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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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. […]
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. […]
Smith-Story Wine Cellars: Breaking The Mold In The Story of Wine
Lord Sandwich from Smith-Story Wine Cellars poses with me, his loyal subject It’s rare that I write a story of an untraditional winery. Wineries aren’t crowdfunded. Winery dogs are the norm. They don’t become brand ambassadors with 72,500 Instagram followers, a label of their own and a charity of their own. But, you […]
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, […]
One Man’s Quest to Discover His Wine Palate Led to Making His Own Wine
Rob Barney, Vintner, Stressed Vines For Rob Barney, Stressed Vines’ Vintner, drinking wine was once a “safe label” choice. He relied on labels, scores and brand name producers. In 2014, he decided it was time to expand and be more adventurous. Little did he know that would take him down a path of making his own […]
Sonoma: A Day of Diversity at Arista, Passalacqua, Skipstone and Scherrer Wineries: But the Heart of Sonoma Remains Aligned
Our wine trip continued in Sonoma where we spent time at four places– Arista, Passalacqua, Skipstone and Scherrer Wineries. What I loved about Sonoma was my time there showcased the diversity of this region from winemaking styles to customer experience to the philosophy in their tasting rooms. Our first Sonoma stop was […]
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 […]
The Fine Line of My Sample Wines: A Global Snapshot of My Third Quarter Favorites
It’s time for another sample round up and I found that a theme emerged for me this quarter. I either completely loved them completely or I didn’t. This time, a much lower percentage than usual of the wines that I tried made the cut. But the ones that I loved, I really loved. I hope […]
Murrieta’s Well: Legacy Built on Iconic Vines Maintained Grape-By-Grape
I recently had my second opportunity to taste with Robbie Meyer from Murrieta’s Well, one of Livermore Valley’s most iconic wineries. My first time was online during a Snooth tasting with Snooth’s Chief Taster Mark Angelillo, and Robbie, where we tasted six wines. Click here for more info. This time I had the pleasure of […]