Very pleased to be trying four new-to-me wines from the Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez: a Blanc de Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon all with the same winemaker and farmer though different vineyards. When I received the samples I also asked the owner who happens to be the farmer, James Ontiveros, for…
SANTA ROSA, Calif., /PRNewswire/ — Washington’s Maryhill Winery, located in the Columbia River Gorge, was named Winery of the Year at the 2025 Dan Berger’s International Wine Competition (DBIWC). The event celebrated its 44th consecutive year of judging at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds on Dec. 11. Owners Craig and Vicki Leuthold opened Maryhill Winery 25 years ago….
If you’ve been reading this series from the beginning about our latest visit to the Dry Creek Valley (and if you haven’t, why not?), you may recall that we added one more winery to our itinerary. When we were visiting with winemaker Antoine Favero at Mazzocco Sonoma, he graciously suggested that we pay a visit…
SALEM, Ore. /PRNewswire/ — Willamette Valley Vineyards, Inc. (NASDAQ:WVVI) (the “Company”), a leading Oregon producer of Pinot Noir, generated a loss per common share after preferred dividends of $0.33 and $0.17 for the three months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024 respectively, an increase of $0.16, for the three month period ended September 30, 2025 over…
We spent Thanksgiving week wine tasting in Napa again this year, also adding in some time in Healdsburg in Sonoma County. It had been over ten years since I was in Sonoma, as Napa is my husband’s preference, but that has actually changed with this long-overdue visit for more than one reason. For one, the…
CARMEL VALLEY, Calif. — The 2025 growing season in Monterey County can best be described as a Goldilocks vintage, not too hot, not too cold, but perfectly balanced. With only a handful of brief warm spells, this year recalls cooler, classically elegant vintages such as 1998, 1999, 2010, and 2011, years celebrated for their finesse and…
2023 Price Family Estates Pinot Noir Named “Pinot Noir of the Year” and “Best Wine by Quality” SONOMA, Calif., /PRNewswire/ — Three Sticks Wines has earned two of the highest distinctions at the 2025 USA Wine Ratings: Pinot Noir of the Year and Best Wine by Quality for its 2023 Price Family Estates Pinot Noir. The award-winning…
August of 2019 was the last time my husband Eddie and I visited Santa Barbara, and I wrote about it for SCV Elite Magazine here. Fast forward to this past August and finally being in Santa Barbara again and we didn’t have as much time as our last visit. However, we did get some time…
Do you remember the movie Sideways, the comedy film set in Santa Ynez? Memorable for wine lovers was the time the two despicable pals spent wine tasting at the Hitching Post…and things changed forever. Fast forward to today, last week in fact, when Eddie and I spent the day in the Danish-themed town of Solvang,…
LOMPOC, CA – Tucked between the Santa Rosa and Purisima Hills in western Santa Barbara County, the Sta. Rita Hills AVA (American Viticultural Area) is a world-class wine-growing region renowned for its cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Just minutes from downtown Lompoc, this unique valley offers visitors an immersive experience where maritime breezes, diverse soils, and passionate…