Author Archives: James Melendez

About James Melendez

I love wine. I am passionate about the subject as well as art, music, lyric writing and poetry, history, sciences, organization management, and making things less complex I have been a former national wine marketing manager for a large off-premise food and wine retailer (280+ retail locations in 30 US States); the love for wine taught me the good practice of using the best methodologies to right side a business which unto itself is complex. Further complexity is wine. Wine simple to enjoy and yet profoundly complex because of many factors: Many grape varieties States of wine: sparkling, still and fortified wines Vintage Blends Regions/AVAs/DOCs etc. Many producer styles Many producers Limited supply Limited and often restricted distribution My experience is still a lot of intimidation with respect to wine. Wine means many things to many people; status, fear, success, ‘you’ve arrived’, enjoyment, good times, tradition and even ceremony. I have consulted with wine producers and association. I have spoken on Wine and Social Media, Wine and Video and The Business of Wine in conferences in the United States and Europe. Beer and spirits do have the same dynamics–there are many producers but compared to wine there is no other consumer product like it. I have been writing about since November 2006 on my site and I have over 3,000 wine videos on my YouTube channel talking about general wine subject matter as well as specific educational topics on wine and reviews. I have been a wine judge and have traveled to many wine countries in the new and old world. Wine has taken me to great places. Life is tough for most of us and it is nice to celebrate life with those near and even far. What wine is really about is sitting around a table with family and friends raising your wine glass and saying—to life! I love to write about travel, food, technology and business–please subscribe! Santé, *** A plethora of wine reviews from wines regions around the world. Read more of my wine reviews:jamesthewineguy.wordpress.com © 2022, 2020, 2018, 2017, 2010 James P. Melendez – All Rights Reserved.

Wine Wish List 2023

Each year, I start out my wine tasting table with nearly a blank slate and I always put my wine wishlist out there.  I have found over time that states like California, Oregon and Washington land on my tasting table … Continue reading

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Top 125 Wines of 2023 (Usually Annual Review is Top 100 Wines)

Welcome to the 13th edition of my Top 100 Wines of the years–this year it is Top 125 wines.   Why 125 wines this year?  I was looking at my raw list and there were so many more wines than … Continue reading

Posted in Bosnia & Herzegovina, French wines, Greek wines, Italian Wine, Slovenia, Top 100 Wines, US Wines | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What is the Expectation of Calling a Wine Organic; Especially on Packaging?

When I mention the “O” word “Organic” there seems to be some contention around it. And even when I have talked about “sustainable” and “biodynamic” it seems that so many people have their own ideas on each of these subjects. … Continue reading

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AI & Wine; Not A Revolution, Potential Evolution–Vast Improvements Needed

AI is not new – it has been with us for a while–first coined at the Dartmouth Workshop in 1956.  While AI is not new it is a hot topic especially in the past two years as noted in graph … Continue reading

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James the Wine Guy Interview Series – Sue Hodder, Wynns Coonawarra Estate Winemaker

I have always been interested in Australian wines and Australia in general.   When I first moved to San Francisco, I would go to a small wine merchant in my neighborhood of Cole Valley and pick up a bottle of … Continue reading

Posted in Australian Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonewarra, James the Wine Guy Interview Series, South Australia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Heavy Bottles Have Not Left the Building; They Are Still with Us

I am hardly the first person to complain about heavy wine bottles and I will not be the last.  A heavy bottle does not help to store wine any better than a lighter format; there is no quality difference.  During … Continue reading

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Wine, Contention and Disagreements on Organic, Sustainable and Biodynamic Wine Producers and Certifying Bodies

A large part of both my writing and videos on wine will inevitably point out if a producer has any certification with respect to organic grape production, sustainability and other relevant certifications (that a consumer might want to know about).  … Continue reading

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Tips to Italy: Local Italian Wines On Your Stay

There are 377 “official’ wine grapes in the Italian Wine Grape Registry (MIPAAF) and an estimated wine grape varieties of up to 1,000 varieties.  Italy’s wine footprint is huge—the largest wine producing country in the world.  It is nearly impossible … Continue reading

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Lange Estate – Wine Excellence in the Dundee Hills

I don’t see the term ‘wine excellence’ used that often or if even at all–and it should be used. I have been critical in the past about the word “Excellence” and I had to decouple that from the word “Perfection” … Continue reading

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ZinEx Media Lunch: Impeccable Food & Wine Pairing: Zinfandel The Wide-Array Food Pairing Wine

Zinfandel, at least, superbly well crafted Zinfandel is primed for a very vast array of food. I have for at least a generation half always poured a Zinfandel for Thanksgiving amongst other wines and I always serve Beaujolais (in case … Continue reading

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