I often receive emails asking what are some of my favorite California wines and why I don’t review more of our gems. For the record, I have a preference for Sonoma County, and a penchant for the Russian River Valley. You guessed correctly, I am passionate about Pinot Noir. I also feel my colleagues…
Guarachi Family Wines Completes Purchase of Sun Chase Vineyard in Sonoma County Guarachi Family Wines is pleased to announce the purchase of their first estate, Sun Chase Vineyard, within the Sonoma Coast AVA and Petaluma Wind Gap. With the acquisition of Sun Chase, Guarachi Family Wines is able to continue to build their highly…
The Fifth Annual Berkeley Wine Festival Features Dinner Series with Frog’s Leap Winery, Kenwood Vineyards, Chimney Vineyards and a Grand Opening Reception With Over 45 Wines Now in its fifth year, the acclaimed Berkeley Wine Festival held at The Claremont Hotel Club & Spa, will kick off with a Grand Opening Reception on Saturday, March 1 from 4-8 p.m., where…
Thank goodness for Ian Blackburn. Allow me to explain… Not long ago, I had the extreme displeasure to attend a wine seminar and tasting event that was run so poorly that I ended up leaving far earlier than I normally would, and vowed never to attend an event again by that particular organizer until I…
On November 13, courtesy www.LearnAboutWine.com, we sat in on a one-hour seminar delivered by Jean Hoefliger, winemaker Alpha Omega; Aaron Pott, winemaker; and Lars Ryssdal, General Manager, Ackerman Family Vineyards. And after a tasting of their wines we then enjoyed a tasting from top California (mostly Napa) Cabernet Sauvignon winemakers. So, without further adieu, lets…
Blanche DuBois in Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire proclaimed, “I have always depended upon the generosity of strangers.” If you’ve lived long in the SCV, then you know we’ve got our own unique selection of strangers, some more so than others. Some are simply strange, some seem menacing, some are clueless. But I’ve also…
“Finding an organization that has a passion for people,” began assistant manager and unadvertised wine expert Corrine Ramirez. “People either go out for an experience or to wind down after work.” Whatever your reason Corrine believes that employees that “do their job from the heart” will easily please the customers. It started like this: SCV…
Grape of the Night (GOTN) got together to explore the elegance of Chardonnay. This varietal is claimed to be the most popular of both the reds and whites. Chardonnay wines have a huge following by people that want that crisp, fresh,pure quality that this wine delivers. The palate gives way to flavors of pear and…
I attended a pre-event tasting of Donelan Wines paired with bites designed by Chef Tamra Levine at Salt Creek Grille Valencia last week. I was able to meet with Cushing Donelan, the Director of Branding and Marketing at Donelan, and taste some awe-inspiring wines. The plan was to have this “mini preview” so I could…
Cushing Donelan (Cush for those who know him) trained at the prestigious liberal arts college, Amherst, as an artist and sculptor. He was mega-hunk, Matthew McConaughey’s, personal assistant, joining him on set and in intimate meetings with Michele Obama. Google him and you’ll find gorgeous photos of his wedding and his turn on YouTube as…