Restaurant Wine, Issue 62 (Nov/Dec 1997)

"Wine Destination" Restaurant Issue

Profile: Barrie Larvin makes a lavish statement with wine at the Rio Suite Hotel--and wine sales now top $1 million--a month!

Wine Trends: "Old Vines". Once a fashion, now a trend...

Staff Training: What any self-respecting manager should inform his/her waitstaff about "true" Champagne. A complete, short guide to the wine, the region, the labelling, the blends...

Wine Reviews: Pommery's Apanage Brut, blended to go with food, is a surprisingly new concept in Champagne (pg. 15)...Pine Ridge's Dijon Clones is the first of many such new clone bottlings to come from California (pg. 16)...Every had an unfortified Palomino? Try the '96 Fleur de Hoof, for a change of pace (pg. 16)...Greenwood Ridge is making some of the USA's best late harvest wines (pg. 16)...Pennsylvania Cabernet Sauvignon? You won't be disappointed (pg. 17)...Oregon's Rogue Valley is quickly gaining a reputation for top Cabernet Sauvignon (pg. 17)...Columbia Crest's first Syrah is a fine debut (pg. 18)...Iron Horse, long known for its bubblies, is now making head-turning reds, specifically Pinot Noir and Sangiovese (pg. 19, 20)...Preston's 1996 Dry Creek Zinfandel is perhaps its best ever (pg. 19)...Banrock Station debuts as a top-value Australian brand--to rave reviews (pg. 20, 21)...Chilean Merlot just gets better and better (pg. 22)...Carmen Vineyards' new ultra-premium Cabernet is even better than its name suggests (pg. 22)...Falesco's Vitiano is an excellent, moderately priced Italian Cabernet-Merlot-Sangiovese blend, suggesting that Lazio will become better known for "claret-style" wines (pg. 23).