2121 Recap

 

Every year at about this time, columnists and contributing writers like to look back at the past year and recall major events, or what they liked and disliked on the world scene.  "Best" and "Worse" lists abound, often including things readers had completely forgotten. 

Wine articles and blogs are no different.  This blog, however, will not bore you with yet another screed about the hated three-tier system, the stupidity of some state laws regarding direct shipping of wine or whether some of the nation's sommeliers are misbehaving.

What follows, then, is a look back at the topics covered in "Gerald D Boyd On Wine" in 2021.  They are offered here as an indexed guide of what you read (or missed) throughout the past year; topics that will help increase and improve your knowledge of wine, while giving you more power to make better wine purchases. 

By my count, this space carried 31 blogs plus 14 "My Life in Wine" entries in 2021, which doesn't come to 52 weeks, but then a few things happened, like illness and an unrelanting pandemic. 

To make it easy for you, the reader, the blogs are grouped alphabetical by country, with a separate section for "My Life in Wine."

Australia: Australian Shiraz (18 Nov 2021). I thought I had written more than just one blog on this popular red last year.  Look for more background on Australian wine in the coming year.

California: Sierra Foothills (8 July), Napa Valley (19 Aug), Beyond Napa (26 Aug). Yikes!  Only three blogs on the most popular U.S. wines; I'll have to do better in 2022, with more on lesser known California wines.

Chile: Wine from this narrow country in South America continues to appeal to American wine drinkers.  An overview of Chilean wines is in the (23 Dec) blog.  In 2022, I'll write about the appeal of Chilean red wine.

France: Loire wines Part 1 (30 Jan), Loire wines Part 2 (9 Feb), Chablis (29 Apr), wines of the Cote de Beaune (6 May), Champagne (29 Jul), Cabernet Franc (5 Aug), Viognier (9 Sep), Grenache (16 Sep), wines from south of Beaune, (11 Nov).  Clearly, I had a preference for French wines in 2021.  This blog focused on French wines more than any other region or country.  Alsace and the affordable wines of southwest France will be featured later this year.

Israel: There is more to Israeli wines than kosher, as presented in a (7 Oct)  update.

Italy: Nebbiolo (10 Jan), Pinot Grigio & Pinot Bianco (8 Apr), Barbera & Dolcetto (15 Apr), Soave (21 May), Sicily (15 Jul).  I admit, Italian wines are favorites for their variety and overal high quality, so there will be more on Italian wine in 2022.

Miscellaneous: Covid Watch (24 Feb), "How did you get into wine?" (1 Apr), Summer Roses (24 Jun), The impact of climate change in the vineyard (30 Sep), "When did wine change?" (28 Oct), Light Reds (2 Dec), Holiday Wine (9 Dec).

Oregon: Oregon Red Wine (21 Oct).  There is more going on with wine in Oregon than I wrote about last year, so look for more Oregon coverage.

Portugal: Portuguese Reds (6 Mar), Madeira (25 Mar).  I could write volumes about Portugal, its wines and its people and will do so (although not volumes) in 2022.

MLIW: The remaining 14 blogs in 2021, Episode 10 thru Episode 23, were entitled "My Life in Wine," a running account of my experiences with wine, as a writer, wine judge and wine teacher.  

In Episode 10, while still in Colorado, I got an offer to join the Wine Spectator; and then my experiences as a writer and editor at the Spectator continued through Episode 16, when I resigned and returned to free lance wine writing.  

The ups and downs of free lancing, including contributing to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat and my exposure to electronic writing for Wine Review Online, plus a moment in 1989 when the Loma Prieta earthquake emptied my wine rack, are all in Episodes 17 to 21.

Episode 22 was about Scotland's "wine" and the year ended with an account of wine judging in Australia. 

Life is busy today and sometimes you need a little help with the answer to such questions as what wine to buy?  The above index of 2021 blogs on "Gerald D Boyd on Wine" provides a guide to some of the many wines available today and 2022 promises to include many of the wines not covered last year. 

There is so much more to write about...and I'd like to hear from you what wines or wine regions you'd enjoy reading about.  Use the Comments option below or email me at boydvino707@gmail.com.

 

Next blog: Tempting Tempranillo