The Latest
Ridge Vineyards • Healdsburg, Sonoma
It was a wonderful, not too balmy, summer afternoon, when I finally made it back to Ridge Vineyards. I first visited Ridge while attending the ZAP Simply Summer Celebration in 2014. The event was held in their beautiful vineyard so I never got a chance to visit their tasting room nor taste any of their […]
Acquiesce Vineyards • Lodi, CA
Acquiesce Vineyards • Lodi, CA In my wine adventures, I strive to visit as many new wineries as possible. I think I’ve become a bit compulsive. However, I must admit that I have come to appreciate revisiting wineries more and more. (Never thought I would admit that.) On return visits, you see, hear and feel […]
Red Lily Vineyards • Southern, OR
Red Lily Vineyards • Southern, OR Oregon has become an absolute wine destination. Willamette Valley has led this charge with a consistent track record for pumping our great Pinots. However, just North of the California border, in the shadow of Mount Shasta, lie the towns of Ashland and Medford. These two small towns are surrounded […]
Markham Vineyards • St. Helena, CA
Markham Vineyards • St. Helena, CA There are so many wineries to choose from in Napa that you could spend a month exploring and not exhaust the bounties of experiences waiting to be discovered. Markham Vineyards is one of those, “let’s pull in here” wineries that you leaved pleased as punch that you did. In […]
Borra Vineyards 2012 Red Fusion Blend
Borra Vineyards 2012 Red Fusion Blend Chocolate covered raspberries in the nose. No wait… cherries… No wait… I do believe I have underestimated this cunning blend. Definitely some complexity here where I was expecting a solid table wine. A lovely structure as it sits on the palate. Don’t rush it. A lovely structure. Precise. Substantial […]
Putah Creek Winery
Putah Creek Winery Davis, California is a small college town just west of Sacramento on the way to San Francisco. University of California, Davis is one of the lesser known of California’s big universities. That is unless you are in the wine biz and fully understand the scope of their Viticulture program. For those of you that don’t, […]
Flowers 2012 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Flowers 2012 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir I bright and crystal clear face on this juice. It sits in the glass as if it knows I am taking a picture. Picture perfect. The nose is full of bright, red fruit and herbs. The cranberries smell electric and tart. Once on the palate, they aim to please. […]
St. Amant 2012 Tempranillo
St. Amant 2012 Tempranillo A big kid wine. Newbies need not apply. The nose is full and big. Full of dark ripe fruit. I’m starting to notice a theme with wines from St. Amant. Bold and unapologetic. This rascal is full of spice. The tannins mean business so knuckle up and hold on. Not out of […]
Mettler 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon
Mettler 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon The nose is sneaky. It’s a Cab but the Petite Sirah won’t be denied. A lovely nose. It’s mellow on the palate despite the involved bouquet. The structure offers a relaxed experience. I found myself sucking air over it, leaving it on my tongue while the conversation in the tasting room went on […]
Due Vigne 2013 Chardonnay
Due Vigne 2013 Chardonnay An “unoaked” Chard served at room temperature. Before I could even ask about the temperature, the Tasting Room Manager Jeremy offered that they found the wine never showed its true personality when served chilled. I guess you could say this wine needs to “warm up” to company. (See what I did there? […]
