Now and then I actually write about wine. Well, take that back, I go to a blind Syrah tasting, hosted by my friends in the Santa Clarita Vintners and Grower’s Association, ask them to take down notes and send them to me. So this really is a wine review column, but not just from a…
Former General Manager of S.Y. Kitchen will Oversee Wine Programs at Toscana, Bar Toscana and S.Y. Kitchen WHO: Emily Johnston, Wine Director of the Toscana Restaurant Group WHAT: Restaurateurs Mike and Kathie Gordon have announced the promotion of Emily Johnston, 29, as the first Wine Director for The Toscana Restaurant Group. Previously the General Manager…
Over a thousand wine enthusiasts and winemakers participated in this weekends 2014 Garagiste Festival in Paso Robles; dates announced for third annual Southern Exposure Festival in Solvang: March 27th 29th 2015 Garagiste Events, producers of The Garagiste Festivals, announced the return of their popular Southern Exposure festival in 2015 to Veterans Hall in Solvang…
“Pinot Days is coming to Southern California this weekend! (Remember readers, this is Pinot Days #1 from 2010!) After six big events in San Francisco and three in Chicago, the winemakers are loading up and heading over the Grapevine, so to speak. 93 pinot producers (and counting) will show up and pour over 400 acclaimed…
Brian McClintic, Jay Fletcher, Jason Heller and Reggie Narito Teach Level I and Level II Sommelier Courses to be held at Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara WHO: Brian McClintic, managing partner of Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant, the wine bar and retail store which opened in 2013 to rave reviews in Santa…
Unlike Eve Bushman, my esteemed publisher, editor, friend and business associate, who approaches all varietals equally and without prejudice, I can unashamedly say that the Rhone grapes, along with my guilty pleasure Zinfandel, hit my palate right in its sweet spot more often than any other wines. And every year I am amazed that, as…
My husband Eddie and I spending a day wine tasting in Santa Clarita (SCV) is not news. But wine tasting at two different vineyards within ten minutes of our house in SCV is. Chris and Jeannie Carpenter of Newhall have a cellar I have long coveted. Free standing and temperature controlled, with an attached sitting…
(This article was written in March 2002 about the recently opened Agua Dulce Vineyards. It’s more of a tale of how excited we were to have a winery close by because we were missing Napa, and a babysitter.) I definitely gave Eddie fair warning in advance. He had a choice. He could either buy me…
50 Acclaimed Wineries from the California Central Coast and Tastings from Select Restaurants to Benefit the Michael Bonaccorsi Endowment at Hancock College Wally’s Wine & Spirits will host Wally’s 9th Central Coast Wine and Food Celebration (WCCWFC), benefiting the Michael Bonaccorsi Endowment Fund at Allan Hancock College Department of Viticulture and Enology on Sunday, July…
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how wine instills passion in people, from a lot of different angles. Consumers get the bug and turn into avid ambassadors and collectors of the brands they have chosen. Some of us start writing about wine, and devote countless hours to spreading the word, using time that could…
