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 […]
Bourgogne: New Generation, New Sense of Identity
Bourgogne is reclaiming its identity as one of the most iconic regions of France with a return to the original name. In the past, Bourgogne adopted an alternate identity for export markets with the use of the ‘Burgundy’ designation for the English-speaking markets, or Burgund for the German speaking and many other […]
The Italian Selection: Bringing Family Vineyards to Your Door
One of my favorite memories of my time in Italy is finding new, local wines that are well priced and delicious in each region. The question that I posed in every region we visited was “can you recommend your best local wine?” and I was rewarded with a variety of discoveries. […]
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 […]
Exploring the Heritage of Donnachiara
I virtually traveled to a new region and winery in Italy continuing the 2020 alternative to what was once to be an in-person trip earlier in the year. This time it was an introduction to Donnachiara Winery, located in the Irpinia appellation in the Campania region of southern Italy. The winery is […]
You Had Me at Pinot: Exploring Wines of Germany
I didn’t grow up in a wine household. A special occasion was a bottle of Blue Nun on the table, which was my first introduction to German wines. I recently attended a You Had Me at Pinot class exploring the diversity of the grape with a Pinot Gris, two versions of Pinot […]
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 […]
Santa Lucia Highlands Packs a Punch
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, Courtesy of Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Artisans There exists a small, but dynamic, wine region within the Santa Lucia Mountains near Monterey County on California’s Central Coast. Located on Highway 101, between San Francisco and Paso Robles, the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, is only 18 miles long and 22,000 […]
From Prohibition to Pandemic: The Mondavi Family’s History of Reinvention
From Prohibition to Pandemic: Mondavi Family’s History of Reinvention Mondavi Sisters: Alycia, Giovanna, Angelina and Riana, Photo Courtesy of the Mondavi Sisters Sitting down with Angelina and Alycia Mondavi from Aloft Wines and Dark Matter Wines, it is clear they understand that in times of a crisis there is opportunity and a time for reinvention. […]
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 […]