Breaking the Mold: A Californian Winemaker Reimagines Bordeaux

      Stephanie Rivin, a former Californian winemaker, never expected she would move to Bordeaux and launch a brand. That changed in 2012 during a family trip where she and her husband fell in love with the region. Already established in California winemaking, the allure of Bordeaux ignited a spark. French Blue became her […]

Smith-Madrone: Humble Beginnings, Unforgettable Wines

      Stu Smith, the Enologist and Managing Partner for Smith-Madrone Winery, didn’t set out to own premium real estate valued for upwards of $400,000 an acre.  His goal was only to find a site in the mountains of Napa Valley versus the valley floor, to make the elegant, balanced, European-inspired wines he enjoyed. […]

Sixmilebridge Vineyard: The Second Chapter of Jim Moroney

Sixmilebridge vineyard

Sixmilebridge Vineyard: The Second Chapter of Jim Moroney   Jim Moroney, Proprietor Sixmilebridge Vineyard For forty years, Jim Moroney was a champion of free press and led Dallas’ only daily paper through a digital transformation. But as he told me, “When you work for a public company like A.H. Belo Corporation, you have a shelf […]

Storytelling Through A Lens and A Bottle: The Story of Jesse and Andy Katz

Jesse Katz, Winemaker Aperture Cellars and Devil Proof Vineyards   A good photographer has an eye for detail that brings all the elements together to convey the right vision.  Little did Andy Katz, world-renown photographer, know that his eye for detail in the vineyards would spark a passion for wine for his son, Jesse Katz, […]

Virginia is for Wine Lovers: A Mix of History, Diversity and Great Wine

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This October, I had the opportunity to attend the Virginia Wine Harvest Party, which was a two-day whirlwind media tour that was held in conjunction with Virginia Wine Month, the longest running state wine month.  As I mentioned before, it had been 7 years since I visited the region.  I had heard some great buzz […]

A Conversation with Russ Weis: The Silverado Philosophy from Vine to Bottle

Conversation with Russ Weis

Russ Weis, General Manager, Silverado  Last week I wrote about the ‘House of Cab Dallas’ tasting that brought together 13 Stags Leap District vintners and owners to debut current releases.  As a bonus, I had the chance to sit down with Russ Weis, the general manager of Silverado Vineyards. Russ has a mantra that I have […]

Another Edition of the Round Up of Wine: Six Countries, Twenty Four Wines

Round Up of Wine

It’s time for another wine round up column filled with some of my favorite samples.  This time I tried 46 wines from six countries with 24 making the cut today. Sparkling NV Ferrari Rose Sparking – I’ve had the amazing opportunity of visiting Ferrari back in April.  To read more, click here.  Ferrari Trento was […]