CAST Wines: A Unique Blend of Community and Innovation
Over the last 14 years, I’ve had the opportunity to tell the story of innovation within the wine industry, gaining insights into various approaches to winery beginnings. While family-owned wineries and those acquired by larger corporations or wealthy individuals are common paths, some wineries take the road less traveled. CAST Winery stands out […]
Handcrafting Pinot Noir Vineyard by Vineyard
Winemaker Greg La Follette knew he wanted to create Pinot Noirs and Chardonnay wines that stayed true to his vision by sourcing fruit from the best family vineyards in Sonoma County. I’m writing about vineyard-specific Pinot Noirs again because I had so many questions and feedback about how you truly can […]
The Magic of VML Winery
The story of VML Winery began with a fourth-generation Italian winemaker who had a passion to make single vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Sonoma Coast and the Russian River Valley because of its cool climate and ideal soils. Virginia Marie Lambrix’s family has been making wine in the Veneto region […]
Special Wines of All Kinds Part Two
As promised, I’m continuing to work through some of the higher-end, interesting, or special occasion samples that I’ve had the opportunity to taste. Today it’s a concentration of sample wines from California. Sparkling 2019 Sonoma Cutrer Grand Brut Rosé – This blend of 70 percent Pinot […]
Celebrating Cabernet Franc
I’m not a traditional follower of all the wine days, but there is something about Cabernet Franc Day on December 4 that is special. Perhaps it is because it is a grape that is misunderstood and often overlooked, yet a vital part of so many great wines. Or perhaps it is because […]
Lombardi Wines Continues a Family’s Legacy
Tony Lombardi can be described in one word – humble. He’s a brilliant storyteller especially when he’s talking about the wineries he represents for his marketing consulting company or the charity his family founded to support college athlete mental health in honor of his nephew and godson. But if you have the chance, […]
Family is Purpose of Puppione Family Wines
The most important driver of Puppione Family Wines may surprise you. It’s about Chris Puppione’s dream of becoming a dad and having a family. The story is about honoring and connecting family and creating family traditions. Chris joked to me that it took him a long time to […]
Connection Through Community
Connection is the word I would use to describe my most recent trip to wine country. It was a connection to a community I love and have missed. A connection to the wineries that I have covered from afar for almost two years. And, perhaps even a reconnection back to […]
Rediscover Merlot: The Turning Point
For more than 200 years, Merlot has been a foundational grape in the wine world – from Bordeaux to California – used to make some of the finest wines. The Merlot grape, which translates to blackbird in French, became the most planted grape in Bordeaux and known for its soft, elegant […]
Sixty Years of Reflection in Rodney Strong Refresh
After 60 years of success, many companies sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride – especially if nothing is amiss. But if you have a history of innovation, you decide to rethink everything – looking both forward and backward to figure out how to get positioned for the next 60 […]
SIMI Winery: Tragedy to Triumph
SIMI Winery started with the hard work and persistence of two immigrant brothers. But it continued due to the determination of one 18-year-old girl who would not let tragedy end her family’s legacy. That legacy, shown in this anthology video, carried on for more than a century […]
Second Half 2020 Sample Roundup
It’s sample time and I never knew what a challenge these would be in the time of COVID. Usually, I invite friends over and pop open a few bottles, and, if my husband is in a cooking mode, then I get to use my pairing skills. When the pandemic happened, the samples […]
Crab and Chardonnay = Utopia
Crab and Chardonnay = Utopia From blending sessions to vertical tastings to blind tastings, I’ve been blown away at the creativity of wineries since the pandemic began. Just when I thought I had seen almost everything, I was invited by Raeburn Winery to celebrate the kickoff of Dungeness Crab season. […]
Tasting History with the Women of Bacigalupi Vineyards
The Women of Bacigalupi Vineyards, Photo Credit: Bacigalupi Vineyards Bacigalupi Vineyards is one of the best kept secrets in the Russian River Valley. You may have heard the story of a 1976 tasting in which a California chardonnay gained world recognition by beating French burgundy wines in a side-by-side competition. That […]
Seven Expressions of One Grape
Theresa Heredia, Winemaker of Gary Farrell Winery, Courtesy of Gary Farrell Winery Pinot Noir is a grape that is not known for being easy. As Natasha Hughes, MW, once said, “When Pinot producers get it right, the wines have it all: gorgeous aromatics, silky texture, bright acidity and supple tannins. What’s […]
Darling Wines: It’s All About Balance
Tom and Ashley Darling, Courtesy of Darling Wines Tom and Ashley Darling, co-owners of Sonoma’s Darling Wines, have a strong belief in balance and being grounded in the present moment. As winery owners and yoga teachers, they were inspired by the connection of growing and making wine and how it brought together aspects of the […]
Bibiana Gonzalez Rave and Jeff Pisoni: Power Couple in Wine
Bibiana Gonzalez Rave and Jeff Pisoni, Courtesy of Alma de Cattleya Bibiana Gonzalez Rave and Jeff Pisoni, the winemakers for Alma de Cattleya and Lucia Vineyards, are examples of a true power couple in wine. These two have been married since 2011 and talked about how they are dedicated to helping the other make better wine. […]
Sonoma County: Ready for Tourism Today
The smoke and images were powerful and devastating but did not tell the complete story of what was happening in the Sonoma Valley. According to the Sonoma County blog, only 8% of Sonoma County’s one million acres were impacted by the October 2019 fires. The vineyards, parks, fantastic views, coastline and redwoods still remain majestic […]
Ushering out the Decade with Stellar Holiday Samples
It’s crazy that 2019 has passed in a flash and a new year/decade has begun. Why not usher in a new decade with a round-up article of a few favorite samples over the holidays? Due to the weather, there is always a rush of samples shipped when the weather breaks in Texas, so it’s […]
Why I Love the World of Wine: Three People Who Made A Difference on My Milestone Birthday
The Wonderful Place we Stayed in Sonoma Last month, I had the joy of celebrating a milestone birthday with a trip with close friends of Sonoma and Napa. It was everything that I expected – good friends, great wine and amazing food. I’m going to talk about the wineries that we visited over the next […]
Winemaker Tom Parmeson: The Man Who Started a Second Career on an Epiphany
Tom Parmeson, Owner and Winemaker of Parmesan Wines Tom Parmeson, Owner and Winemaker of Parmeson Wines, never aspired to be a Sonoma winemaker. He successfully worked for 15 years in software development for Halliburton Company, an oil and gas exploration service company based in Houston. But in 2005, he had an epiphany after visiting a tasting room and walked […]
A Month to Celebrate Merlot and a Closer Look at Ravenswood Single Vineyard Designate Wines
Did you know that October is Merlot Month? And this is a grape worth celebrating! For the last five years, hundreds of Merlot producers have been mounting a movement to celebrate Merlot, designating October as International Merlot Month. More than 100 Merlot producers, wine merchants, restaurants and consumers will taste and toast online (using #MerlotMe), at […]
The Pedroncelli Family 90th Celebration Continues: Bring Me Your Finest Wines and Recipes
This Summer, I was lucky enough to be included on the insiders list for one heck of a party as the Pedroncelli family celebrated the 90th year of their family business. Recently, I had the opportunity to continue the year-long celebration as the family continued to call people together with a series of events with food […]
The Jordan Experience During the Wine Blogger’s Conference: Hail to Lisa Mattson!
Debbie Gioquindo, Lisa and me In my last blog post, I talked about my top 10 discoveries from the Wine Bloggers Conference, but posted #11 referencing another post next week. Today is that post where I get to talk about my friend, Lisa Mattson, the communications and marketing director of Jordan Winery. If you haven’t […]
The Second Day of Pre-Conference in Sonoma: Our Journey Continues with Arista and Mauritson
The Second Day of Pre-Conference in Sonoma: Our Journey Continues with Arista and Mauritson Michael Kansberg, Artisa, Estate Sommelier, Cindy Rynning and me; Photo Credit: Chris Pittman Our second day began with a visit to Arista Winery. I first met Mark McWilliams at a wine dinner at Lakewood Country Club in 2002. He is a […]
A Pre-Trip to Sonoma: Day One to Lambert Bridge Winery
Cindy Rynning, me and Jennifer Higgins, Lambert Bridge Winemaker It’s amazing how the world and your intentions can change quickly. Cindy Rynning and I started planning our trip to Sonoma prior to the 2017 Wine Blogger’s Conference with the intent of visiting some boutique wineries, telling their stories and trying out some new social media […]