As you may know if you follow this blog, I’ve been contributing toVisit Lodi! Conference & Visitors Bureau blog. Visit Lodi is the official travel website for Lodi, California. My latest feature on the Visit Lodi website is about Lodi winter white wines. It’s entitled Lodi Winter Whites. It’s features five Lodi white wines perfect for the…
Wine of the Day: 2013 Fields Family Wines Old Vine Zinfandel
“On the palate it’s medium-bodied, elegant, fresh and focused with a harmonious cool climate Zinfandel character.” Dark ruby color with exuberant kirsch, black raspberry, bramble and spice aromas. On the palate it’s medium-bodied, elegant, fresh and focused with a harmonious cool climate Zinfandel character. It shows ample kirsch, pomegranate, and peppery spice flavors wrapped…
Wine of the Day: 2012 Rombauer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Selection
While Rombauer is best known for their Chardonnay, over the last few years they have been refining their red wine program Fruit for the 2012 Rombauer Diamond Selection Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from the Rombauer estate vineyards and top grower vineyards in Stags Leap, Calistoga, Atlas Peak, St. Helena and Howell Mountain AVAs. It is…
Voulez-vous Savoie? Oui Mondeuse! #Winophiles
This month the French Winophiles make a virtual visit to the Savoie (“Sav-rah”) region of France. I chose a wine from the region made from a new to me grape variety – Mondeuse Noire. About Savoie The Savoie region is located in central France along its eastern edge, nestled beneath the Swiss Alps and along…
Slow Cooker Enchilada Quinoa and Mencía #WinePW
This month’s Wine Pairing Weekend theme is all about trying a new wine in the New Year. I’m revisiting an old friend, Mencia to bring in the New Year, and pairing it with a delicious healthy slow cooker Enchilada Quinoa. My “history” with Mencia began, and effectively ended, a few years ago. I forget exactly…
Wine of The Day: 2012 Castello di Amorosa La Castellana
2012 Castello di Amorosa La Castellana – “between medium and full-bodied and fresh with an elegant, harmonious character” The inspiration for La Castellana comes from Italian Super Tuscans like Sassicaia, Ornellaia, and Tignanello. It is a “Super Tuscan” blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Sangiovese, 9% Merlot aged 20 months in large French oak barrels. Dark…
A Ligurian Red Blend: 2015 Azienda Agricola Terre di Levante Rosso Liguria #ItalianFWT
My wife and I spent just over three weeks in Italy last October. So I was thrilled when I saw the theme for this month’s Italian Food, Wine and Travel (#ItalianFWT) group of bloggers features Coastal Wine, Food and Travel! “Perfect” I thought because among the multitude of highlights of our trip was time we spent…
Wine of the Day: 2014 Bodega Garzon Tannat
Grapes for the Bodega Garzon Tannat were hand-picked and fermented in large concrete casks. After fermentation the juice was transferred to neutral French oak barrels and untoasted French oak casks (2.5-5k liters) for 12 months of aging – six months on lees, plus six months in French oak barrels and casks. Nearly opaque violet color with…
Ten Favorite Under $20 Widely Available Sparkling Wines
For about a year now, I’ve been contributing to Snooth’s Wine Writer’s Series. My latest contribution to the Snooth Wine Writer series was the Holiday Sparkling Bottle Pick List. Myself and seventeen of the web’s best wine writers (not quite sure how I snuck in… but I’ll take it!) made no limit recommendations for sparkling wines for the…
Wine of the Day: 2014 Josetta Saffirio Langhe Nebbiolo
2014 Josetta Saffirio Langhe Nebbiolo; A harmonious blend of Nebbiolo and Merlot offering very good value! This wine, from the Langhe DOC, is a blend of 85% Nebbiolo, and 15% Merlot. The grapes are sourced from the Comune of Monforte d’Alba where the predominant soil type is ‘Elveziano’, which is best described as marine deposits showing…