Category Archives: Champagne

Top 100 Wines of 2020 – James Melendez

Posted on December 24, 2020 by James Melendez

Yes, 2020 was a year that we will always be remembered or a year we will always want to forget!  I also try to capture as many wines before publishing my top 100 – some wine reviewers publish in October—not … Continue reading →

Posted in Aglianico, Arneis, Barbera, Barolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Champagne, Chardonnay, DOC Etna, Dolcetto, Etna, Lake County, Lugana, Marlborough, Napa Valley, Nebbiolo, Pantelleria, Pinot Noir, Roero, Santa Maria Valley, Taurasi DOCG, Top 100 Wines, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

November 2020 Wine & Spirits Review

Posted on November 20, 2020 by James Melendez

I reached my 3,000th video this month (November 2020) – It was never a grand plan to get to a certain number of videos.  What began as an experiment became a core belief about wine reviewing. Words alone are not … Continue reading →

Posted in Champagne, Chianti, Chianti Classico, Crémant de Bourgogne, Crémant de Loire, Marlborough, Mendocino County, Napa Valley, New Zealand, Paso Robles, Pinot Noir, Prosecco, Red Mountain, Red Wine Blend, Sangiovese, Wine Review | Leave a comment

Vintage Champagne and Global Climate Change – James Melendez

Posted on March 6, 2020 by James Melendez

I love sparkling wine, I love Champagne and, of course, j’adore vintage Champagne. I can never taste too often or too much and in this confessional I am a Brut Nature, Extra Brut and Blanc de Blanc aficionado. Sometimes content … Continue reading →

Posted in Champagne, Climate Change, Vintage | Leave a comment

December 2019 Wines – Sparkling Wine Edition – James Melendez

Posted on December 26, 2019 by James Melendez

Sparkling wine is a big deal this time of year–US Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.  My experience as a national wine marketing manager for a large off-premise organization was an exercise in year-over-year predictable upticks. But sparkling wine…. a dear … Continue reading →

Posted in Cava, Champagne, Prosecco, Sparkling | Leave a comment

August 2019 Wine Reviews -James Melendez

Posted on August 28, 2019 by James Melendez

August was a very nice wine tasting month. I enjoyed the variation of tasting wines at Family Winemakers of California 2019 tasting in San Francisco Dog Patch district at the Midway.  I will be writing under a separate article later … Continue reading →

Posted in Champagne, France, Grüner Veltliner, Sonoma Mountain, Viognier | Leave a comment

This Week in Wine February 17, 2019 – James Melendez

Posted on February 23, 2019 by James Melendez

January is a great month–slower than the remainder of the year.  I know that it is when I need to get my online learnings done, read all that I want to read because there will be no time for anything … Continue reading →

Posted in Champagne, Frappato, Sparkling, White Pinot Noir, Wine and Video, YouTube | Leave a comment

January 2019 Wine Reviews – James Melendez

Posted on January 27, 2019 by James Melendez

It is only January and yet wine tasting for this month is filled with white and reds from Washington, California, German, Turkey and France.  So far in the beginning of the year is slow and I hope it will continue … Continue reading →

Posted in Bordeaux, Champagne, Edna Valley, France, Germany, Napa Valley, Turkey, Washington State, Zinfandel | 1 Comment

Thoughts Champagne/Sparkling Wine Glass – James Melendez

Posted on July 8, 2018 by James Melendez

Of all wine glasses for either variety, region or style there is no more passion about design than that for sparkling wine.  Most people that I talk to about stemware for their preferences (not in the wine trade or media) … Continue reading →

Posted in Champagne, Prosecco, Wine Glasses | 2 Comments

Results of The First JamesTheWineGuy Sparkling Wine Survey – James Melendez

Posted on November 5, 2017 by James Melendez

First, thank you to all of those people who participated.  I realised in my writing that it was important to do a survey on wine.  I want more of my writing to not just always be based on the anecdotal … Continue reading →

Posted in Cava, Champagne, Sparkling, Survey | 4 Comments

Many are Still Flummoxed by Chardonnay – James Melendez

Posted on October 4, 2017 by James Melendez

Chardonnay is not like yesteryear’s Rosé.  In year’s past at either trade or consumer tasting Rosé was often passed up by fellow attendees.  Today I feel Chardonnay is in the same circumstance.   Chardonnay is the second most planted white wine next to Airén … Continue reading →

Posted in Chablis, Champagne, Chardonnay | Leave a comment