It’s 10:00 AM and I have just tasted my 61st glass of prosecco. I am feeling superiore. And while I don’t traditionally recommend 61 glasses in one sitting, this is why I have traveled to Veneto for the annual Vino in Villa: to learn why the wines of Conegliano Valdobiaddene …
It’s late afternoon on a beautiful day in Sonoma. You skipped lunch in favor of grazing and wine tasting, and now you’re ready for something absolutely delicious to eat to complement some of the world-class vino you’ve just finished sampling. And maybe a little more wine—you’re in Sonoma, after all. …
In describing his impromptu decision to start making wine after graduating UC Santa Cruz with a degree in American Literature to The Corkscrewer Report in 2015, David Ramey of Ramey Wine Cellars said “…Why don’t I make wine? It’s an esthetic statement like literature, like the elements of composition in film. …
When you enter the beautifully appointed, recently reopened tasting room at Madrone Estate (the oldest operating winery in Glen Allen) you’re stepping into 150 years of Sonoma Valley winemaking history. The sunlit patio, bocce court, and 100-year-old grapevines are evidence of the Italian-made varietals that were produced here using the …
If pinot noir spontaneously transmogrified into human form and showed up at a dinner party to which you’d been invited, you would do well to avoid him. (Or her.) Notoriously temperamental, thin-skinned and over-sensitive to a fault, Pinot probably wouldn’t get a single one of your jokes (even your best …
When Lynmar Estate owner Lynn Fritz purchased Quail Hill Ranch overlooking the shimmering blue expanse of Laguna de Santa Rosa in the verdant Russian River Valley, he did so with the intention that the property would be a bucolic retreat from the high-stress corporate world in which he was ensnared as …
With the concept born over a glass of wine overlooking the verdant fecundity of the Alexander Valley, it’s little wonder brothers Dustin Valette and Aaron Garzini decided on an uber-fresh, farm-to-table, wine centric approach to their restaurant Valette. The restaurant, opened 15 years after the seed was planted, is a …
If you’re planning a trip to Sonoma County, chances are you’re planning on tasting some wines. Myriad options exist for accommodation, but why not keep to the general theme of the weekend and book a room at the Grape Leaf Inn on Johnson Street in Healdsburg, the newest venture from Ken and …
Entering the Williams Selyem Winery (tastings by allocation only for members of their WS List) has an air of exclusivity that is fortunately well-deserved for some of the finest Pinot Noirs in the Russian River Valley. The preferential nature of the tasting appointments isn’t some high-brow California snobbery, it’s due to …
When friends Chris James and Ames Morison began crafting estate fine wines in the Alexander Valley in 1998, they did so with a shared ethos of environmental accountability and sustainability. They translated their commitment to creating wines with the utmost respect to the terroir by employing mindful 100% organic farming …
You’re sitting in a sunlight-dappled courtyard under a fragrantly blossoming orange tree sipping a glass of freshly made sangria with a few friends. A plate of clams steamed in cava with garlic and chili has just been delivered to your table along with a plate of sweet dates wrapped in …
Brewing alcohol has been around as long as people have been able to make it, and don’t let the common ingredients of today fool you, the sheer variety of what you can find is staggering. Here’s just a small sample of things you never thought you could see as …