Mela Breaks Barriers in Wine
The story of Mela is a non-traditional one of breaking barriers. Let’s start with the story of the owners – four black women with a passion for wine who had to learn the business from the ground up, build credibility and launch a brand. Mela was founded by Ryann Casey, […]
Drink the Good Stuff in 2022
In 2022, I enter my twelfth year of blogging and post for the 659th time. Today we ponder yet another year of uncertainties. I remember sitting in a neighbor’s lawn drinking wine with our outdoor chairs, sanitary wipes, and social distancing in March of 2020 where we all tried to gauge […]
My Personal Equity Report Card
It’s been around a year since I posted what I am calling “my accountability challenge” to feature more black and women winemakers on my blog. So much has happened since then. Key changes have occurred in our behavior (good and bad), how we engage socially and how technology has become key […]
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 […]
Cornerstone Cellars’ Winemaker Kari Auringer: Blending Passion and Kindness
Kari Auringer didn’t set out to use her creativity and craftsmanship to make wine at Cornerstone Cellars. Her initial thought, after college graduation in 1981, was that she was cold – very cold – and packed up her Z28 Camero with the goal of move from Wisconsin to anyplace […]
Seven Expressions of One Grape
Theresa Heredia, Winemaker of Gary Farrell Winery, Courtesy of Gary Farrell Winery Pinot Noir is a grape that is not known for being easy. As Natasha Hughes, MW, once said, “When Pinot producers get it right, the wines have it all: gorgeous aromatics, silky texture, bright acidity and supple tannins. What’s […]
San Diego – A Region with a Bit of Wild West, A Bit Mad Scientist, But with a Mission to Make Serious Wine
San Diego Wine Country – It’s a juxtaposition of the first wine region in America. It’s a bit Wild West. A bit mad scientist lab. A bit of a pioneering community. It’s exciting and unexpected. It’s underrated and in desperate need of branding. Finally, it’s one of the most interesting regions that I’ve explored in […]