Awards were handed out in four categories and The SOMM Journal named its top sommelier Pismo Beach, CA – The International Chardonnay Symposium, (ICS), TheChardonnaySymposium.com, the world’s foremost gathering of premium Chardonnay producers, sommeliers, trade and enthusiasts, announced the official medal winners of the 2016 International Chardonnay Symposium Wine Competition. The ICS 2016 and The…
There are certain wine and spirit distributors that are known for representing a lot of producers of, well, plonk, and keeping strangle holds on their regions that prevent higher quality products to be available for the consumer. Henry Wine Group is absolutely not one of these kinds of distributors. Per their website, Henry Wine…
Sixty+of the best of California’s micro-production winemaker discoveries all in one place; popular “Tasting the Winemaker’s Spice Rack” seminar has its LA premiere on The Wiltern stage. Paso Robles, CA – Garagiste Events Inc., producers of The Garagiste Festivals, announced that the festival is retaking the LA stage at The Wiltern on July 9th with…
I find it interesting and somewhat ironic that some of the leading and most innovative winemakers of our time are making some of the most exciting wines from vineyards that were planted well before they were born, from varietals that are not exactly “of the moment” – many of these wines are labeled Zinfandel on…
SAN FRANCISCO — Recipients of the second annual California Green Medal: Sustainable Winegrowing Leadership Awards were announced and honored at a lunch reception and ceremony April 20 in Sacramento. The California Green Medal, developed to showcase leading wineries and vineyards committed to sustainability, is presented by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, the California Association of…
For a recent wine tasting I was tasked with finding a wine made from the Semillon grape to share with a dozen or more other people, with the same task. I did an Google search to see what was new that I could come up with. I was interested in trying Stickybeak as another Facebook…
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…
Little known but fast emerging on the ultra-hot Oakland food and drinks scene is the Oakland Urban Wine Trail. As the name suggests, these are not tasting rooms surrounded by acres of vineyards because they exist in the confines of Oakland, California. In this case of tasting rooms popping up among restaurants, hotels and boutiques,…
Dinner, Dancing, and a Live and Silent Auction Will Take Place at Soda Rock Winery on May 14, 2016 HEALDSBURG, CA – In honor of its 40th anniversary taking place this year, Wine Road of Northern Sonoma County will throw “A Ruby Affair” gala event on May 14, 2016 to celebrate this exciting milestone. The…
Last week’s article wrapped up our day in Dry Creek Valley. Before moving on to our last day in Sonoma County [finally, right?] I wanted to interrupt the regularly scheduled programming with a great event that happened recently in Los Angeles involving the Dry Creek Valley. On February 20th, 2016, the Winegrowers of Dry Creek…