In 1842, Salvador Vallejo, brother to General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo of Mexico’s Commandante Générale of the northern territory (which at that time included Sonoma), built an adobe home just off downtown Sonoma’s square. On November 5, 2014, after two years of historical preservation and renovation of the home, vintners Bill …
Descend below street level to the well-hidden wine cellar where over 50 varietals and grape-based liquers flow freely. The new wine bar burrows deep beneath O Hotel and provides a subdued counterbalance to the disco next door. Grab a glass, and a plate of charcuterie, and hunker down in a …
It’s been a trendy ride on the I don’t drink Chardonnay wagon for a while, but we’re happily starting to see a little light at the end of the tunnel. A quiet but fierce leader in this noble crusade is the Moorooduc Estate Chardonnay; a relatively unknown name from the eponymous sub-region …
Regarded as an exemplar in the UK’s burgeoning sparkling wine movement, Wiston Estate has wooed many non-believers in the English Method. A tiny 16-acre vineyard is close-planted to the three classic Champagne grape varieties of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. The vines thrive on prime chalky soils reminiscent of the Côte …
Mollydooker, the whimsical and wildly successful Aussie wine brand founded by left-handers Sparky and Sarah Marquis started out with a very different vision than was realized: to make the best bulk wine in Australia. Instead, a series of twists and turns and dramatic calamity have tested the pair’s threshold of perseverance, …
Nicolas Feuillatte, a daring and spirited entrepreneur, was once the largest importer of African coffee in the U.S. Tired of New York and its jetsetters, he returned to France, acquired 12 hectares of vines in the Ardre Valley, and applied his skill, palate and finesse to the Champagne world. Faced with competition …
An icon graced the cover of the November 1972 issue of TIME Magazine. Though not a politician, nor a movie star, this phenomenon was well-known and well-loved in households all across America. Proudly displayed on the cover was a bottle of Gallo Family Vineyards Hearty Burgundy, a paragon of the booming California wine industry. …
Imagine a man larger than life, whose raison d’être is to share his passion – for wine, for beauty, for people and for experiencing every moment. That is the spirit of Jean-Charles Boisset, the Burgundy-born wine impresario and founder of the JCB Collection of wines. The JCB Collection challenges how you think about …
Drink Me Magazine Review 93 /100 “Total precision with a bit of swag, the off-dry wine smugly flaunts aromas of Asian pear, white peach, jasmine, honeysuckle, and petrol. Its lively acidity pairs with intense clementine orange and slate minerality. This wine is the ‘Blue Steel’ of Rieslings.” – JA
Drink Me Magazine Review 94/100 “A love potion of ripe citrus, peach, apricot, jasmine, and mint leaf. Medium sweet with mouthwatering acidity, its smooth green tea texture pulls you in with sweet mandarin, dill, and minerality. Sleek, animated, and just plain delightful. A knockout.” -JA
Charles Smith is a rock star, wild-man, harley-riding winemaker who believes wine is meant to be drunk – not overanalyzed and definitely not treated as a stuffy subject. This belief drove the creation of its own brand of wines, Charles Smith Wines, dubbed “The Modernist Project”. One of the first …
Every once in a while a wine’s cool factor is actually backed up by substance inside. This time it is Rob Murray Vineyards Force of Nature and Tooth & Nail collection of wines that made us take notice and get reenergized about wine. The projects are a vision of Rob …