Dressing in all white, as suggested by the event planners, is always special – when attending a wine tasting. I think I did it once before. Honestly, anytime I see someone wearing white to a wine event I think, whoa, there’s some confidence there. Not only are they sure of not spilling themselves, they’re (overly)…
PETALUMA, Calif. (PRWEB) – The judges of the 2019 North of the Gate Wine Competition have spoken, and this year’s wines debuting at the Sonoma-Marin Fair will be as complex and unique as the regions they come from. This annual competition, now in its 19th year, has grown to represent unique, world-class wineries of Northern…
In a few short weeks Salt Creek Grille Valencia will host a five-course wine pairing dinner featuring Babcock Winery presented by Brand Ambassador Scott Farrar, in their large open-air patio. Executive Chef Ignacio Munoz and Pastry Chef Kristina Waggoner “are teaming up to create a decadent menu” for the event slated for September 21 at…
This past Wednesday I attended a trade and media tasting of the Santa Lucia Highlands (SLH) at Hinoki and The Bird in Century City. We had 25 SLH wineries pouring Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, Riesling and other varieties. I made it through a decent number of the tables – juggling pen, program, wine glass and…
On March 6 I interviewed Chef Tamra Levine about her inspired interpretation of Chilean fare for a wine pairing dinner at Salt Creek Grille. A month later, and I’m still ranting about it. But the difference is that I’ve now had the dinner. You may have remembered last Thursday. The winds whipped up to try…
Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley kick off this harvest season with a positive forecast amidst California’s ongoing drought. HEALDSBURG, Calif. – AUGUST 18 – Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley (WDCV) expect the 2015 winegrape harvest to yield exceptional quality fruit in smaller quantities than the last three vintages, which were larger than normal throughout most…
The first time Doug Minnick, co-founder with Stewart McLennan of the Garagiste Festivals, told me the Wiltern was going to host the latest version of the event, I was a little concerned. Were they just going to use the stage? If not, what about all the seats? Well, it turned out the seats are removable…
Before the event (Wine 101 Moves Up: Leccio Gold Award-Winning Valentino Restaurant Paired with 2010 Brunello di Montalcino, Part One, 2/27/15) I received a 12-page press packet to familiarize myself with the Consortium: the history, the wine and the people. Among other things I learned: The Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino was created in…
An athletic instructor who had never had wine in her life but was willing to try, was faced with a dilemma recently when she attended a holiday party. Her host prompted her to select a wine that she already liked. When she explained she’d never had any, she was told to just pick whatever looks…
Collier Falls http://www.collierfalls.com/ A recurring theme during our recent visit to Sonoma was the early and quick harvest. Typically, with our visit happening in early October, there would have been plenty of grapes still on the vines. Not so this year. But, that didn’t make our hour-plus ATV vineyard tour with Barry Collier at Collier…