Pais means country in Spanish, and in Chile, it also signifies a rustic red grape. Ampelographers believe Pais the grape, along with the Criolla Grande grape of Argentina and the Mission grape of California, are descended from the “common black grape” brought to Mexico in 1520 by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. Along with Spanish missionaries, the grape spread throughout the Americas; my grandfather planted the Mission grape in his yard in the Mission town of San BuenaVentura hoping to make wine from it. In Chile, the Pais grape was an important wine grape until the late 20th and early 21st centuries when Bordeaux wine varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon became more prominent. In the 1940s, Cinsault brought color and structure to wines made with País. Continue reading →
The Greek God of Wine Dionysus learned the art of the vine in a lush land full of fruit trees and vineyards called Nysa. Oregon’s Nysa seeks to recreate the Nysa of Dionysus. This earthly paradise of Nysa located at 600-720′ elevation in the Dundee Hills practices dry farming, avoids chemical pesticides, uses organic fertilizer made from manure, hay, and grape must, and densely spaces vines on 33 acres to concentrate flavor in their 3500-4500 cases per vintage. The remaining 11 acres consist of oak savannah and fields that allow animals to migrate. Grapes are sold to famed vintners such as Ken Wright, Harry Peterson Nedry, Kelley Fox, Josh Bergstrom, and Mike Etzel Jr. Continue reading →
On May 24, 1976, 47 years ago, the Paris Wine Tasting aka the Judgment of Paris, set California wines free or disrespect by determining that select California Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon compare favorably with those from France. Continue reading →
2021 Thaya Chardonnay, Moravia, Czech Republic
On May 24, 1976, 47 years ago, the Paris Wine Tasting aka the Judgment of Paris, set California wines free or disrespect by determining that select California Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon compare favorably with those from France. Continue reading →
Happy Mother’s Day! Today we honor Susan Sokol Blosser, and suggest a Mother’s Day pairing of takeout Thai with the 2020 Sokol Blosser Evolution Lucky No. 9 White for all the hard working moms out there. Because while moms may enjoy cooking, sometimes it’s nice to have Thai takeout and a bottle of nice yet affordable wine when the schedule gets too busy and intense.
Why Susan Sokol Blosser and this wine? Back in 1998, when people didn’t believe that anyone could grow Pinot Noir or Chardonnay in Willamette Valley, Susan Sokol Blosser did– and now May celebrates Oregon Wine Month with plenty of great Oregon Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (read more here)! That took some mothering! With a deep reverence for the environment, Susan led the efforts for Sokol Blosser in Dundee Oregon to get B Corp-certified– more mothering for planet and people. Continue reading →
CA’s Livermore: McGrail, Murrieta’s Well, Steven Kent
Napa may be California’s most famous and best known wine region, but California’s commercial wine industry actually began elsewhere– in warm interior valleys like Cucamonga east of Los Angeles and Livermore east of Oakland in Alameda County. While the padres first planted grapes in the 1760s to make sacramental wine using the labor of enslaved native Americans, immigrants settling in California planted vines first for their own use, and then for commercial use. Robert Livermore in Livermore Valley led the way in the 1840s followed by pioneering winemakers like C. H. Wente, James Concannon, and Charles Wetmore who founded their wineries in the early 1880s.
How do you feel about Moscato, the often fizzy, often sweet wine made from the Moscato grape primarily grown in northern Italy that has its day today? For many, it’s a love-hate relationship — people either love it Continue reading →
Cerasuolo from Organic Famiglia Febo and Biodynamic Lunaria with an Abruzzo Inspired Menu
Who wants to go to Abruzzo? Me! Famous for being “green” from the rivers that cut through from the mountains through the hills where the wine grows and down to the Adriatic Sea, Abruzzo has plenty to rave about from food featuring saffron to Montepulciano as a red wine or rose. I’m headed to Abruzzo then Veneto in June after a quick stop in Rome just in time for “Republic Day aka “Festa della Repubblica” which celebrates the day that Italians voted to decide in 1947 NOT to follow a monarchy but to become a republic after the devastation of World War 2. Continue reading →
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 