This month the French Winophiles are making a virtual trip to France’s Hidden Corner, the South-West (or ‘Sud-Ouest’ as the French call it) wine region! Actually, we’re revisiting the region. When we first visited a couple of years ago, I discovered the Perfect Wine For Liver And Onions! It was from the mostly overlooked Marcillac AOP, and…
Category: Wine
Snooth Villa Maria Winemaker’s Collection Tasting #VillaMaria
Lucky me! I had the opportunity to do two Villa Maria Wine tastings in two weeks! The most recent was the Villa Maria Winemaker’s Collection facilitated by Snooth. Over the course of the last few years I’ve had the opportunity to do a few tweetups featuring Villa Maria, but the Snooth tasting was the deepest dive…
The First Sip Of Summer With Villa Maria Wines #VillaMaria
The first day of summer, where I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, saw record heat. It you’re a wine lover like I am, regardless of the heat, wine is ALWAYS #1 on my list of preferred adult beverages to beat the heat! Fortunately for me, I was part of a selected group of…
A Taste of Troon Vineyard #WiningHourChat
I was introduced to Troon Vineyard last year when I attended the 2016 Wine Bloggers Conference (“WBC”) in Lodi, California. The conference featured a Live Blogging segment where winemakers are given five minutes to pour their wine, present their story, and answer questions from a table of bloggers. At the end of five minutes, the…
2016 Bonterra Rosé Mendocino #Winestudio
Earlier this week I had the opportunity to participate in the #WineStudio June Rosé program (see below for more information), which featured the 2016 Bonterra Rosé. The Rise Of Rosé in the U.S. Anecdotally, I was aware of the rise in popularity of Rosé (a.k.a. blush wine, pink wine) in the US. There are more choices…
Domaines Paul Mas: A Passion for Everyday Luxury #WineStudio
Earlier this week I had the opportunity to participate in the #WineStudio June Rosé program (see below for more information) featuring three Rosés from Domaines Paul Mas. The virtual tasting included one sparking wine and two still wines. The Rise Of Rosé in the U.S. Anecdotally, I was aware of the rise in popularity of Rosé…
Wine of the Day: 2015 St. Urbans-Hof Nik Weiss Wiltinger Alte Reben Riesling
…On the palate it leans toward medium-bodied, and off-dry with mouth-watering acidity. It’s impeccably balanced with peach, key lime, apricot, honey and a hint of lemongrass Grapes for this wine were sourced from the “Alte Reben”, a special 22-acre parcel of very old vines (“Alte Reben” in German that are part of the Schlangengraben…
Wine of the Day: 1970 Bodegas Franco-Españolas Rioja Crianza Bordón
Last weekend we celebrated a friend’s milestone birthday at Boulevard in San Francisco. We dined the “Wine Vault”, a wine inspired semi-private room with a brick lined ceiling that brings to mind dining in an underground cellar in France. As the evening was winding down, our gracious (and generous) hosts asked if we wanted anything…
Paying Tribute to Wente Vineyards- California’s First Family of Chardonnay #ChardonnayDay
The Livermore Valley is the wine region that is closest to my home. It’s only 30 minutes away. Given its proximity to where I live, one might think I would be a frequent visitor. But for various reasons that hasn’t been the case. But when I do visit the Livermore Valley, I always consider a visit…
Back To Back White Burgundy; Chablis vs Côte de Beaune #Winophiles
This month (and next!) the French Winophiles will be taking a virtual tour of Burgundy, the birthplace of two of the world’s most revered grapes – Chardonnay and Pinot Noir! For May , I’m focusing on Chablis and Côte de Beaune . I’ve chosen to focus on white Burgundy, which for the uninitiated are wines crafted…