Looking For Value in Northern Rhône? Look For Crozes-Hermitage!#Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles are exploring the Northern Rhône Valley. “The Northern Rhône Valley is dwarfed by its neighbor to the south in terms of sheer size of production. Defined growing areas are typically much smaller in the north, and a substantial number of the region’s better vineyards are planted on steep, terraced granite…

Wine of the Day; 2015 Peter Zemmer “Rollhütt” Pinot Noir

2015 Peter Zemmer “Rollhütt” Pinot Noir  – If you’re looking for an Old World Pinot Noir for under $20 …look no further! This wine hails from the Suditrol sub-region of the Alto Adige DOC, which borders Austria and Switzerland in northern Italy.  Grapes for this wine were sourced from vineyards in the immediate vicinity of…

A Tavel Paired with Spring BBQ #WinePW

We’re pairing fresh, seasonal spring foods with wines from the diverse and fascinating Southern Rhône region of France. Wine Pairing Weekend is a monthly collaborative event for wine/food bloggers started by David Crowley of Cooking Chat.  It’s a great way to find food and wine pairings that work (or learn from the ones that don’t); along with…

Wines At Our Table; February 7th 2016

Over the course of a week, my wife and I drink a bunch o’wine – almost always with food. Since I’ve always been fascinated by wine at the table with food, I thought it would be fun to recap not only the wines we’ve been drinking, but also how they pair (or don’t pair) with the foods at our table.  It features…

A Taste of Burgundy #winophiles

Welcome to this month’s French Winophiles!  We’re group a food and wine bloggers pulled together by Christy of Adventures of a Culinary Diva.  We’re taking a virtual tour of France region by region and learning about French cuisine, wine and travel.  This month we’re exploring legendary Burgundy (a.k.a. Bourgogne)  About Burgundy Steeped in centuries of history, tradition, and mystique,…

A Taste of Krug Champagne Redux

Last year, I was had the honor of being invited to a private Krug Champagne tasting at my favorite wine store – K&L Wine Merchants.  I recapped that phenomenal tasting in a post entitled “A Taste of Champagne Krug“. Much to my surprise and delight, Gary Westby, K&L’s Champagne Buyer invited me to another Krug…

Zin-A-Palooza! Wine Tasting Club Blind Tastes Ten Zinfandels

The most recent gathering of the Pacific Pointe Wine Tasting Club (“PPWTC”) featured a Zin-A-Palooza! The PPWTC started in 2010.  Initially, we met every couple of months, but by popular demand we meet every six weeks or so these days.  We typically have a non-scoring event or two each year (the most recent was a record…

#WineWednesday Review; 2012 Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

From time to time, I receive wines samples from wineries or their public relations agencies for review.  I’ve decided to feature such samples on #WineWednesday’s. This is the second vintage of Faust I’ve tried (I also tried the 2011). The Winery Faust Winery is the creation of Augustin Huneeus and it continues to satisfy his long-held desire to produce…