California

You see it everywhere: store aisles brimming with bottles of every style—red, white, rosé, orange, even bubbly—all carefully curated to complement your Thanksgiving feast. It made me wonder: what did the Pilgrims drink during their first celebration? Curious, I dug into the history to find out.

We were presented with a remarkable lineup consisting of eight vintages of Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, ranging from 1990 to 2013 (’90, ’92, ’03, ’04, ’07, ’08, ’12, and ’13).

This wine is showing remarkable vibrancy at the moment. It boasts a rich, tropical fruit profile, with juicy, mouth-filling texture that leads to a long, satisfying finish.

Marsanne and Roussanne are native to the Rhone region in France. They are traditionally used to make Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph.

The name “qupé” was chosen to honor the Chumash, the indigenous people of the Golden State’s Central Coast and Channel Islands.

Surviving a family Thanksgiving is like trying to pick a wine at the store—there’s a lot to choose from, and sometimes you end up with something that makes you question your life decisions.

The grapes for this wine are carefully selected from three renowned vineyard sites in the Sonoma Coast region – Sangiacomo, Durell, and Gap’s Crown.

In 2005, Morgan Twain-Peterson MW and his father, Joel, acquired 152 acres from the Domenicis and renamed the vineyard as Bedrock. Joel Peterson, a walking encyclopedia of wine knowledge, stands as one of the pivotal figures in American wine history, tracing his illustrious career back to his celebrated days at Ravenswood.

Union Sacré, Edelzwicker 2022 For those of you that have never heard of Edelzwicker, it is a term used to describe a type of wine, specifically a blended white wine, originating from the Alsace region in France. The word “Edelzwicker” is of German origin and translates to “noble blend” or “fine blend.” In Alsace, where both German and French influences are prominent, Edelzwicker wines are […]

La Jota Vineyards Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1990 In 1983, the Howell Mountain American Viticultural Area (AVA) became one of the first official sub-appellations of Napa Valley. While rivers, creeks, and property lines typically define an AVA, the boundaries of Howell Mountain are defined by a 1,400-foot elevation contour line as the lowest point, with the highest vineyards situated at 2,500 feet above sea level. […]

Brace yourselves for two more fabulous rosé wines to tickle your taste buds! We’ve got one straight outta Napa, CA, and the other hailing all the way from the charming land of Veneto, IT. Now, I know when you think rosé, you automatically picture French regions like Provence, Bandol, and the Loire. But hey, let’s not forget that these wines are crafted with finesse in […]

Made from a combination of 34% Grenache, 32% Barbera, 16% Counoise, 14% Mouvedre, and 4% other reds from the Windmill Vineyard, and Barbera from the Muller Vineyard, both in the Dunnigan Hills, CA Since 2003, Matthiasson Wines has produced wines organically and using sustainable agricultural methods. Very pale salmon color. Subltle aromas and flavors of strawberry and pink grapefruit. Dry and bright with strong acidity. […]

A quick pop-in to a local wine shop yielded tasting one very weird Chertok ‘Midrash’ a grape/cider combination, a Malbec from Cahors, and Populis, a Sauvignon Blanc from Mendocino County. Of the three I decided to buy the Populis. 2022 POPULIS SAUVIGNON BLANC – MENDOCINO COUNTY $25 It’s well made, a bit more of a “gastro” wine as opposed to a sipping/drinking wine. The acidity […]

Champagne, Corsica, Paso Robles, Napa Andrew did not disappoint with his selection! These wines were eye-opening and jaw-dropping. Particularly the reds which were best had on different days to truly enjoy them. Champagne Palmer 2012 A soft dry wine with fresh apples and a crisp citrus mouthfeel. Nicely creamy and lively with excellent acidity this vintage cuvée is ready to be enjoyed…and was! $112 Constellation […]

Wilson and Alandra’s Tasting Selection Thomas Fogerty Wines, Santa Cruz Mountains Single Vineyard Pinot Noir Mindego Vineyard, 2018 A fine representation from this winemaker, explosive fruit, full cherry, and red fruit with excellent depth and intensity. A beauty of a Pinot from this producer. $75 La Vida Bella Vineyard, 2018 Excellent ruby color with a slight clove nose, black cherries and licorice, and rich fresh […]

Out of all the California wines being presented at the Expo, the following selection didn’t necessarily align with my personal preferences, but they were certainly the most intriguing. I was taken aback, however, when one of my favorite winemakers (Heitz Cellars) failed to meet my expectations. As a distinguished Napa winemaker renowned for their unwavering commitment to quality, I expected their “entry-level” premium wine to […]

We had a last-minute neighborly get-together on  Thursday night, I thought of pairing the Robert Mondavi Maestro 2018 robust and full-flavored red blend (meritage), a blend of: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 17% Petit Verdot, 11% Merlot, 5% Malbec with Vegan chili. The wine a great choice, boasting sweet red plum and Bing cherry aromas, complemented by savory notes of tamari, black pepper, and […]

I came across this wine at a local shop tasting and was impressed with its simplicity and finesse. The wine is made using a combination of both tank and barrel fermentations that are aged in neutral barrels. The fruit is sourced from three vineyards in Happy Canyon; Grassini, McGinley, and Star Lane. A bright energetic wine with spring flowers and hints of mint. The wine […]

I recently hosted a dinner and decided to serve three “bordeaux” style wines, two from the Bordeaux region and one from California, a Cabernet Sauvignon. The first wine I opened was the Clarendelle Bordeaux 2016, which consists of 84% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Cabernet Franc. It was a pleasant wine overall, but nothing particularly stood out. I learned that Clarendelle purchases wines from […]

From the family that makes the finest American sparkling wine. Their experience with Pinot Noir dates back to 1967, when Jack and Jamie Davies first used this elegant red varietal to make their inaugural vintage of Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine. They’ve expanded to making fine pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon wines in addition to their sparkling wines. Napa Valley is making wine that […]

Our host asked for a wine with “soft tannins” as the food to be served was Asian-inspired flavors with fish as the main course. Most people think of fish and white wine, personally, I prefer to consider the time of year and flavors. In this case, it was also the dead of winter. My thoughts immediately leaned toward Pinot Noir, Gamay, or Bobal. I decided […]