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…
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…
Just because I recommend a wine, doesn’t mean you’ll like it. “But, you’re a sommelier. You have to know what wines are good, right?” I’m glad you asked. My short answer is, “Sort of.” Please keep in mind that the definition of a sommelier according to Merriam-Webster is “a waiter in a restaurant who is…
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,…
Sriracha is the hottest thing on the internet now. No, really, it’s hotter than Matt Cutt’s rant on Guest Blogging Is Dead. And, with the Superbowl coming up, every food blogger is talking about their Sriracha Appetizers for the big game. My favorite Superbowl finger food is chicken wings! So, I found three chicken wing recipes perfect…
On Sunday night, we like to get ready for the work week ahead, have a comfort meal, and watch some TV. This weekend, AMC ran a Godfather marathon, which seemed perfect to watch while eating steak and drinking red wine. With The Godfather Part II as a backdrop, we grilled some delicious porterhouse steaks, and…
“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…)…
Marketing seems to be all around me. It’s part of what I do to earn a living, and of course it’s in every message we see on TV, in the movies, and at the funeral home. Wait, did I just say funeral home? Yes, yes, I did. See, as I was leaving the office yesterday,…
Upon finding out I was a wine writer and Sommelier, a new coworker turned to me saying “I have to ask, is a $100 wine really better than a $10 wine?” I smiled and start to answer, when a friend, who is my new boss says “Well, do you like Coke, or Pepsi?” Stay with…
Not every bottle of wine needs a long writeup to describe it. Some bottles of wine need only a few words, and my sip of Caleo Salice Salentino 2012 is one of them. Mind you, there was nothing wrong with the wine. On the contrary, the Caleo Salice Salentino a fine bottle of red Italian…
