Author name: Linda Whipple, CSW

Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW). WSET 3 Advanced with merit. Grateful for the grape and all things growing.

Letting nature decide: Three women of Alsace and their biodynamic vineyards (#winophiles)

Four years ago, when I was shopping for wine in Pennsylvania state stores, I would find a single stack of shelves devoted to wines from sustainably grown grapes – that is, organic, biodynamic, and “clean and green.” Now it seems these wines are easier to find. Perhaps consumer expectations are changing, and buyers are beginning […]

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What you should know now about Alsace wine

When I first started this wine journey more than a decade ago, I was drawn almost immediately to wine from Alsace. In this cross-cultural region of eastern France, where political boundaries have changed hands repeatedly in modern history, wine producers tend to prefer a drier Riesling than the sweet styles made by their neighbors across

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Crémant du Jura: A traditional yet different sort of bubbly

What’s not to love about Crémant du Jura? Same grapes as Burgundy, same traditional method as Champagne, and at a fraction of the cost. When the French Winophiles chose Jura as this month’s topic, I was delighted to find a Crémant du Jura at my local Total Wine store. Then I realized this was the

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Celebrating BIPOC wine: Maison Noir paired with mushroom pizza (#winePW)

For Black History Month last year, David from Cooking Chat interviewed and wrote about a sommelier-turned-winemaker who realized his dream of starting his own label. I read David’s post with interest because I admire self-starters. Then I watched his interview with André Hueston Mack and thought to myself: Wow, this guy has it going on.

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Back to Cotes du Rhone for a French GSM blend (#Winophiles)

Since moving to Washington state, I’ve grown accustomed to seeing locally produced Rhône Valley red blends on retail shelves and at winery tastings – so much so I may sometimes forget these blends actually originate in southern France. OK, perhaps I exaggerate a little. It’s true, though, that Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, the classic trio

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