Last weekend I attended the 17th Annual Rhone Rangers San Francisco Bay Area Weekend Celebration of American Rhones” at The Craneway Pavilion, Ford Point, Richmond CA. Rhone Rangers is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the Rhone varietal wines produced in the U.S. The two-day event featured a Winemaker Dinner on Saturday at The General’s Residence, Fort Mason, San Francisco. The…
Wine of the Week: 2012 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc
Every Thursday I feature a wine I particularly enjoy, whether it’s something new and different, is a great value, or from a producer worth checking out. For this week, my Wine Of The Week is the 2012 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc. The Winery Merry Edwards, one of California’s first female winemakers, began her career at Mount Eden…
#WineWednesday Review: Gallo Hearty Burgundy
It’s been a looooong time since I’ve tasted Gallo Hearty Burgundy. It was one of the first stops on my wine journey many moons ago. How many moons ago? I’m not exactly sure, but Gallo is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Gallo Hearty Burgundy with a special bottling to honor “America’s First Iconic Red Blend”…
Drink Pink! Rosé of the Week; 2013 Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare
It’s April and for me that means, it’s the unofficial opening of Rosé season (truth be told it’s Rosé season for me pretty much year-round)! With that in mind, I’m cranking up my annual series of weekly “Drink Pink!“ Rosé tastings. This week’s Rosé is the 2013 Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare. The Winery Bonny Doon Vineyard, located in Santa…
“No Reservations” Wine Tasting in Paso Robles – Tablas Creek Vineyards
My wife and I do more than our fair share of wine tasting. We’ve hit all the major wine regions in California (and a few minor ones too;-), along with some tasting in Oregon and Spain. From time to time we have a wine tasting experience that stands above the rest, and is everything we’re…
Wine of the Week: 2010 Carlisle Mourvedre Bedrock Vineyard
Every Thursday I feature a wine I particularly enjoy, whether it’s something new and different, is a great value, or from a producer worth checking out. For this week, my Wine Of The Week is the 2010 Carlisle Mourvedre Bedrock Vineyard. The Winery Carlisle Winery & Vineyards is a small Sonoma County based winery based in Santa Rosa….
The Best of North Coast Rhone Wines
I attended the North Coast (California) Chapter of the Rhone Rangers (“NCRR”) tasting last month. The tasting was held in Oakland, at Campovida’s Taste of Place Oakland. With the Rhone Rangers riding into the Bay Area next week, April 5-6 for the 17th Annual Rhone Rangers San Francisco Bay Area Weekend Celebration of American Rhones, I thought I’d share some of my favorites…
Saké 101 and SakéOne Tastings
Last month I had the pleasure of participating in a virtual tasting (a group of tasters, tasting the same beverages, interact with a host and one another) hosted by SakéOne. SakéOne is an importer of Japan’s finest saké as well as America’s premium saké company. For more than a decade, SakéOne has been crafting junmai ginjo…
Wine of the Week; 2009 Gérard Bertrand Saint-Chinian Syrah/Mourvèdre
Every Thursday I feature a wine I particularly enjoy, whether it’s something new and different, is a great value, or from a producer worth checking out. For this week, my Wine Of The Week is the 2009 Gérard Bertrand Saint-Chinian Syrah/Mourvèdre, and it’s a fantastic value! I picked up this wine at my local Costco for $11.59….
A Taste of Smith Madrone
Smith Madrone Vineyards and Winery, a family run, estate-bottled winery located in St. Helena, California was founded in 1971 by brothers Stuart and Charles Smith who are the Managing Partner/Vineyard Manager, and Winemaker respectively. The name of the winery is a tribute to the Smith brothers and the predominant tree on the ranch. The Madrone is an evergreen with a…