Organized by Jennifer and Kevin Kelley, the Natural Process Alliance (NPA) is dedicated to responsible farming, minimalistic winemaking and transparency for consumers by using stainless steel refillable bottles to bring white wine to restaurants. Which led to my three questions: Why stainless steel, why only local, and any reds on the horizon? Hi Eve, Thank…
Law Estate Wines www.lawestatewines.com I give all props to my wife Karen on introducing me to Law Estate Wines We were attending the Ojai Wine Festival in 2013 and Karen had just come back from the VIP Tent. “You have to try Law”, she said. “They’re wines are really good.” She was right. They were…
Donelan Family Wines http://www.donelanwines.com How do you choose which winery to visit? Do you love the scenic beauty of sprawling vineyards? Or the majesty of a stunningly constructed chateau? Or, like me, have you decided that the only important thing is the wine itself? Which is why, on a Wednesday morning in Sonoma County where…
Unlike Eve Bushman, my esteemed publisher, editor, friend and business associate, who approaches all varietals equally and without prejudice, I can unashamedly say that the Rhone grapes, along with my guilty pleasure Zinfandel, hit my palate right in its sweet spot more often than any other wines. And every year I am amazed that, as…
For our upcoming edition of our Local Treasures Dinner, our executive chef, Jason Paluska, and local winemaker, viticulturist and owner of Larner Vineyards and Winery, Michael Larner, have collaborated to create an amazing 5-course pairing dinner. Chef Paluska has carefully chosen local and seasonal ingredients to be specifically paired with Larner’s wines from Ballard Canyon. This event will be held…
I do like cold Sake, especially this time of year. However, I rarely get a sake menu offered here in a Santa Clarita restaurant other than at a sushi bar. Often, unless I’m in an over-chilled restaurant, I turn to Rose, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Champagne; or white Rhone varietals such as Viognier, Roussanne…
Clos Solene I was now ready for my final tasting at Paso Underground: the wines of Clos Solene http://www.clossolene.com/. Winemaker Guillaume Fabre came from France to Paso Robles. While building Clos Solene, which he has named after his wife, he worked as assistant winemaker at L’Aventure. He has recently left L’Aventure and is devoting himself…
For our latest trip to Paso Robles, my wife Karen told me that we really need to go to some new places. She opined that my readers were probably getting tired of reading about the same wineries over and over. Admittedly, I am a creature of habit, but I suspect her admonition was inspired as…
Ever since its release, Dave Phinney’s Zinfandel based, “The Prisoner,” captivated the wine world. For many, it came as a surprise in 2010 when Phinney’s Orin Swift Cellars sold two of their most popular wines, Saldo and The Prisoner, to Chile’s Huneeus Vintners. According to Phinney, the sale is more of a partnership as Huneeus…
DAOU Vineyards was next on our list of wineries that I had selected for Jordan and Natasha Siperstein. The DAOU staff welcomed us, as they do all of their guests, with open arms. Lisa Colwell (Assistant Tasting Room Manager) introduced herself and led us to a beautiful private tasting room that was set for a king. …