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Jason Haas

Whither inexpensive, artisanal California wine?

In early March I was interviewed by Jordan Mackay for an article in the New York Times called "Local Versions of Europe's Everyday Wines". In it, Jordan explored why so few California winemakers were attempting to make inexpensive but artisanal wines that can compete with the

Grapes of the Rhone Valley: Mourvèdre

Mourvèdre (more-vehd-ruh), with its meaty richness and wonderful longevity, forms the backbone of our Esprit de Beaucastel. Twenty-one acres of our vineyard are devoted to Mourvèdre, representing the largest acreage of any of our grapes and over a third of our red Châteauneuf-du-Pape varieties. Early History Mourvèdre is native to

Photo of the Day: Wildflowers at Tablas Creek

When I got to work today, the fog was just lifting, and I spent an hour or so looking for some good shots of it retreating to the east (to find out why that's so remarkable, check out this old post from 2006). But it was on my

An Update on Spring: Green, Green, Green

We're thrilled with the winter that we've received so far. We're near 35 inches of rain since October, which is the most we've received in four years. We've had periods of extended cold, which got the vineyard fully dormant. For

One from the Vaults: a September 1988 Wine Spectator article on Robert Haas

I was back in Vermont last week visiting my sister and my new nephew, and spent the night in my old room in the house I grew up in. I was browsing through old papers late one night when I uncovered a 1988 issue of the Wine Spectator in which

Grapes of the Rhone Valley: Picpoul Blanc

Picpoul Blanc (also spelled Piquepoul Blanc) is one of the lesser-known Rhône varietals, but one that we think has a tremendous future in California. It is one of the thirteen permitted varietals in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where it is used primarily as a blending component to take advantage of its acidity. Like

A skeptic's move toward biodynamics

by Robert Haas Tablas Creek Vineyard, following the practices of our partners at Château de Beaucastel, had always intended to farm our Paso Robles property organically. That is to say, farming our vineyard without the use of systemic chemicals and relying on compost, cover crops and mineral amendments to improve

Tablas Creek on "A Long Pour: Fifty-Two Weeks with California Wine"

I have noticed a backlash recently among writers passionate about wine against what might be termed the tyranny of the tasting note. In the view of these writers, the stilted language and the inherent subjectivity of the wine review is a distraction from the real business of telling a story

Grapes of the Rhone Valley: Counoise

Perhaps the grape question we hear most frequently at wine events and in our tasting room is “Counoise? What’s Counoise?” Even the Wall Street Journal joked a few years ago about Counoise’s obscurity in an article about blends. Yet the grape is a component of many Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines,

Grapes of the Rhone Valley: Grenache Blanc

This article is the first in what will be an ongoing exploration of the principal varietals of the Rhone Valley. A version of this article first appeared in the Tablas Creek newsletter. Overview Grenache Blanc is the fourth most widely planted white grape in France. It produces rich, full wines