All Reviews
by Robert O’Maoilriain CSW
by Robert O’Maoilriain CSW
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Funny accolades I have received from the wine industry- “A Marketing Genius,” “Magical,” “An Explosion of Knowledge, “Intoxicating,” “The Guy with the Palette,” “New Orleans top Wine Expert,” “Guerrilla Marketing to the next level,” “Super Talented,” “our Wine Scientist,” “Sonoma Sommelier,” “A young Robert Parker,” “The next Michael Roland,” “A combination of Robert Parker and Michael Roland,” and “the only man for Jennifer Lopez.” (I made that last one up;) lol.
Overall- I am Sonoma Valley’s Wine and Food Critic a.k.a. Sonoma Sommelier Wine and Food Review. I am obsessed with wine terroir and have entrench myself in the vineyards, working hard to get to the bottom of wine and vineyard flavors. “Why” is as important as “What” to me in my reporting and reviews. No Wine Critic to date has embedded themselves in their Wine region to the degree that I have. I dig in the soil, taste the grapes, taste the juice, smell the insides of the barrels, meet the workers, sort the grapes, crush and press, fill and top the barrels, walk and photograph the Vineyards, know my Valleys Vineyards blind, most of all I am a reporter in the trenches and on top of the newest details and developments in my district. Instead of noncommittally reporting on World Wine I am a specialist. I will rewrite what the world knows about the Wines of my district. I am onto something here. Please follow my passion, this is not a business. This is my life’s work -Robert O’Maoilriain, Oct 2009
Contact me directly at rwr@sonomasom.com
Thank you,
Thank you,
Favorite Reds- Margaux AOC, Pauillac AOC, St. Julien AOC, Taurasi DOCG, Mayacamas Range District Cabernets Sonoma Valley AVA, Saint Joseph AOC, Gigondas AOC, Minervois AOC, Schocken Hill District Mayacamas-Sonoma Valley Zinfandel, Corbieres AOC, Bolgheri DOC, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOC, Mendocino AVA Zinfandel, Diamond Mountain AVA Cabernets, Anderson Valley AVA Pinot Noirs, Columbia Valley AVA Bordeaux style blends and Santa Ynez AVA Pinot Noir and Syrah.
Favorite Whites- Chevalier-Montrachet AOC, Pouilly-Fume AOC, Alsace AOC Grand Cru Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer, Mosel Riesling, Savennières
AOC, Pope Valley AVA Sauvignon Blanc, Monterrey Chardonnay, Santa Ynez Chardonnay, Sonoma Valley Chardonnay.
AOC, Pope Valley AVA Sauvignon Blanc, Monterrey Chardonnay, Santa Ynez Chardonnay, Sonoma Valley Chardonnay.
What defines me? Winemaking, grape growing and wine marketing ETHICS focused 100% on terroir. True Terroir is sense of place that captures the soul of a single vineyard in a glass.
My thoughts? When wine ceases to tell a story of place it ceases to be wine, though a pleasant beverage it may be. I would rather have a bad single vineyard wine than a great wine from nowhere, with no special sense of place. Wine is too expensive to just taste good; it must taste good and transcend what a beverage does in order to transcend simply being a commoditized beverage. The big beverage companies that make most of the win
es these days won’t agree with me on this one and neither will their bottom line but I don’t work for them. “This is not a business. This is my life’s work.” -Robert O’Maoilriain, Oct 2009
My thoughts? When wine ceases to tell a story of place it ceases to be wine, though a pleasant beverage it may be. I would rather have a bad single vineyard wine than a great wine from nowhere, with no special sense of place. Wine is too expensive to just taste good; it must taste good and transcend what a beverage does in order to transcend simply being a commoditized beverage. The big beverage companies that make most of the win
es these days won’t agree with me on this one and neither will their bottom line but I don’t work for them. “This is not a business. This is my life’s work.” -Robert O’Maoilriain, Oct 2009