Sonoma

    Over the last 14 years, I’ve had the opportunity to tell the story of innovation within the wine...

      Winemaker Greg La Follette knew he wanted to create Pinot Noirs and Chardonnay wines that stayed true...

  Cherry Pie Wines began with a vision of making Burgundian-style Pinot Noirs expressed by different iconic vineyards and AVAs...

      The story of VML Winery began with a fourth-generation Italian winemaker who had a passion to make...

        Four years ago, I had the opportunity to visit my friend Ali Smith Story, the co-owner...

          Close to four years ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with Rob Barney,...

        As promised, I’m continuing to work through some of the higher-end, interesting, or special occasion samples...

          Time to catch up on a shipment of special occasion samples. I chose the list...

    I’m not a traditional follower of all the wine days, but there is something about Cabernet Franc Day...

    Tony Lombardi can be described in one word – humble. He’s a brilliant storyteller especially when he’s talking...

    You could call Bibiana Gonzalez Rave (pictured above with her husband Jeff Pisoni) a soulful winemaker. So much...

    For many years, my holiday of choice was New Year’s Eve. It was the art of getting dressed...

    One of the key benefits of writing about wine is discovering family wineries that you wouldn’t find on...

    As Dallas finally broke it’s 47 days of over 100 temperatures (which sadly is not a record), it’s...

        Let’s face it – there are a lot of wine writers, and I’m sure most of...

          Do you guys hear the sound of progress?  It’s me having published three samples columns...

        In 2022, I enter my twelfth year of blogging and post for the 659th time.  Today...

        This year I’ve gotten to dive deep with so many winemakers – mostly virtually – and...

        The holidays are often expected to be joyful. After the death of loved ones, you find...

          For more than 200 years, Merlot has been a foundational grape in the wine world...

          After 60 years of success, many companies sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride –...

        I recently had a chance, thanks to Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP), to explore the differences...

          When it’s time to celebrate a milestone anniversary, many companies feel a sense of nostalgia...

          SIMI Winery started with the hard work and persistence of two immigrant brothers.  But it...

          Podcaster invites guest to be on podcast.  Guest accepts.  Date is scheduled.  But life is...

        Gathering for a virtual tasting and uncorking a bottle of wine or two is the closest...

      It’s sample time and I never knew what a challenge these would be in the time of...

      The Women of Bacigalupi Vineyards, Photo Credit: Bacigalupi Vineyards   Bacigalupi Vineyards is one of the best...

  Each Fall, it seems the horror sequel starts again for those who live in wine country.  It’s fire season...

      Last Friday, the San Francisco Wine School gathered some of the top black Winemakers/Winery Owners, paired with...

    As the days roll by, often it seems an exercise in same day, different bottle, as we enter...

  Tom and Ashley Darling, Courtesy of Darling Wines   Tom and Ashley Darling, co-owners of Sonoma’s Darling Wines, have a...

A World Changed: But the Jordan Launch Must Go On       It’s hard to believe one year ago,...

  Bibiana Gonzalez Rave and Jeff Pisoni, Courtesy of Alma de Cattleya   Bibiana Gonzalez Rave and Jeff Pisoni, the...

Every day is earth day at Benziger winery Virtual Tasting Line Up with Benziger Wines   This past Earth Day,...

  The smoke and images were powerful and devastating but did not tell the complete story of what was happening...

  It’s crazy that 2019 has passed in a flash and a new year/decade has begun.  Why not usher in...

  It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years that I’ve been writing the Dallas Wine Chick blog.  As we...

    This Wednesday is National Zinfandel Day.  It is a day that is decreed by ZAP – the Zinfandel...

Jesse Katz, Winemaker Aperture Cellars and Devil Proof Vineyards   A good photographer has an eye for detail that brings...

Six Months of Wine Samples: A Summation of My Favorites It’s sample write-up time again and I held off longer...

A Celebration of Friends with J Vineyards & Winery: The Perfect Aperitif The magnum of J Vineyards & Winery Cuvée...

Rob Barney, Vintner, Stressed Vines For Rob Barney, Stressed Vines’ Vintner, drinking wine was once a “safe label” choice.  He...

  Our wine trip continued in Sonoma where we spent time at four places– Arista, Passalacqua, Skipstone and Scherrer Wineries. ...

The Wonderful Place we Stayed in Sonoma Last month, I had the joy of celebrating a milestone birthday with a...

Our Orsi Family Wine Tasting Line-Up It all started with a story of family and heritage for the Orsi Family...

Mike Thompson, Proprietor of Thompson 31Fifty (third from right) and the Dallas Wineaux When you sit down and talk to...

In May, Jordan launched its first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon aged 100 percent in French oak barrels.  Imagine sampling the...

Tom Parmeson, Owner and Winemaker of Parmesan Wines Tom Parmeson, Owner and Winemaker of Parmeson Wines, never aspired to be a Sonoma winemaker. ...

Duffy Keys, B Cellars, me and Kent Rathbun, Chef Duffy Keys, Co-Founder of B Cellars Vineyards and Winery, recently came...

Bob Shepard, Proprietor, Amici Cellars Amici Cellars began as a project of wine loving friends in 1990 who wanted to focus...

It’s time for another sample round up and I found that a theme emerged for me this quarter.  I either...

Me and Ed St. John It was time for the quarterly “Taste Up” with the gang at Pedroncelli Winery led...