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 […]
A Story of Balance at Kelly Fleming Wines
Kelly Fleming, the owner of Kelly Fleming Wines, has always impressed me with her focus, her wine, her determination, and her story. Back in 2019, I had the chance to meet Kelly and tell her story. The story of a woman who first visited Napa to build a getaway home with […]
A Tale of Two Regions
Recently I undertook a fascinating exercise in tasting wines from different regions in Chile. We explored both Maipo and Colchagua, two regions identified with some of Chile’s best Cabernets that are stylistically different. A History of Chilean Wine Wine history dates to the days of the Spanish Conquistadors in […]
Weaving the Fabric of Texas Wines
Back in the early 90’s, I did PR for a restaurant group. One of our ideas was to do a customer bus tour of Texas wineries. The general manager planned all the logistics and I showed up to help keep things on track. The bus got lost, […]
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 […]
Longevity Wines – A Lasting Love Story
Growing up, Founder and Winemaker Phil Long of Longevity Wines didn’t have much exposure to wine other than his dad’s ornamental bottle of Chianti. He told me that he didn’t even know that wine was made in America. To him, agriculture was focused on plants and animals – not […]
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 […]
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 […]
Jon Larson: Returning Home to Angwin Estate
Jon Larson, Proprietor and Winemaker of Angwin Estate Vineyards, Photo Courtesy of Angwin Estates Jon Larson is the epitome of the modern day Renaissance Man – the precision required with his medical background; the discipline of a former state championship team rugby player and the sensory analysis and experimentation of his winemaker job […]
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. […]
Every Day is Earth Day at Benziger Winery
Every day is earth day at Benziger winery Virtual Tasting Line Up with Benziger Wines This past Earth Day, which was April 22, millions of people around the world will explore ways to help preserve our planet through eco-friendly practices. “Every day is earth day” is the slogan at Benziger Winery and this is […]
Sixmilebridge Vineyard: The Second Chapter of Jim Moroney
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, […]
A Day in Napa Valley: Three Very Diverse Wine Experiences Showcasing the Region
The Dallas Gang in Napa My birthday trip journey continued with a day in Napa Valley visiting three iconic vineyards that showcased very diverse approaches to winemaking and hospitality – Charles Krug Winery, B Cellars Vineyards and Winery, and Crocker & Starr. Napa Valley is known as one of the most renowned wine growing regions in […]
Palmaz Winery: The Intersection of Technology and Craft Winemaking
For Julio and Amalia Palmaz, of Palmaz Vineyards, the love affair with wine started after years of regular visits to Napa. Julio was a successful heart surgeon who actually invented the heart stint. When it was time for the next phase for their family, they decided to purchase an old estate in Coombsville in Napa. […]
Jordan Winery Returns to Roots with 2015 Vintage Cabernet Sauvignon Debut
In May, Jordan launched its first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon aged 100 percent in French oak barrels. Imagine sampling the 2015 vintage served from an 18-liter Jordan Melchior (the equivalent of 24 standard-sized bottles of wine), pre-release tastings of the 2013 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon in a magnum, the 2017 Jordan Chardonnay and the Jordan Cuvée […]
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 […]
Exploring Santa Clara with Winemakers Jason Goelz of Jason-Stephens and Janu Goelz of Alara Cellars
In my 25-year career in technology marketing, I spent a ton of time in Silicon Valley. Yet, I had no idea that less than 30 minutes away lies a hidden AVA that boasts grapes from the 1800s and, at one time, had more acres of vineyards than any other county in California. The Santa […]
A Conversation with John Concannon: 135 Years of Pioneering California Cabernet Sauvignon
Me hanging with John Concannon Last month, I had a chance to sit down with a member of the fourth generation of a storied wine family with a long resume of making California’s wine industry what it is today. John Concannon is part of a family of wine pioneers at Concannon Vineyard. For 135 years, the […]
A Conversation with Russ Weis: The Silverado Philosophy from Vine to Bottle
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 […]
A Conversation with Remi Cohen About the History of Cliff Lede While Matching Cabernet with East Coast Oysters
A Conversation with Remi Cohen About the History of Cliff Lede While Matching Cabernet with East Coast Oysters Remi and Me Remi Cohen, the general manager of Cliff Lede, and I didn’t start our lunch with the intention of pairing delicate oysters at Montlake Cut with a rich Stags Leap Cabernet, but we found ourselves […]
Domaine Drouhin and Jordan Family Tasting & A Closer Look at Cameron Hughes
Art by Vino Mosaics This week’s wine column focuses on multiple samples that came from two families that are considered to be stalwarts in wine – the Drouhin family and the Jordan family. It also covers Cameron Hughes, a man who took a different approach by not having his own vineyards, but by finding interesting […]