For the final stop of our self-made Historic Vineyards tour, we took another of Historic Vineyard Society’s Emily Rasmussen’s suggestions and went to the Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs property in the Dry Creek Valley, a visit that was long overdue. In an earlier article in this series, we mentioned the three Rs of Zinfandel –…
When we asked Emily Rasmussen of the Historic Vineyard Society for her suggestions of other wineries to visit in Sonoma County, especially in the Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys, she listed a few for us. One that got our attention was Nalle. Driving Northwest on Dry Creek Road, the sign for the winery might…
A Peruvian Culinary Journey Launching June 4, 2025 Photo credit: Sakhon Nhek Founded in 1987, in the Carneros appellation of Northern California by the Champagne Taittinger family, Domaine Carneros is a grower producer of ultra-premium sparkling wines and limited production pinot noirs. Domaine Carneros has become the benchmark for California sparkling wine, reflecting both the…
(Photo Left to Right: Aiste Ballou, Chris Cottrell, Emily Rasmussen, Joel Peterson) Our visit with Mike and Kendall Officer of Carlisle Winery was only the start of our informal Historic Vineyard Tour. Emily Rasmussen is the Executive Director of the Historic Vineyard Society and is in addition co-owner of Desire Line Wines Co. with her…
The Bezel Portfolio of Wine to be Available Nationwide Beginning in March 2025 NAPA VALLEY, Calif., /PRNewswire/ — Today, Cakebread Cellars, one of Napa Valley’s premier family-owned wineries, announced the nationwide launch of its new brand, Bezel, from California’s Central Coast. Perfect for elevating everyday occasions, the latest innovation from the Cakebread family is available beginning in March. Bezel offers vibrant, fruit-forward…
Largest & Most Distinguished US Wine & Spirits Distributor Association’s Competition Awards Ten Medals to Royal Wine Corp Bayonne, NJ – The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) Tasting Competition has awarded top honors to Royal Wine Corp, a producer, importer and distributor of the finest kosher wines and spirits, headquartered in Bayonne, NJ. In total…
Two barrels of Bourgogne Côte d’Or Chardonnay “Secret de Famille,” vintage 2024, set sail aboard the cargo ship Grain de Sail II. One of the first wine houses to take the plunge, Albert Bichot ventures into a unique sensory expedition, with mineral and saline notes. Saint-Malo, January 16, 2025Firmly moored to the deck, the two 228-liter…
I was recently offered four wines for review – all of which I had never sampled before. Because of this I jumped at the chance to try a new-to-me Malbec blend from Argentina, two non-vintage Champagnes from France and a Cream Sherry from Spain. I received the technical sheets and some information on each winery,…
It seems fitting to finish up this short series on Mendocino County and Coro Mendocino wines by going back to where it started at Jaxon Keys when winemaker Antoine Favero first showed us a bottle of Coro a couple of years ago. Since that trip was all about the brandy and we hadn’t reported on…
Very excited about our now-annual November visit to Napa wineries – our Thanksgiving Chef Ann (my husband’s sister) moved to No CA so we follow her there now for dinner and enjoy wine tasting on the same trip! I had already shared a teaser of who we were to visit in this blog, read it…