Napa, California – Richard Mendelson, the leading expert on appellation and wine law in the USA, has released “Appellation Napa Valley – Building and Protecting an American Treasure” from Val de Grace Books. In this landmark book, Mendelson, who managed the legal work for many of these very appellations, tells a detailed story of the…
As it’s the Friday before a long weekend, I give you two wines from Napa Valley’s Patland Estate Vineyards to consider drinking if you’re housebound or bound to parts unknown: 08 Proprietary Red Wine Terra Del Cuore 14.8% alcohol Bottle No. 1008 of 1560 Napa Valley Color – Opaque, purple, deep ruby edge. Aroma –Mint,…
This article could also be titled: Who will Bind My Wine Columns for ME? I’ve probably got about four or five folders of columns saved on my computer. One for reviews, another of interviews, Chef 101 stories, and the basic bashing fun of others. Then Borders shut down, e-books became free, and what did I…
The HALL Cabernet Cookoff will return for its seventh year on Saturday, April 23. The annual event will feature an impressive lineup of both Napa Valley and San Francisco based Chef Teams vying for a chance to win money for a charity of their choice, by participating in a food and wine pairing challenge. 100%…
As I was getting ready to leave the Circle of Hope’s Vine 2 Wine CLASSIC last month, there was a rumor swelling…all opened bottles had to be finished, poured out, or stored properly in the trunks of cars to enjoy at home. I made a beeline for the Library Wine tables first, and there was…
The California Directory of Fine Wineries proved an ideal visual resource showcasing the best of California’s celebrated tasting rooms and iconic wine brands. HAVANA, CUBA—When a jaunty contingent of California winemakers gathered in Havana last week to make history at Cuba’s first trade show of American wine, the Yankees brought with them gift copies of…
We try to get wine events that we like listed in our weekly Dear Wine Friend free e-newsletter and/or our SCV Wine Calendar. But every now and then I do the work for you, which means pulling the info from each site and culling it all into one article, especially when there are so many…
In reviewing two bottles of Napa Valley wine, from the same winemaker but two different varietals, I expected to find no similarities. But, in looking over my tasting notes for today’s column, I found one: Both wines developed, ripened, blossomed and smoothed out after ten minutes in my glass. I found myself returning to my…
We try to get wine events that we like listed in our weekly Dear Wine Friend free e-newsletter and/or our SCV Wine Calendar. But every now and then I do the work for you, which means pulling the info from each site and culling it all into one article, especially when there are so many…