T.G.I.F. Champagne and the like – 2008 Korbel Riesling Champagne

California sparkling wine traces its roots back to Sonoma in the 1880s with the founding of Korbel Champagne Cellars.  Today, Korbel sells the largest volume of  sparkling wine made in the méthode champenoise in the U.S.  There is always of bit of controversy around Korbel because it continues to refer to it’s product as “California…

T.G.I.F. Champagne and the like – Gruet Brut Sparkling Wine

This week’s T.G.I.F. Champagne and the like tasting turned in to a T.G.I. Saturday tasting since we went to the Dark and Delicious Petite Sirah wine event Friday night. As Gomer Pyle would say “SUprise, SUprise – a sparkler from New Mexico!  Gruet makes both Vintage, and Non-Vintage sparkling wine, and still wines. It was…

How To Start A Wine Tasting Club

A year ago today, on the last Friday in January, we held the first meeting our neighborhood wine tasting club, the Pacific Point Wine Tasting Club (“PPWTC”).  It’s been a great year, that after a slow start, has exceeded our expectations. We’ve got a great nucleus of members, which is frequently supplemented by our friends and…