Wine of the Day; White 2010 Lynmar Estate Chardonnay Quail Hill Vineyard

“This wine was  pure joy to drink…It’s my favorite Chardonnay this year!” The 45-acre Quail Hill Vineyard includes 4 distinct blocks of Chardonnay. The largest – Block 14 – was planted in 1972 to the Rued Chardonnay Clone – known for its stunning floral notes; the remaining vines are Old Wente Clone, adding a weighty…

Wine Of The Day; 2015 Concha y Toro Chardonnay Marqués de Casa Concha

“This is a New World wine produced with an Old World sensibility that evokes Burgundy for me” Fruit for this wine was sourced from Quebrada Seca vineyard in northern Chile’s Limari Valley.   Located 200 miles (320km) north of the Chilean capital, Santiago, the Limari Valley is one of the northernmost wine growing regions in Chile.   This dry…

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…

An Awesome Judgment of Paris Inspired Blind Tasting #JOP40

The Pacific Point Wine Tasting Club (“PPWTC”) does a Judgment of Paris inspired blind tasting My wife and I founded the Pacific Point Wine Tasting Club in 2010.  Originally conceived as a neighborhood based wine tasting club, the club’s membership has grown dramatically. That’s primarily because friends of friends have joined the fun over the…

Chablis:The Spirit of Chardonnay – In The Glass And At The Table

I love minerally, acid-driven white wines. They are refreshing and delicious on their own, and a great companion for a wide variety of foods at the table. So, I was thrilled when I received four sample bottles of Chablis from Pure Chablis a couple of months back. About Chablis Pure Chablis is a trade organization that…

Top 25 IPOB San Francisco Tasting Favorites

Last week I attended the In Pursuit of Balance (“IPOB”) San Francisco consumer tasting held at City View at Metreon.  IPOB is a non-profit organization founded in 2011 to promote dialogue around the meaning of balance in California pinot noir and chardonnay. “This growing group of producers is seeking a different direction with their wines, both in the…

Wine of the Week;2008 Iron Horse Brut

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 2008 Iron Horse Vineyards Classic Vintage Brut. The Winery Iron Horse Vineyards is a small, independent, estate, family owned wineries located…

Wine of the Week: 2011 Thierry & Pascale Matrot Bourgogne 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 2011 Thierry & Pascale Matrot Bourgogne Blanc. The Winery Domaine Matrot is one of the oldest estate-bottlers in Burgundy. It has been distributed in…

La Paulée Burgundy Week Tasting

Since I got into, as I call it, “the wine thing” about 10 years ago, I’ve sought out and tasted wines from the world’s major (and a few not so major) wine regions – France, Italy, Spain, California, Oregon, Washington, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, Portugal, Greece, and even Croatia. All to varying…