The Gray Report

03/11/2025

The Supreme Court will hear VOS Selections v Trump tomorrow, and it's possible that most of Trump's tariffs -- and all of his tariffs on Europe -- will be shot down.

Here's a preview of a very important hearing.

The Supreme Court will consider whether wine tariffs are enforceable, but it could be an expensive exercise. Read the latest wine news & opinion on wine-searcher

30/10/2025

White wines from Lugana, on the shores of northern Italy's Lake Garda, have a fairly rich body with good freshness, and they age well.

They don't taste like white Burgundy -- they're more melon-and-salt than lemon-and-toast -- but the body and mouthfeel make them a reasonable substitute at 1/10 the price of what white Burgundy goes for these days.

Ageworthy Lugana offers an affordable substitute for white Burgundy. Read the latest wine news & opinion on wine-searcher

20/10/2025

It is my role this morning to be the wine industry's negative Nellie.

Unlike every other publication that covered it, I don't believe the sale of a Napa Valley winery for below the asking price, and for about half the per-acre price of vineyards sold last year, is a positive development.

Also, on Friday I watched the desultory end of the slowest, lowest-bid Napa Valley auction I've seen in 20 years of covering them. One-third of auction lots didn't sell. That's ... not good.

It's not so much that the Calmére Estate got sold, it's the obvious relief from the realtors. Read the latest wine news & opinion on wine-searcher

17/10/2025

Stealing truckloads of booze is now a thing: first Guy Fieri and Sammy Hagar's Tequila, and now the very first age-statement release from Washington state's best distillery.

I was lucky enough to get one of the remaining (not stolen) bottles, and it's one of the best whiskies I've had all year -- it's made like a Burgundy and drinking it is like the experience of enjoying a fine wine. I guess the thieves know their booze.

A daring heist from a Washington distillery has robbed people of the chance to try a remarkable whiskey. Read the latest wine news & opinion on wine-searcher

15/10/2025

Lunch today: double smash , hold the sauce

14/10/2025

Michelin announces -- in French, bien sûr -- that it plans to rate wines as it does restaurants.

I welcome Michelin to the fray of trying to get people interested in wine. And I LOVE the idea of wine being rated on Michelin's 3-star scale.

But, I have questions about its intentions, in this column.

The world's most famous food guide is moving into wine. What will that mean for the 100-point merchants? Read the latest wine news & opinion on wine-searcher

09/10/2025

This morning I got an insulting PR email from somebody who told me that if I want to be well-informed on an issue THAT I HAVE BEEN COVERING FOR MONTHS, I should read a newly published short summary in a publication that has been following behind my reporting, without crediting me, all along.

Don't be this PR person.

Thank you.

09/10/2025

"Light whiskey" is one of the biggest mistakes the US whiskey industry ever made. It's undrinkable ... until it's not. This is what happens when it sits around for 16 years until somebody figures out what to do with it.

Light whiskey was once dismissed as second-rate h***h but, with aging, it can be a real star. Read the latest wine news & opinion on wine-searcher

07/10/2025

A short government shutdown won't have much impact on the wine and spirits industries. But if it lingers, it will prevent new products from being introduced during the all-important holiday season.

The political standoff in Washington means no new brands for Christmas, unless significant progress is made. Read the latest wine news & opinion on wine-searcher

05/10/2025

Breakwater Barbecue, Half Moon Bay. It was outstanding!

25/09/2025

Last month's Pickett Fire in Napa County is estimated to have caused $65 million in damage.

A group of vineyard owners on Howell Mountain and in Pope Valley whose grapes were damaged by smoke are banding together to pursue a lawsuit.

The smoke might have cleared, but mystery still surrounds the cause of August's devastating Pickett Fire in Napa. Read the latest wine news & opinion on wine-searcher

24/09/2025

What is a $5000 whiskey supposed to taste like?

I'm in the expert class on that question now, so I'll tell you.

 Our US editor puts his palate on the line again, this time with an American single malt. Read the latest wine news & opinion on wine-searcher