The Balletto Family story is a true wine country farming story. Even as they segued from vegetables to grapes, the Ballettos continued to be farmers and were named 2010 Sonoma County Farmers of the Year. And, as you visit their stunning production facility and tasting room, you would never dream that this began as a…
If you noticed, my favorites were distinctly different than the selected winners, though some of the winners were my second or third choices. (Editor’s Note: Part One ran on this blog on 2/20/16.) It was impressive to see the variety and quality of the best of class entries into the Sweepstakes level of the competition,…
An Update From the New Opolo Distillery We’ve been working on a designated tasting area so that you can view the still and taste the spirits while you are visiting our Westside Vineyards. We should have the new area completed and open for tasting early 2016. We’ll begin pouring Saturdays from 12-4pm and by appointment…
The historic Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley welcomed early Hollywood celebrities and now offers one of the most unique wine clubs in the business as well as first rate estate wines. Sprawling over 400 acres with a 6,000 square foot restored Spanish-style hacienda dating from the late 1920s and several revitalized casitas that have welcomed…
Lots of new faces at this year’s annual holiday tasting, though most of the wine representatives serving pour after pour had been present before. Lovers of wine, in general, populated the 12th Annual Holiday Wine Tasting hosted by Guy Lelarge at Valencia Wine Company. The wine store had converted its tall tabletops into wine pouring…
There is one annual event that my husband Eddie and I have never missed in the past 11 years, even the one year it had to be postponed a week due to a shut down of the 5 freeway: The classiest annual holiday wine tasting is at our very own, locally owned, Valencia Wine Company…
Guests at Ca Del Sole restaurant passed our table and stopped to remark, “Are you having a wine tasting here? We figured with the three magnums on the table…” That what? We’d share? Oh no, I was going to take any extra wine home by employing the old trick of sticking that cork right back…
It is that time of year when the temperatures consistently are in the low to mid 90s. What better time to start stocking up on your favorite wines, and other beverages, for your guests, and you to enjoy either in your back yard or whilst on vacation. Here are my summer go-to tea/juices, spirits and…
CARMEL VALLEY, CA — Do you love wine? Do you love learning new things? What would you think about learning more about wine? Holman Ranch Tasting Room launches its Inaugural Sip n Chat Series for 2015. Classes are structured to allow each person an opportunity to learn, taste, and enjoy. Holman Ranch will feature a…
The Scholium Project http://scholiumwines.com/ The last time [and first time] I met Abe Schoener and his minions, it was in Los Angeles and he was discussing the great overriding importance of the husbandry of microbes in winemaking and how the microscopic critters at his winery The Scholium Project are essentially left alone to do their…