From the Outside, Looking In
For most of my life I have felt like an outsider looking in. Not way outside, because I am pretty good at standing on the edge of the circle and looking like I belong. The problem is, I just never ...
Only You Can Prevent Vegetable Abuse
Vegetables often get a very bad name. Sometimes it is deserved, but more often than not it's your fault. Yes, your fault! Mine too. Here's one half of the problem; people like me make fun of vegetables, and probably even more ...
Celebrate 2015 with a Host of Bubbles and Sparklers!
Salud! Cin-Cin! 干杯 Skål! Santé! ΥΓΕΙΑ! Živjeli! Prost! What better way to say "Cheers" than with Champagne and sparkling wines from around the world! What makes a wine "sparkling?" Sparkling wine is different from "still" wine in that it contains ...
Handwritten 2011 Stags Leap Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Decadently dark and sultry with aromas of black currant, cassis, tobacco and leather, the 2011 Handwritten Stags Leap Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon boasts seductive flavors of blackberry, smoked cherries, and offers virile tannins that suggests an executive boardroom tryst. We tasted this one along ...
Holiday Gifts for Wine Lovers
If you are like me, you purchased your holiday gifts months ago. But if you are more excited by the idea of last-minute gift giving, you started shopping yesterday, and are ready to pay a premium for shipping. Looking for the perfect ...
The “F” Word and Mother Nature’s Lady Parts: VINTAGE 2014
If you think you know what someone means when she says "the 'F' Word," you probably have not spent much time with a winemaker. Talk of Lady parts and Mother Nature's ass -- it was not quite was I expected ...
Cornerstone Oregon 2012 Willamette Valley Chardonnay
Lemon zest, whipped pineapple, slate and toasted vanilla on the nose, the straw-hued 2012 Cornerstone Oregon Willamette Valley Chardonnay tastes of Meyer lemons, vanilla and a tiny hint of plantain. Crisp acidity balanced with a creamy malo mid palate and ...
Cornerstone Cellars 2011 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
An incredible steak companion, the Cornerstone Cellars 2011 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon vastly exceeds expectations in a vintage that challenged other wineries. No challenge here. A beautiful wine that hints at Bordeaux but delivers California. Opulent dark fruit aromas with notes ...
Vineyard Writing Retreats offered for Winter/Spring 2015
If you are a writer like me, you need peace and tranquility to do your best work. A beautiful view is an added bonus. If you are looking for a retreat where you can put pen to paper so-to-speak, Writing ...
Santa Barbara wineries to premier Vintage 2014 films with Dec 10th Twitter Tasting
Nearly a year in the making, Kickstarter project Vintage 2014 is set to premier three short films online Wednesday, December 10 with a live simultasting of wines from growers and wineries featured in the eagerly anticipated documentary. Wine bloggers, food writers ...
- Handwritten 2011 Stags Leap Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Decadently dark and sultry with aromas of black currant, cassis, tobacco and leather, the 2011 Handwritten Stags Leap Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon boasts seductive flavors of blackberry, smoked cherries, and offers virile tannins that suggests an executive boardroom tryst. We tasted this one along ...
- Cornerstone Oregon 2012 Willamette Valley Chardonnay
Lemon zest, whipped pineapple, slate and toasted vanilla on the nose, the straw-hued 2012 Cornerstone Oregon Willamette Valley Chardonnay tastes of Meyer lemons, vanilla and a tiny hint of plantain. Crisp acidity balanced with a creamy malo mid palate and ...
- Cornerstone Cellars 2011 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
An incredible steak companion, the Cornerstone Cellars 2011 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon vastly exceeds expectations in a vintage that challenged other wineries. No challenge here. A beautiful wine that hints at Bordeaux but delivers California. Opulent dark fruit aromas with notes ...
- Fortant de France 2012 Coast Select Muscat
The 2012 Fortant de France Muscat Vin de Pays d'Oc Coast Select is an aromatic white from the South of France. A nose of apples, rose petals and honeysuckle leads to flavors reminiscent of Star jasmine, Fuji apples and orange ...
- Cornerstone Oregon 2011 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Vibrant ruby in color, with a luscious nose of strawberries, blackberries and rhubarb; a whiff of white pepper and a hint of patchouli. This 2011 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir White Label from Cornerstone Cellars, Gaston, Oregon offers flavors of black ...
- Review: Goldwater 2012 Pinot Noir (Marlborough, NZ)
Bright and delicate with none of those wet leaves' flavors that often overpower some pinots, this Goldwater 2012 Pinot Noir hails from the famed Wairau Valley of Marlborough, New Zealand, where winemaker Stuart Marfell grew up "just next door," (if you ...
- Brancott Estate 2013 “Flight Song” Pinot Grigio
Brancott Estate 2013 "Flight Song" Pinot Grigio from Marlborough, New Zealand is a bit of a surprise. A color of pale young straw and a nose of pear, lemon citrus with a hint of kiwi, it is rounder than I ...
- 2008 Château de Camparian Pessac-Léognan
Looking for a wine to pair with a slow-cooked roast? Why not choose a Bordeaux? The 2008 Château de Camparian Pessac-Léognan comes from the northern part Graves, the wine-growing region of Bordeaux classified in 1953. Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) Pessac-Léognan ...
- Black Sears 2010 Estate Howell Mountain Napa Valley Zinfandel
The Black Sears Estate 2010 Napa Valley Zinfandel is one for the ages. Bittersweet chocolate, black raspberry preserves, black pepper, baking spices and dusty sun-dried strawberry on the nose, with a hint of the ceremonial cedar box of warm sake. With Bing ...
- 2011 Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
This 2011 Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon sports a big berry jam, cocoa powder and a barely discernible hint of green pepper on the nose. This is a BIG, BOLD -- but not over-powering -- Cabernet Sauvignon that works well ...
