Wine Punch Down
You can always recognize a winemaker during harvest by the purple arm he has for weeks on end. During wines initial fermentation, a solid cap forms from skin, seed and stem solids rising to the top. This cap must be broken a 2 to 4 times a day to...
Did You Know……. Fact #5
That German producer Schloss Johannisberg hosts the oldest Riesling vines in the world, first planted in 1720. The winery dates back to 768 AD when their first harvest yielded a mere 6 liters of wine. This property is so renowned, it was once purchased by Napoleon in 1806....
Classic Tasting Redux – 1990 Opus One
A slight departure from our normal wine reviews, thought this may interest those who may still have some older bottles in their cellar and for educational purposes, for those who may want to cherish a particular bottle for future enjoyment. We revisit the 29 year old California classic 1990...
Andretti Winery – Napa Valley
The beautiful Tuscan Villa not only represents the heritage of Mario Andretti’s Napa Valley Winery, it also shines through every Italian varietal produced at this wine tasting destination. ...
2015 Darioush Signature Cabernet Sauvignon
When it comes to red wine in the United States, Cabernet Sauvignon is king. From the thousands of different producers to choose from, they range from drinkable to ultra premium, from inexpensive to obscenely ridiculous in price. Then there is “the cult” category. Hard to find, expensive, the ones...
What is the difference between Pouilly-Fume and Pouilly-Fuisse?
Both French in origin and even though they are spelled similarly, the difference between them is night and day. Pouilly-Fume is made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape grown in the Loire Valley while Pouilly-Fuisse is made from the Chardonnay grape from Burgundy’s Maconnais region....
Darioush
Tucked along the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley, the Persian Palace of the Darioush Winery is as beautiful as their line up of spectacular wines....
What was the original name of California’s Renwood Winery?
According to Zinfandel master Scott Harvey, one time wine maker at the winery, the art work for the label featured a mirror image of two wren birds, hence the name Wrenwood. The W was dropped, renaming it Renwood for the fact that all the great zinfandel houses of the...
2017 Ktima Gerovassiliou Malagousia
Have you ever had one of those food and wine experience that were so memorable, they last with you forever? With the thousands of wines I sample each year, when that one wine comes along and rings church bells on your palate, it needs to be passed along. This...
Jarvis Wine Caves
The wine making operations and cellaring caves at Napa Valley’s Jarvis Estate Winery are completely underground. Dug into the Vaca Mountains, this beautiful facility is 45,000 square feet....