Category: Events

Don’t Race To The Finish Of Jeff Gordon’s Joie de Vivre

When you hear the name Jeff Gordon, you probably think of going around in circles while being assaulted by the smell of burning rubber mixed with gasoline. The thought of wine, no less good wine, probably never comes into your mind. I’m about to change that, and talk about not only Jeff Gordon’s passion for…

Harry and David Launches Wine Collection

The air was thick with the scent of fermenting grapes. The heady aroma of yeast working it’s magic entranced me from the second I stepped off the bus. The building’s cold, dimly lit exterior could not shroud the fantastic things happening inside it’s walls. Inside Pallet, Linda Donovan’s new custom crush facility in Medford, Oregon…

Enjoy Delicious German Riesling with Riesling & Co Road Trip

I will confess that we don’t drink a lot of riesling in our house. We have plenty of riesling on hand, bottles from Germany, bottles from the US, and even a bottle or two from Australia. It’s just not something we sip often! However, I know there are some amazing German rieslings to be enjoyed,…

Behind The Wine: Lunch with Sequoia Grove Director of Winemaking Michael Trujillo

Wine is about the story. It’s not about tart cherries and blueberries wrapped in a blanket of cedar and sprinkled with generous amounts of pepper. Likewise, it’s not about making sure you’re pairing Merlot with lamb shank and Chardonnay with lobster. Sure, those things are nice, and work their way into most of my articles….

Behind The Wine: Tasting Clos Pepe With Winemaker Wes Hagen

Nestled in the northeastern corner of the Central Coast’s Sta Rita Hills AVA sits Clos Pepe Estate. Purchased in 1994 as a horse ranch by Steve and Cathy Pepe, Clos Pepe winemaker Wes Hagen began at the Estate full-time in 1994 as well. The estate was planted with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from 1996 to…

Sparkling Wine For your Valentine, That’s Amore

Amore, Italian for Love. That is what Valentine’s Day is about. It’s not about gifts, or fancy dinners out. Those things are nice, but Valentine’s Day is about love. And wine. You can make a bold statement with a bottle of sparkling wine. From dry to sweet, there’s an Italian sparkling wine that’s perfect for…

On Philip Seymour Hoffman, Addiction, And Wine

Philip Seymour Hoffman died of an apparent drug overdose February 2, 2014. Well known for roles in Capote, for which he won multiple acting awards, Charlie Wilson’s War, Doubt, Moneyball, The Master, and The Ides of March, Philip Seymour Hoffman had the ability to make us suspend disbelief, becoming engrossed in the characters he portrayed,…

Quick Sip: Robert Weil 2010 Riesling Tradition

“People talk dry, but drink sweet.” The first time I heard that, I was interviewing the winemaker of Barefoot Wine, Jennifer Wall. It came up again during a twitter conversation yesterday, regarding a newspaper wine review saying a wine was dry, when it was technically off-dry. (Yes, splitting atoms for most wine drinkers, I know…)…

Travel To Vineyards and Wineries

If you love wine, or even like wine, make it a point to travel to more vineyards and wineries. Regardless of where your travel takes you, there is probably a vineyard nearby. There are even wineries and vineyards in sunny Florida to visit, after you spend the day at Disney World with Mickey Mouse! I’ve  had…

Thrilllist forces a Sommelier to try Two Buck Chuck

If you subscribe to the Thrilllist website, or Thrilllist on twitter, you no doubt saw the article about the recent Two Buck Chuck wine tasting. I tweeted the link, and had more than a few of my friends say they’d never drink it. Frankly, I wouldn’t either. I know that it’s supposed to be drinkable, and…