Wine Writer’s Guilt: When Time Is Not on Your Side

If you wait to be perfect, you’ll never get anything done.

So many wines, so little time. I’m only halfway joking when I say that I wish I could write as fast as I sip. I always feel a tinge of guilt when I scroll through my phone and see endless photos of wines, tastings, vineyards, and winemakers that I had every intention of posting, yet never did.

Yes, like every wine writer, I’m often juggling deadlines, travel, and my personal life. That’s par for the course. But I’ve come to realize that my tendency to overthink each post, writing the perfect story in my head before I dare touch my keyboard and send it out into the world, is not sustainable. It’s a classic case of analysis paralysis. As the photos seem to multiply like Gremlins splashed with water, I am reminded of the sage advice I once heard from a prominent journalist: “If you wait to be perfect, you’ll never get anything done.”

It’s time to get out of my own way. Let’s face it: Attention spans are a casualty of social media and content overload. More than one wine professional has told me how rarely they have time to read long articles, even when the story is compelling. Sometimes, short and sweet is strategic. 

Let’s give it a go. Here are three delicious sips that I’ve been meaning to write about for the longest time. Cheers!

Moone Tsai LEONIDAS Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Napa Valley, California
$500
LEONIDAS arrived at my doorstep with some impressive credentials and a hefty price tag. Did it deliver? Absolutely. Only 600 bottles of this single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon were created by renowned winemaker Philippe Melka. The grapes were sourced from a block in the Montagna Vineyard on Pritchard Hill, 1,200 feet above the valley floor. LEONIDAS is a superb expression of mountain fruit; it is intense but fresh and graceful with a beautiful harmony between fruity, earthy, herbaceous, and savory characters. I savored every sip. 
(If you want to learn more about Napa’s mountain wines, check out my article, Sips with Altitude, on page 22 of the Winter 2026 issue of NAPA Magazine.)

Domaine EdeM ‘Brunette’ Botanical-Infused Chardonnay (Non-Alcoholic)
Mendoza, Argentina
$28
I’ve been fairly indifferent to non-alcoholic beverages in the wine space, but I would happily sip EdeM Brunette every day. The infusion of botanicals elevates this sparkling beverage into a robust, savory, and complex sip with appealing hints of spice and bitters. Instead of tasting stripped and naked like many non-alcoholic sips, EdeM Brunette is reminiscent of a beautifully constructed vermouth spritz.

Casa Lotos Sotol Blanco
Chihuahua, Mexico
$50
Spirits are not my specialty, but I’m always game to sip something new. A few months ago, I was introduced to Casa Lotos Sotol Blanco. While the agave-based spirits Tequila and Mezcal are household names, Sotol has flown under the radar. Casa Lotos is distilled from 100% sustainably- harvested Sotol, an ancient and wild plant native to Chihuahua, Mexico. And Sotol is not some new-fangled spirit concocted for social media; a fourth-generation sotolero crafts Casa Lotos. It is a fresh, smooth spirit that is great on the rocks or as a base for cocktails, like the Lotos y Limón or Don Pepino. Click here for recipes. 

Upcoming Events
Vine to Mind
Robert Mondavi Institute at UC Davis
May 18-21
I’m looking forward to being a part of this important conversation about the impact of data science and AI on the global wine industry. I’ll be moderating the Wine Media Wines (and a Loss or Two) panel discussion.

Nantucket Wine & Food Festival
May 27-31

I’ll be back in Nantucket to lead some fun wine seminars at the Nantucket Wine & Food Festival — The Many Faces of Pinot Noir and Yacht Rock Wines: Sips for Sailing.

Food & Wine Classic in Aspen
June 19-21

Woo hoo, this will be my fifth consecutive appearance at the iconic Classic. I’ll be leading two fantastic and fun seminars: Ain’t No Vineyard High Enough: Majestic Mountain Wines and Cava, Rioja, Ribera, Oh My! A Wine & Tapas Journey Through Spain.