It’s been a sorry year for wine journalism. Remember that article I blogged which reported Burgundy being grown in California? That was nothing compared to what I learned about last night.

Few out there (and their editors ) care about something basic called accuracy.

Now, I know that I’m always ranting about something. I promise in the future I'll ferret out great wine articles to trumpet, (Amongst my New Years Resolution s besides being more social, dancing more, taking ballet again, finishing my novel and selling it and maybe moving to Europe is more positivity in these pages. I also need to infuse my writing with more irony.) and but right now, let me go on the rampage about this story Gerald Weisl of the Burlingame, California wine store Weimax Wines & Spirits clued me into.

The piece possibly can qualify for the worst wine article of the year and maybe even last year.

If the piece ran on April’s Food Day, I would have thought....great joke. I’m from the east coast so what do I know, the Los Gatos Weekly and the Mercury News could be the West Coast Versions of The Onion.

The story by Jennifer van der Kleut is remarkable. The poor girl (a student trying to get some clips perhaps?) is a great example of what happens when people who don't know anything about wine write about it. They are at the mercy of any shlep who says, “Interview me, I’m an expert!”

She fell for them, poor thing. She ate the whole worm.

#1: “Being lower in alcohol, it makes for a lighter, more delicate wine. California fruits are often more ripe, which can make our alcohol percentages higher, but with sparkling wines, you want to pick the grapes at a lower brix," she says. Brix refers to the measurement of sugar in the grapes, which is often tied to the air's temperature. Krolczyk says the grapes of the average wine are typically around 25 to 27 brix, but those of sparkling wine are around 21 to 22. This translates to an alcohol percentage of around 14 percent to 17 percent for a bottle of California-made wine.” (NOTE MY FAV. ERRORS: *THE BRIX USED TO BE WHAT CALIFORNIA USED TO PICK AT PRE-IRRIGATION. *BRIX LINKED TO TEMPERATURE.)

#2: “"There's the level of sweetness. That's where you get a lot of the variation," Adrian says. "Some people really like a nice, clean, dry champagne, and others like a sweet asti spumante, which has a little more residual sugar in there;”
(NOTE: RS? NOT ADDED SUGAR?)

#3: “As far as the two variations go, two of Uncorked's most popular selections are Henriot French champagne, which Adrian says has an almost tropical fruit flavor and a nice, clean finish; or Duval-Leroy, which has a nutty, creamy texture.” (NOTE: NUTTY TEXTURE? HENRIOT, TROPICAL?)

#4: “Vintage wines are more unique than non-vintage due to the fact that no two batches are alike. This is because each batch is tied to the particular crop of grapes and is only made from that crop - in other words, no blending. Also, vintage wines are often left to ferment for decades at a time, though most companies will release a batch at its most optimal time for drinking. This leads to a much more complex and flavorful taste than its non-vintage counterparts. All of which translates to higher prices and higher demand. (NOTE: OY)

#5”: The Left Bank French restaurant at Santana Row in San Jose recently added Gosset Grande Reservé Brut French champagne to its wine list. Gosset is the oldest original champagne house in France, and has been producing champagne since 1584. Yet, Left Bank, a fine dining restaurant, only charges $24 to serve a split bottle, which is 187ml, or $75 for a full 750 ml bottle. Denise Keeler, Left Bank's assistant general manager, says that despite the lower price, Gosset has a great taste. "It doesn't go through malolactic acid fermentation, so it's very smooth and silky on the palate. It has a much sweeter texture," she says. "I absolutely adore it. It has a really nice, fruity flavor." (NOTE: MY FAVORITE HERE IS THE MALO! THERE ARE A BUNCH OF OTHERS IN THIS ONE TOO, BUT ALL ECLIPSED BY THE MALO.)

#6: "Rosé can sometimes be more expensive, due to the fact that it is more rare and often has a more robust flavor.” (NOTE: HAH!)