, of course. But there's an emotional component to wine appreciation. That's a big reason why enjoying a bottle with friends is always more meaningful than drinking alone.

In Napa Valley, a Community Rallies

John Trinidad, a wine industry attorney who lives on Main Street in Napa, was cleaning up from a party when his home started shaking.

The Terroirist Manifesto of Anselme Selosse

"Nature is larger and bigger than all of us. It's crazy to think that man can dominate nature." Anselme Selosse issued this profound statement while explaining his winemaking philosophy one recent morning at his small property in Avize, a village in Champagne's Côte des Blancs.

Didier Gimonnet: Maintaining Tradition in Champagne

"Gimmonet is not trendy," explained Didier Gimonnet, a third-generation vigneron in Champagne. "It's unfashionable."

Beaujolais: The Greatest Secret in Wine

One hundred years ago, the Wine Society, a wine club in London, offered its members a Beaujolais from the appellation of Moulin à Vent for $29 per case. It offered cases of Burgundy from the appellations of Beaune and Pommard for around $36 each.

Tony Terlato Is Betting on Millennials

"When I was in college, we drank beer. When my sons were in college, they drank draft beer. But when my granddaughter was in college, she'd get together with five girls, go out to a restaurant, and they'd each put $10 toward a $60 bottle of wine."

Embracing the Rhone Rangers

"Raise your hand if customers regularly come in and ask for a good Cabernet." I recently issued this directive to a group of 40 sommeliers, retailers, and other wine industry insiders from across Washington, D.C. Unsurprisingly, just about every hand shot up.

Virginia Rising

"I don't understand why the D.C. public doesn't realize its Sonoma and Napa is just a day's drive. It's an easy, straight shot out of the city, and there are incredible wines," exclaimed Sebastian Zutant, the co-owner of The Red Hen, a popular restaurant in the nation's capital known for its serious yet quirky wine list.

At Wine-Focused Restaurants, Embracing the Unknown

"Representing real people who make real wine has always been very important to me," explained Danny Fisher, the general manager and beverage director of Ripple, a wine-focused restaurant in Washington, D.C. "When you're drinking wine -- or any kind of beverage, really -- you want to know that someone has put time and effort into it. It shouldn't be mass produced, toyed with, or manipulated." Fisher and I were chatting about the wisdom -- or foolishness -- of loading up a restaurant wine list with small-production, unfamiliar offerings.

Drinking Wine in Bourbon Country

For two minutes each May, the world turns its attention to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby.

Comic Books and Thoroughbreds, Inspired by Wine

Outside the Bay Area, few wine enthusiasts realize that California's wine scene is incredibly welcoming.