Dorothy J. Gaiter
Dorothy J. Gaiter conceived and wrote The Wall Street Journal's wine column, "Tastings," from 1998 to 2010 with her husband, John Brecher. She has been tasting and studying wine since 1973. She has had a distinguished career in journalism as a reporter, editor, columnist and editorial writer at The Miami Herald and The New York Times as well as at The Journal. Dottie and John are well-known from their many television appearances, especially on Martha Stewart's show, and as the creators of the annual "Open That Bottle Night" celebration of wine and friendship. The first bottle they shared was André Cold Duck.
April 27, 2018
Ridge Howell Mountain for $6.99: The Story of Our House Wines
"It’s essential in your wine life to have house wines. Others might call them everyday wines, a sibling concept, with this caveat: Under no circumstances should these wines, or any one wine, no matter how grand or humbly delicious, be consumed every day." Dorothy J. Gaiter
April 14, 2018
What’s a Great Wine Bar?
Dorothy J. Gaiter on the attributes that make a great wine bar - and her discovery of Uvaggio in Miami.
March 30, 2018
Merry Edwards: One of America’s Wine Pioneers Is Ready for More Disruption
"Unfortunately, as we all know, it's not just the men who inhibit women from getting to where they need to be. Unfortunately it's other women many times who discriminate and are afraid." Merry Edwards in conversation with Dorothy J. GaiterMarch 16, 2018
In a World of Sharks, Here’s a Toast to Wine’s Capacity for Good
"Lamberto Frescobaldi, who represents the 30th generation of one of Italy’s most storied winemaking families, says the wines he makes with prisoners at the penal colony on Gorgona Island, off the coast of Tuscany, contain “the taste of hope.” Dorothy J. GaiterFebruary 26, 2018
Diana Krall, Mi Sueño Winery and a Building Named Dorothy: OTBN 2018!
"We heard from more than 1,500 wine lovers from Maui to Jacksonville, Florida, from Santa Barbara to Russia, from Seattle to London, from Vancouver to Chile, from Rhode Island to New Zealand, and from Atlanta to South Africa." Dorothy J. Gaiter on Open That Bottle NightFebruary 9, 2018
Open That Bottle Night Is Coming! Tales of Duckhorn, Sherry and a False Missile Alert
"Even if opening that wine may be the end of that bottle’s journey it is only the beginning of a long night of stories." Dorothy J. Gaiter on Open That Bottle Night.
January 25, 2018
Jed Steele Makes Magic: Honest, Tasty and Affordable California Wines
Jed Steele helped define the big style of California Chardonnay working for Jess Jackson and Kendall Jackson as winemaker in the 1980's. He was sued by Jackson when he left the company in the 1990. Dorothy J. Gaiter on Steele's unique wine journey.January 11, 2018
Dorothy J. Gaiter: My Journey Through the Most Exciting Wines of 2017
"There were wines I had last year that were truly exciting. Encountering these is one of the joys of this lifelong journey we’re on with wine." Dorothy J. Gaiter on her favorite wines of 2017.December 27, 2017
Here’s to a Year of Bubbles – Starting at a Sparkling $13
Dorothy J. Gaiter picks her favorite sparklers of 2017.December 13, 2017
The Perfect Holiday Party? Here It Is, Wrapped with a Bow
"Here’s a fun holiday party idea we got years ago from a reader." Dorothy J. GaiterNovember 28, 2017
Why Some Wine Writing Today Reminds Me of a Woody Allen Movie
"In my mind, the main thing that’s happened is that wine writers are finding old ideas to recycle and that instead of writing for six other writers many are writing for a dozen other writers." Dorothy J. GaiterNovember 10, 2017
What Keegan-Michael Key Taught Us About Taking Wine to a Friend’s House – Not!
Dorothy J. Gaiter on what wines to bring when you need to turn up with a gift.October 27, 2017
La Rioja Alta: Rich History, Rich Wine and Our Third-Day Surprise
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the launching of Viña Ardanza, the much-heralded wine from La Rioja Alta and Dorothy J. Gaiter revisits.
October 13, 2017
Ray Signorello: ‘The vineyard acted like a great firebreak. It’s kind of miraculous.”
"Signorello’s first trial by fire came in 2005, he told me Thursday night, when his winery lost 15,000 cases of wine in an arson-set fire that destroyed 4.5 million bottles of wine at the Wine Central Warehouse in Vallejo, California." Dorothy J. GaiterOctober 12, 2017
With Fires Devastating Wine Country, Here’s What You Can Do
Dorothy J. Gaiter on the tragic devastation in wine country and recommendations on ways to help.September 29, 2017
Oregon Pinot Gris: After 44 Years of Wine, Here’s A First
"While Pinot Noir is the Pinot that Oregon winemakers are wild about, we’ve also been fans of Oregon Pinot Gris for decades." Dorothy J. GaiterSeptember 14, 2017
Kistler, Dutton-Goldfield, Patz & Hall – Thirsty Yet? Here’s What They Have in Common
"What particularly impressed us is that the wines, tasted back-to-back, had the same vision – just look at those notes again. We often find that it is the mark of a good winery, when you can taste a consistent vision across different grape varieties." Dorothy J. Gaiter on Dutton-GoldfieldSeptember 1, 2017
From Sex and Drugs Education to Zinfandel: The Peachy Canyon Story
"It had been a long time since we’d had a Zinfandel from Peachy Canyon and they were like running into old friends." Dorothy. J. GaiterAugust 18, 2017
Kalin Chardonnay: Genius in a Bottle, With a Nod to Pasteur
"We wanted a strain of yeast that wouldn’t make any off-characters and that sort of thing, but would be basically an amplifier for terroir.” Dorothy J. Gaiter talks to microbiologist and winemaker Terrance Leighton of Kalin CellarsAugust 3, 2017
Why Sonoma’s David Ramey Needs to See Some Jazz Next Time He’s in New York
"Ramey thought a few years ago that it would be prudent and a heck of a lot of fun to make a line of wines from different grapes and in other styles, wines that are more casual and appealing to younger customers." Dorothy J. Gaiter on David Ramey's second label Sidebar CellarsJuly 21, 2017
Lynn Fritz’s Temple of Lynmar, With Chardonnay That Moves the Soul
"Lynn Fritz is a man on a mission. The large arc of his life seems to be about community building, and he pursues it with a religious zeal." Dorothy J. GaiterJuly 6, 2017
‘Contains Milk’: Two Words Lead Down the Rabbit Hole of Wine Labeling; Wait, Is That Model Nude?
"Something on the label of the 2016 Thomas Goss Riesling from Adelaide Hills, South Australia, caught our eye.“Contains Milk.” - Dorothy J. GaiterJune 22, 2017
Ten Affordable Summer Wines From Dreamers, Including Dave Matthews (Yes, That One)
"Last week at The Jazz Standard in New York City, we heard Tierney Sutton and her band perform a beautiful medley of “April in Paris” and “Free Man in Paris,” and I just can’t get Joni Mitchell’s line “I deal in dreamers” out of my head." Dorothy J. Gaiter
June 8, 2017
Trefethen Merlot: From a Near-Disaster, a Classic Emerges
Can Napa produce great Merlot? "Classy. Great structure with a real austerity and tremendous, mineral finish. Tastes like a fine Right Bank Bordeaux,” we wrote in our notes." Dorothy J. Gaiter is convinced by the Trefethen 2014 Merlot.May 24, 2017
Opus One and a Winemaker’s Lessons for Managers in Every Industry
John and I were never particularly fond of Opus One, finding it overpriced and over-rated. That changed in 2004 when we did a blind tasting of 50 expensive, well-known, very expensive American Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux-style proprietary blends." - Dorothy J. GaiterMay 5, 2017
Domaine Carneros and the Best Bubbly Winemaker You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
"Her wines, made by méthode traditionnelle from hand-harvested, estate-grown grapes and first-press juice, are pitch-perfect elegant, just the thing for Mother’s Day or the coming summer wedding season." Dorothy J. Gaiter on Eileen CraneApril 21, 2017
Dorothy J. Gaiter Column: In a World of Rosé, Try These Six; Fried Catfish Optional
"Our favorite rosés are those that truly taste pink. They’re not light reds or colorful whites masquerading. They’re proudly pink." Dorothy J. GaiterApril 7, 2017
Joe’s Stone Crabs Get Newly Dunked in Good Wine; the Pinot Noir Surprise
"For a restaurant of its caliber Joe’s should have an even broader list of quality wines. It really is an amazing place with a clientele that will often make you turn your head." Dorothy J. Gaiter
March 23, 2017
Smith-Madrone: A Napa Cabernet That’s Classy and Ageable, in English or Latin
"It was so elegant and true, with ripe black fruits, cedar, rich earth and minerals that cut through it all like a blade, that we geeked out about it for hours." Dorothy J. Gaiter on Smith Madrone Cabernet SauvignonMarch 10, 2017
What Do Diners Fear When They Order the Cheapest Wine on the List? This
"We’ve concluded, after more than 40 years of dining in restaurants, from peanut-shells-on-the-floor joints to Michelin three-star places, that often the least-expensive wine on a list is a far better value than the second-least-expensive wine." Dorothy J. Gaiter
