Eve's Wine 101

LocalWineEvents is 20+ Years Strong: Cheers to 2021 + A Trip Down Memory Lane

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I have been looking at the Local Wine Events website for over 10 years. And in the past “Rona” year I have continued to see them as the most amazing resource for events, though now they find the best online virtual ones to share. I reached out to founder Eric Orange recently. He reminded me we had done an interview over 10 years ago, agreed to my idea of republishing it with some updates, and added in this new opening below. In these times I do hope you can continue to use this outlet for event news, education and wine reviews:

The Latest

NEW YEAR, new things to do! Lately, many of us are wondering what to do with ourselves. I get it, so I wanted to share a few ideas with you: Learn something new. Take a virtual wine or culinary class. Expand your wine knowledge — give our articles a read. Pop in the ear buds and listen to a wine or food podcast. Discover new wines! Check out our expert wine reviews. Pour a glass and have a look around. Cheers, Eric Orange.

From 2009, below is an interview I did with Eric (with updated numbers for 2021).

  1. Wow! Thanks for speaking to a local wine blogger!

Thank you for having me Eve, and thanks for being a LocalWineEvents.com advocate and a loyal subscriber to our free newsletter, THE JUICE.

  1. Your site seems to be going through some exciting changes…what areas do you think my wine 101 readers might be interested in?

We recently launched the newest version of LocalWineEvents.com, with better visibility for other content. At this time Virtual Events are taking center stage along with our Wine Quiz, Ask the Experts, plus our links to Blogs and Podcasts – it’s all there for the taking.

  1. Are the newsletters still free?

Indeed, The Juice is still free, and we now have over 3000,000 subscribers. And, those subscribers can choose their referred cities, to stay in the know about what’s happening. Especially now with virtual events being the main way to stay entertained at home, we encourage our readers to check these out – and pass the word to local businesses to post their happenings with us. Folks can sign up at our website, LocalWineEvents.com, anytime.

  1. And it’s free to list an event, I know I have, that’s really cool! But it looks like you can add more stuff to your listing too for a little charge?

We offer “enhanced” postings that give more exposure to a posting. The enhancement raises the exposure both online and in The Juice by floating them to the top of the listings, and the poster can add images, videos, and additional locations (cities) to their post.

  1. I hear you have an app now too?

Yes, and it was ranked in the Top Eight Wine Apps by Wine Enthusiast Magazine! Our App allows you to:

Find Wine & Food events near you — plus virtual events like wine and culinary classes, too! There are many free tastings listed (you just buy the wine to enjoy many of the classes from the comfort of home) Here’s the link: https://www.localwineevents.com/wine-events-app-for-ios-and-android AND, it’s free!

  1. So, what do you like to drink?

Big bold reds and T&T’s. (Tanqueray & Tonic)

  1. How did you get started?

In wine, or LocalWineEvents.com? Started in wine at Millbrook Vineyards in the Hudson Valley of New York. Went on from there until I was District Manager of Paterno Imports for Colorado. I did a wine maker dinner one night with very few attendees (embarrassingly so) and yet, was often asked by customers “How can I find out about those events?” The internet sort of sprang forth in full view in the fall of ’98 and I started working on the idea of one collective place where we could all put events and all find them.

Thank you for the interview Eve. Time to enjoy a nice glass of Cabernet. Cheers!

https://www.localwineevents.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Localwineevents/

https://www.instagram.com/localwineevents/

https://twitter.com/worldwineevents

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. 

How to NOT Gather over Wine and Spirits

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We wine (and spirit) drinkers are social beasts. We like to drink with friends, discuss a wine or spirit, and maybe settle in for a lengthy multi-bottle tasting over a long luxurious meal. So the question I had was: What have you done, or would like to do, to enjoy liquor without gathering with friends?

For me I’ve had more time to study wine, and am working on some “single bottle posts” where I dedicate an entire blog post to one wine or spirit. What about you? Here are three answers to my query, each expressing a different idea that I’m sharing with my comments:

This was an all-white party celebrating red wine, and orchestrated by my wine friend Doug Gould years ago. Hope we can all gather together safely soon.

Virtual tasting was Mary G’s choice: I am going to virtually taste with my best friend six different sparkling wines six different days! Since we can’t do together right now.

From EB: That’s a lot of sparkling wine, I hope Mary and her pal have splits as those bubbles won’t keep. But yes, ordering the same wine with a pal, and virtually taste together, mimics a real get together. If it were me I would add tasting notes, and see how they compare.

Also, I love that this is just with one good pal, because if they were doing this with a bunch of people over zoom most would have to be muted. And muting isn’t fun at all in my opinion. When I go to a winery tasting room (or a distillery) I get to talk to a representative, owner or winemaker/distiller. Sure, I need to listen, but then I need to ask questions.

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Wine Education is something Cathy M is interested in: Interesting…I want to learn more about LA County’s past involvement with wine and spirits. From what I’ve read LA would have resembled wine growing regions like France. Stupid prohibition.

From EB: I think it would be most interesting to hear from LA County winemakers in a class that also includes flights to purchase. Again, as it’s just going to be me and a bottle it’s a bit much to do alone. Oh yea, and I think prohibition was stupid too.

Note: I know some winemakers are offering zoom classes, and I use LearnAboutWine.com and LocalWineEvents.com for finding those. But most Zoom formats are selling something, which is reasonable. Our wineries are in a hard spot right now and we do want to support them, whether you are offered wines by the bottle or flight, do what suits you and your budget.

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Innovative distanced gatherings are what Katy M has been doing: Necessity is the mother of invention. We’ve enjoyed themed dinners over Zoom, gathered regularly at a neighborhood park safely distanced and celebrated ‘next’ to each other on our porches. Having to come up with these solutions has made me appreciate the people in my life even more.

From EB: Katy sounds like the perfect party planner that can adapt to any situation. I adore that she is so involved with her neighbors and community. I think she’s really onto something. Motivating me a bit to try to organize a block party, if we are still on lockdown when the weather warms up, where we each gather in front of our homes/driveways to enjoy a meal and drinks NEAR each other.

Back in March of 2020 I tried to organize a block party and a couple of neighbors strolled by, at a distance. We sat on the curb to chat a little and drink wine. It’s time to get back to that. And to being good neighbors.

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Conclusion: Did you notice that Zoom meetings are not the only way to enjoy wines with friends? I did. We also had no clue that this situation would last so long. It’s time to get back to checking in with each other, and talking over some ideas to enjoy wine and spirits without gathering. If you have more ideas please share them: Eve@EveWine101.com

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Support Local Restaurants and Wineries – That Have Supported the Local Community

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People that know me for the events I’ve worked on know that I have a couple of pet peeves that I make pretty clear to organizers before I’ll consider getting involved. The first is the pay-to-play event where the restaurant or winery is not only asked to donate food/wine and their personnel, they are also asked to pay for the privilege. Really? I don’t work on those.

Shannon Mee, Eve, Simon Mee. The Mees own Egg Plantation and Newhall Refinery.

The second pet peeve are the non-profit events where the organizers (and/or volunteers working for them) recruit wineries and restaurants and yet don’t “return the favor” by buying wine from the wineries, or dining in said restaurants.

I think both practices are pretty shameful. Today I’ll tackle how to rectify the latter issue, and how we can support our local community by dining out and buying wine now.

In this time of the Coronavirus I’ve made lists of all of the restaurants that have remained open that have donated to any of the events I’ve worked on or promoted. It was always appropriate to pay them back before, and to me, even more so now. So below you will find several lists of Santa Clarita businesses that have given their food or wine away to our non-profits for free.

At press time, this is a list of the restaurants on the FeedSCV website offering Drive-Thru/take Out. From this list I’ve selected the ones (and some I’ve added) that have supported the SCV by way of an event or other means (food for students) and if my memory serves me correctly they include:

Double Trouble Wine Room, Egg Plantation, Newhall Refinery, Gyu-Kaku, Honu Coffee, Jill’s Cake Creations, Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar, Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que, Marston’s Restaurant, Nealie’s Skillet, Newhall Press Room, Old Town Junction, Olive Terrace Bar and Grill, Route 66 Classic Grill, Salt Creek Grille, The Local Pub and Grill, The Social, Wolf Creek Brewery, Wolf Creek Restaurant, Alchemy, Solita Tacos and Margaritas.

Other restaurants that I’m not sure (again at press time) if they are open, but we may be able to buy gift cards from to support them now, and/or dine in them once the re-open. These include Greater Pacific in the Hyatt, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Smokehouse on Main, Claim Jumper, Red Lobster, Brewery Draconum, DeRobertis Family Artisan Cheeses (offers classes), Clarice’s Cake and Candy Supplies and Jersey Mike’s.

Local wineries (again some may be open for curbside service so check with them first) that have participated in non-profit events include Pulchella Winery, Parhelion Cellars, Entourage by Two Papas, Due Nasi, Pagter Brothers, Hoi Polloi Winery (Pagter and Hoi Polloi share the Double Trouble Wine Room on Main Street in downtown Newhall), Golden Star Vineyards, Alonso Family Vineyards (at Le Chene), Stephen Hemmert Wines, Reyes Winery and Agua Dulce Winery.

For me, to date, I’ve purchased from Newhall Press Room (dinner and groceries), Salt Creek Grille (dinner and wine), Egg Plantation (lunch and groceries), Route 66 Classic Grill (dinner and cocktails to go), The Social (dinner and cocktails to go), Olive Terrace Bar and Grill (dinner and wine to go), Wolf Creek Restaurant (dinner and wine to go), Parhelion Cellars (free no-touch delivery and discounted wine) and Pulchella Winery (club wine delivered). I have many more to go. (Note: When I’ve shared photos on social media there is usually one or more comments regarding other restaurants people want me to visit. Nothing against those, we all have our reasons to support different local businesses, but I have my way and you may have yours. Doesn’t make either wrong! Support local is good any way that you do it, just do it.)

The events that come to mind when I made these lists are food and wine centric. These include my own Cocktails on the Roof and Wine on the Roof as well as other big non-profit events like our Taste of the Town, Vine 2 Wine, The Wine Affair, Sunset in the Vineyard and the SCV Charity Chili Cook Off – and I’m sure there are others I haven’t thought of.

So if you have attended a food or wine event in this town, please take a moment to think of the wines and dishes you’ve enjoyed, and make your own list. Those in the service industry need our support now more than ever. And if you happen to be reading this in another community, I challenge you to seek out and patronize the restaurants and wineries that have supported your town as well. And then keep up the habit!

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

My Goddess of Wine: An Interview with fellow wine blogger and educator Denise Lowe (Vintage Beacon Circa 12/09)

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“I met you on Facebook Day One I think and couldn’t believe you came to my home for a church fundraiser, albeit a single malt Scotch tasting, without ever having met.  Since then I have enjoyed meeting with you, and your husband John Dickey, at numerous “wine-y” adventures.  We’re both wine bloggers passionate about the grape, both in Southern California, and while I busy myself in all things Santa Clarita you venture out.  I’d love to do a column on you…as you see it’s begun here…to tell my readers more of what you do.  Now, don’t make yourself too attractive as I can’t afford to drive all of my readers to your blog!”

John Dickey and Denise Lowe.

John Dickey and Denise Lowe.

How did you get interested in wine? 



When I was finally legal drinking age, I was living in Pennsylvania, where the Liquor Control Board (LCB) stringently controlled the sale of any kind of alcohol.  Wine and spirits were sold in “State Stores,” with single bottles displayed on shelves with the price.  No notes, no information at all, and the clerks weren’t helpful at all.  I used to buy bottles with interesting or pretty labels.  Received some nice surprises and a few not-so-nice.  One of my friends was a State Store manager, and he was able to order in some wines that he liked.  For my 29th birthday, he brought me a bottle of Ruffino Riserva Classico – don’t remember the vintage, but now knowing more about Italian wines, I’m guessing the vintage was somewhere between 1971 – 1976.  In any case, it was different from any wine I had ever tasted.  Expensive, too.  It was $10 in 1980.  Big bucks!

Explain your blog and its title.



My name, Denise, is derived from the name of the Greek god of wine, Dionysius.  The name became Dennis, and Denise is the feminine of Dennis; thus, Goddess of Wine!  My blog is my personal musings and meanderings in the world of wine.  “Write what you know” is what the experts say!  So I’m writing about the wines and foods I’m tasting, the events I’m attending, and interspersing other oddments from my life as I go.  Some of my postings are focused on one thing, others ramble a bit more.  It’s a work in progress at http://goddessofwine.com.

Tell us about your particular training and LearnAboutWine.com

Well, I’ve been drinking wine for a really long time!  My husband, John Dickey (JD), and I have been going to wineries since the early 1990’s.  We’ve been lucky to be able to connect with winemakers and wine sellers who have been only too happy to share their knowledge with interested amateurs.  Dennis Zadell and his partners at the Cambria Wine Shop in Cambria, CA, really began my true education – every tasting turns into a huge educational and fun event.

Three years ago, I decided that I had to find a way to turn my passion for wine into my occupation, and I started searching for information and jobs.  Thru www.LocalWineEvents.com I found a class titled, “So you want to be in the wine business?” and it was being offered by www.LearnAboutWine.com.  We went to Loft 218 for the first time, and met Ian Blackburn, who provided the class huge amounts of information about what types of jobs were available in the industry.  It was a bit startling to discover how many folks in the room were already in the biz – making wine, selling wine, marketing wine, writing about it – and I left the class even more unsure as to where I could apply my skills and knowledge.

A few days after the class, I got an email from LAW advertising a tasting event at HD Buttercup.  The ticket price was a bit higher than I wanted to pay, but at the very bottom of the page, there was a link asking the question, “Interested in volunteering?”  I emailed Ian – JD and I have a lot experience getting things done quickly and cleanly – and he said yes.  That was the beginning.  At first we did set up and strike during events, but after I graduated from the inaugural class of LAW School (Learn About Wine School) with my Junior Wine Executive Certification, I started pouring wines for Ian’s events, and now occasionally teach his Wine Camp (Wine 101) class.  I’m also a Professional Member of the Society of Wine Educators, and will be starting the course for the Certified Wine Specialist shortly.

 And, wineshopathome (Is that right?), are you still doing that and what is it?



It’s actually WineShop at Home, and yes, I’m still doing that, too.  In fact, I was looking for some kind of wine business that I could do along with the mostly volunteer work I was doing for Ian.  I actually met my Team Leader for WineShop when I was working one of Ian’s “Palate” classes (a great way to learn about the aromas and tastes found in all kinds of wines).  After telling her what I wine snob I was, she invited me to a tasting, and I was hooked!

WineShop at Home is a bonded Napa winery.  Like many wineries, we source our grapes from premium growers all over California, and we make small production, artisan wines.  Unlike a regular winery, our tasting rooms are our hosts’ living rooms!  We do intimate, guided wine tastings in your home.  The host pays $59 for the tasting sampler, which includes 5 different kinds of wine, plus a Hospitality bottle, which can be opened for the tasting or saved for later, and provides some small snacks – cheese, crackers, fruit, and chocolate – for pairing with the wines.  At the end of the evening, guests have the opportunity to order the wines they like, book tastings of their own, and there are lovely incentives and gifts for the host.  We like to say that we bring the Wine Country to you!  It’s fun, the wines are well-made and value-priced, and everything is quickly shipped to your door direct from Napa.  It’s a great company with a product I really like.  And it’s a great way to spend an evening with friends!

Goals for your future that I can steal…err…follow?



As I mentioned, I’m going to go for the CWS certification.  Once I achieve that, the next step will be the Certified Wine Educator certification, which seems to have some prestige, although my main interest is really just learning as much about wine as possible and continuing to teach about it.  I also plan to continue to write about wine and my experiences in the wine biz.  I never thought writing would be this much fun! And I’m meeting such interesting people!

What’s your favorite wine/experience?

Folks always ask me what’s my favorite wine, and I always wish I could give a straight answer!  I start out by saying something about Bordeaux and California Bordeaux-styles, and suddenly I’m going on about Rhones and Burgundies and wines from Australia and Argentina and Santa Barbara and Oregon!!

I just love wine; I love talking to winemakers who are passionate about their craft, and I love introducing people to wines they’ve never tasted; I love sharing wine with friends and family – and I love making new friends over a glass of wine!  Cheers!

Wine 101: Drinking in Public

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No, this article is not about over-drinking in public and then finding your way home.  Call a Taxi for that.  This article is about how to feel comfortable attending your first small or large wine tasting event.  So if you have been invited to one, or would like to purchase a ticket yourself, here are a few important points so that you are comfortable in your surroundings:

Happy couple from Valencia Wine Co. holiday tasting

Happy couple from Valencia Wine Co. holiday tasting

  • If you are more adventurous, or prefer to get “lost in the crowd”, look for events that are called “fests” as they are usually larger in scale with more offerings.  The price of the event often reflects the number of wineries, however, if the event is for a non-profit most, if not all, of the money goes to the charity.
  • Don’t bring a lot of “stuff” with you.

    You will need to carry a wine glass, a program and sometimes a plate of food.  Ladies would be most comfortable with a small purse with a cross body strap.

  • Leave the perfume and after-shave at home, it conflicts with the tasting as people are trying to smell their wine…not each other.
  • Once you’ve arrived the first thing that may happen is that you are handed an empty glass.  Holding it by the stem, take the time to walk around the venue, or look over the program, to familiarize yourself – there is no need to barrel right into tasting.   My husband does it this way and it really allows him time to savor the event, and make informed decisions about what he would like to taste.
  • Finally, with program in hand and/or having toured the venue, select pouring stations that you have decided to visit based on several factors:
  1. You can literally see that there is a buzz surrounding some of the tables as many people are clamoring for a taste.
  2. You found a favorite winery of your own is pouring, and you might enjoy learning more about the winery from their representative.
  3. If the program listed grape varietals being poured, and you’re, say, a Zinfandel fan, head for the table promising pours of your favorite.
  4. Talk to other guests to find out what they’ve enjoyed, and which winery representatives were most interesting.  Just like sitting at a sushi bar, camaraderie builds at a wine tasting event.
  5. Stop at a table without a crowd – it doesn’t necessarily mean that there is anything negative about the wine so give it a try, you might make a new discovery to share with others!

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years.  She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video and recently served as a guest judge for the L.A. International Wine Competition.  You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column.