What are your favorite, tried and true pairings for Sauvignon Blanc no matter where in the world the wine comes from? We love salads!
What are your favorite, tried and true pairings for Sauvignon Blanc no matter where in the world the wine comes from?
After Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc is certainly one of the most popular white wines in the world— whether it comes from its original home in France where it is most known in the Loire and in Bordeaux, or in the New World where it has made a name for itself in New Zealand as well as in California, plus Chile and Argentina! Each terroir and winemaker offers a different spin, but you can count on Sauv Blanc to be a zesty, refreshing delicious drink before or with dinner with notes of citrus like grapefruit, herbs, and gooseberry (sometimes referred to as “cat pee”!) Usually made in stainless tanks, winemakers tend to avoid masking its fresh flavors with oak.
Sauv Blanc pairings include calamari and pesto pasta
Here’s a menu of our favorites for Sauvignon Blanc— and six wines to consider for pairings to celebrate Sauvignon Blanc held the first Friday of May! Continue reading →
The final Friday in April is designated Viognier Day by organizers Yalumba in Australia. In 2026, Sue and I paired Viognier from France with seared scallops with beurre rouge in advance, then I opened and shared one from Yalumba plus wines from Regenerative Organic Certified Le Cuvier as well as enjoying a glass of Eberle at Sensorio in Paso Robles the night before.
April 17 is the day in 1853 that Argentina committed to finding the best vines to grow in their unique terror. The wine best known as coming from Argentina these days? Malbec! Which is why Wines of Argentina (WofA) chose April 17 as Malbec World Day in 2011 to raise awareness of the grape and promote it globally. And we are celebrating with two Malbec from Kaiken paired with Argentine style burgers!
Wine Predator toasting the Pacific sunset with Roederer sparkling wine and friends at a beach BBQ March 2026; photo by Steve Zambrano
Not an April Fool’s joke– I am once again a finalist for a Wine Travel Award in the Food and Wine Influencer category “The Brightest Journey” thanks to votes from fans, friends, and family! While I haven’t heard yet from organizers via an official email, the votes are clear that I’m a finalist. UPDATE April 3: it’s official! The email came today including an invite for a press trip in Bourgogne!
organic Domaine Bousquet wines for Pi Day + Women’s History Month
Pizza pie? Pumpkin pie? Pecan pie? Pi Pie? Which pie for you this Pi Day– paired with which wine? Yes you can pair wine with pie— just make sure the wine is not sweeter than the dessert and it will work! Try sweet pies with port or sauterne or another dessert wine. Savory pies like quiche or this squash pie that Sue came up with work well with white, rose and even red wines as we found (read more below). Last year we did a quiche with wines produced by a Princess! Read more here. Less sweet pies like the fruit puff pastry pie that Sue created also work well with a range of wines.
Since Pi Day is March 14 aka 3.14, and March is Women’s History Month, this year we are pairing a savory squash, kale, feta, bacon pie with wines from Domaine Bousquet where Anne Bousquet is at the helm leading the way toward producing organic and now more and more biodynamic wines in high altitude Argentina. Continue reading →
I’m honored to share that I have been nominated once again for a Wine Travel Award! This is my third nomination in the Category of Food and Wine Influencer. I was a finalist my first two years, and with your help, I will be one of the top five finalists again this year. All you have to do is click this link and vote for me. It’s super easy!
Santa Maria Valley’s Clarissa Nagy of Riverbench Vineyard and Winery
How will you celebrate International Women’s Day today and Women’s History Month? Tonight we’re having babe made bubbles with spot prawns and scallops with uni butter, and yesterday I attended the Women Winemakers & Culinarians Foundation fundraiser and tasting at 27 Vines in Santa Ynez with bubbles and bottles made by women in the Central Coast! So many great wines, many of them natural, and most of them certified organic or sustainably sourced or grown. And the food! So much yum and fun in the sun! What a great start to the month! Continue reading →
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 