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Michael Cervin is a professional writer focusing on wine, food, and travel. Notable publications include Decanter (London), Fine Wine & Liquor (China), Wine Enthusiast, Wine & Spirits, The Tasting Panel, Sommelier Journal, Food & Beverage World, Skywest, Westways and over 80 others. He is the restaurant critic, and contributing travel writer for the Santa Barbara News-Press. As a wine and food judge he has been invited to the Best of Vinho Verde Awards in Portugal, the Taste of Rum Festival in Puerto Rico, the Monterey Wine Competition, the Central Coast Wine Competition, the Paso Robles Winemakers Cook-Off, the El Dorado County Fair Wine Competition and many others.

He is the author of three national travel books including California Wine Country, published by Moon. His blog on all things wine, spirits and beer can be found at www.BoozehoundZ.blogspot.com. He lives in Santa Barbara with his wife. To see more of his work visit www.michaelcervin.com. Follow his other blogs: www.Exploracation.blogspot.com, and www.CervinsCentralCoast.blogspot.com

Michael Cervin Thinks:

A fair restaurant corkage fee is: 

$10

A tell-tale sign of a wine snob is: 

A loudmouth who wears too much cologne, brags about how much a bottle costs, disregards other people's opinion and chews mint gum while drinking cabernet.

The wine region I most want to visit: 

Any place they make the stuff!

My "wish list" of wines I want to acquire soon: 

My wish list is what I'm currently drinking. Wine evolves and changes and each vintage is something new, so, even if you acquired a case of something, it will be different in six months.

My biggest wine pet peeve: 

It's an expensive hobby! It's loaded with calories and I've ruined a lot of shirts, one pair of pants and have stained my couch.

My favorite wine quote: 

Wine is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

My dream wine to one day taste or own: 

Screaming Eagle, Petrus, and eventually my own wine.

The best wines I have ever tasted: 

Geeze, far too many to count. But what started it off for me was an Eberle Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, from Eberle Winery in Paso Robles.

The people with whom I most often enjoy wine: 

My wife and most of my friends. My cats prefer beer.

The last wine I had that I absolutely loved: 

Every week I'm fortunate to have fantastic wines at a variety of price points. Recent greats have been the 2006 Savant from Justin Winery in Paso Robles, and Inniskillen Vidal Blanc Ice Wine from Canada.

What I think of the movie Sideways: 

The movie was filmed in my back yard, Santa Barbara. I love the fact that the film has generated so much interest in this region, and encouraged so many people to try wine.

My thoughts on the 100 point rating scale made famous by Robert Parker and emulated by seemingly everyone: 

I admire what Parker has been able to do and frankly, I'd love to have his job. Any rating scale is merely a tool of one person's taste. Take it or leave it.

My wine travels have taken me to the following wine regions: 

All of California (including Temecula and the oft over looked Sierra Foothills), Oregon, Mexico, Germany, Virginia, France, the Okanagan Valley in B.C., Nova Scotia, Spain, Portugal, New Jersey, New Mexico, Idaho, Burgundy, Switzerland and Pennsylvania.

Contributions

Title Categories Publishedsort icon
The IntoWine.com Annual “Top 100 Most Influential People in the U.S. Wine Industry" – 2012 2012, Adam LaZarre, aka wine geek, Alexander Payne, Alice Feiring, All About Greek Wine, Atlas Peak, Beaulieu Vineyard, Becker Vineyards, Bill Knight, Cellars International, Charles Bieler, Daryl Groom, Eddie Osterland, Elin McCoy, Eric Colomon, European Cellars, Evan Goldstein, Fetzer, Ford, Gallo winery, Gary Eberle, General Mills, Gramercy Cellars, Greg Harrington, Greg Jones, IBM, Inc., influential wine people, Jeannie Cho Lee, Jorge Ordonez, K&L, Katrin Naelapaa, Kenneth Volk, Kenneth Volk Vineyards, Kent Rosenblum, Madeline Triffon, Mondavi Winery, Paul Dolan, Paul Draper, Richard Becker, Richard Peterson, Richards Sanford, Ridge Vineyards, Robert Trinchero, Rosenblum Cellars, Rudi Wiest, Sideways, Sofia Perpera, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Steve Olson, The wine House, Three Thieves, Trey Beffa, University of Chicago, Warren Winiarski, Wild Horse Winery, Wine Producers, Growers, & Labels 01/26/2012
Q&A with Richard Sanford, Owner and Winemaker at Alma Rosa Alma Rosa, Lompoc, Richard Sanford, Sandford Winery, Santa Rita Hills, Wine Producers, Growers, & Labels, California 01/26/2012
Q&A with Ernst Loosen of Dr. Loosen Rieslings Dr. Loosen, Ernst Loosen, University of Mainz, Weingut Dr. Loosen, Wine Producers, Growers, & Labels 01/26/2012
Q&A with Wes Hagen, Winemaker at Clos Pepe Vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills Clos Pepe Vineyards, Decanter Magazine, Robert Parker, University of California at Davis, Wes Hagen, Wine Producers, Growers, & Labels, California 01/17/2012
Q&A with Ludovic Dervin, Winemaker at Mumm Napa Gary Farrell, Hartford Court, Ludovic Dervin, Mumm Napa, Russian River Winery, Wine Producers, Growers, & Labels 01/11/2012
Q&A with Nicolas Mahler-Besse, CEO of Seguin-Moreau Cooperage, France France, Nicolas Mahler-Besse, Seguin-Moreau Cooperage, Wine Producers, Growers, & Labels, France 01/09/2012
Q&A with Master Sommelier George Miliotes California Grill, Darden, Master Sommelier George Miliotes, Seasons 52, Wine Producers, Growers, & Labels 01/01/2012
Q&A with Jon Bonné, Wine Editor, San Francisco Chronicle Art of Eating, Court TV, Decanter, Food & Wine, Jon Bonné, MSNBC, National Public Radio, San Francisco Chronicle, Saveur, Seattle Magazine, The New York Times, Top 100 Wines list, Wine Producers, Growers, & Labels, Wine Books & Authors 12/23/2011
Q&A with Dan Duckhorn, founder of Duckhorn Winery Dan Duckhorn, Duckhorn winery, Goldeneye, Schramsberg Vineyards, Wine Producers, Growers, & Labels, California 12/13/2011
Q&A with Bernard Portet, Winemaker at Heritance Bernard Portet, Clos du Val, Heritance, Napa Valley, Stags Leap, Wine Producers, Growers, & Labels, Napa Valley, California 12/13/2011

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Comments

Thank you for the article on Lynfred Winery! You are a gem. Cheers, Christina Anderson-Heller of Lynfred Winery

Thanks for the article encouraging unsophisticated Americans toward Riesling and drinking an affordable German beer instead.  Who said wine snobs didn't have a sense of humor?

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