I love the north of Spain and have been visiting the city of Bilbao and the surrounding beaches of San Sebastian for some twenty years. My frequent haunts include Concha Bay, and the golden sands beaches of Zarautz and Fuenterrabia. Today I am joined by long-time friend and fellow sommelier, Naiara Dolagaray. We are enjoying…
Day two of the Cab Collective began with a seminar and tasting moderated by Steve Heimoff, the West Coast Editor of Wine Enthusiast magazine. Panelists included Gary Eberle, owner/enologist, Eberle Winery; Scott Shirley, winemaker, Justin; Kevin Willenborg, winemaker, Vina Robles; Steve Peck, winemaker, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines; David Galzignato, winemaker, Jada Vineyard & Winery;…
Red wines from Germany? Isn’t it too cool there, even for Pinot Noir? Not at all. In fact German red wines and not only thriving, they are becoming very popular throughout the world. Back in the 1980’s, red grapes accounted for only 12 per cent of Germany’s vineyards. Today, that number exceeds 36 per cent….
This One-Day Tasting Event Will Allow Angelino Wine Lovers a Chance at the First Sips of The Epic 2010 and the “en primeur” 2012 vintages. Los Angeles, March 28th: For one day only on Monday, April 22nd, wine lovers, Sommeliers, connoisseurs, and neophytes alike can join together for an exclusive day of tasting the newest…
Don’t you just love it when you have an interest in something and out of the blue a great opportunity to learn and experience it just falls into your lap? I sure do and I had such an event happen just a couple weeks back. The interest??? California wines made from Italian grape varietals grown…
“Free run juice” is the initial juice that drains from the grapes when they are crushed but before they are pressed. My limited understanding is that this juice can theoretically produce wines of higher quality than from grapes that have been pressed, due to reduced exposure to the skins and the chemicals released by the…
If you’re new to reading me I try and do these one-bottle-posts because I firmly believe that the time it takes to review a wine in no way compares to the time a winemaker takes in making said wine. That seemingly obvious statement is my way of paying due respects to any and all winemakers. …
Gamay Beaujolais It has been a while since I have written a follow up to GOTN. I have been slacking on what is expected of me so I will attempt to get back into your good graces. The GOTN on 10 September 2012 was to showcase a wine that is not normally selected or drank. …
The region of Monferrato, Italy is a spectacular expanse of rolling hills and vast vineyards. This is the fabled area of Piedmont. A wine region that has been extensively celebrated in the arts and literature. On hot days in Monferrato, what white wines do the locals drink? The answer is quite simple, they seldom, if…
The day before I left the U.S. to chaperone my daughter’s show choir at the Olympics, I signed up for my friend Denise Lowe’s Spanish Wine Tasting Class. I’ve interviewed Denise many times about her work as a wine educator and festival sommelier, but never attended one of her educational tasting classes. Below are the…