As covered in our previous article, we initially connected with Hoss Milone, winemaker for Brutocao Family Vineyards, for the purpose of learning more about the Coro Mendocino organization. But we learned very quickly that, wonderful as Coro Mendocino is, Brutocao has a lot more to offer than just that. The Brutocao family emigrated from Italy…
A couple of years ago we were sitting with winemaker Antoine Favero on the tasting patio of Mazzocco Sonoma winery in the Dry Creek Valley discussing the winery. As our visit was wrapping up, Antoine asked us if we’d like to accompany him the next afternoon to Jaxon Keys Winery & Distillery in Hopland to…
A Full Schedule of Teaching and Tastings Paid Tribute to the Judgement of Princeton (Atlantic City) – The Garden State Wine Growers Association (GSWGA) held its second annual International Wine Summit, Monday, June 3, 2024, at Stockton University’s Atlantic City campus. Dozens of wine experts from New Jersey to Italy celebrated a two-fold mission: sharing the stunning quality…
The Historic Vineyard Society recently held its tasting at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. Sadly, due to the proverbial “circumstances beyond our control”, we were unable to attend the affair. Still, we want to share with you the list of participating wineries and the wines they were pouring. You may ask: Why are…
We’ve been spending most of our wine country trips lately in northern Sonoma County, specifically the Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys. There is an abundance of wonderful wineries in these areas, with a great focus on some of our favorite varietals, such as Zinfandel and California Rhones, among others. First on our list this trip…
With the refrain of 1970s Peter Allen song “Everything Old Is New Again” seemingly ringing in our ears, we were looking forward to visiting some of our old favorites in Santa Barbara County from the 1980s and 1990s while also exploring some new-to-us wineries. It turned out that our first stop was a little bit…
The 180-hectare estate includes a 12-room property, a biodynamic winery, and an outdoor art foundation in the picturesque hills of Gavi where sustainability, biodiversity and homey Italian hospitality meet Gavi, Italy — In collaboration with Casas Latinas, an exclusive collection of sophisticated estates to be enjoyed in complete privacy, Locanda La Raia has become available as…
Our guide to two local wineries in Crete, Greece, was an enologist – wearing a WSET pin similar to my own – and also a linguist, who chose to spend his summer giving winery tours in Greece. Lucky us! Via a Food and Wine magazine collaboration, Holland America cruises offered us two wineries to try…
With the hot summer of 2022 at an end, we thought we’d share with our readers some of our favorite wines from the last few months. 2021 Clos Solene La Rose – a blend of 56% Grenache, 26% Mourvedre, 17% Cinsault and 10% Syrah, all from the Adelaida district of Paso Robles and all farmed…
Gavi, Italy: La Raia, home to the 12-room boutique hotel “Locanda La Raia,” introduces a new experiential “summer stay” package that showcases the best of the 180-hectare estate, from meals at the in-house fine dining restaurant by Chef Tommasso Arrigoni, to tours of the biodynamic farm, Fondazione La Raia, as well as wine tastings led by the property’s sommelier. Perfectly situated in the pastoral region of Gavi, located conveniently between Milan and…