Oregon Wine Trail In LA: Biodynamic Cooper Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

Did you know that Oregon has the most certified sustainable vineyard land of any major U.S. wine growing state? That’s why Oregon is justifiably well known for sustainable farming AND winemaking practices including organic and biodynamic wines like Cooper Mountain Vineyards and Troon Vineyards in southern Oregon which we wrote about last year (Vermintino in May) and Malbec in February.

It’s pretty simple actually: great wine starts with great land — land that is healthy and full of life!

Today Tuesday, April 24, Sue and I will be tasting lots of Oregon wine in Los Angeles at the Line Hotel on 3515 Wilshire. Continue reading →

Toast Earth Day With Biodynamic Sparkling Wines from Roederer and Johan

For your Earth Day toasting pleasure, may we suggest two biodynamic wines from the US?

Today, April 22, 2018, is Earth Day. First designated in 1970 following a number of ecological crisis related to industrial development and pollution, Earth Day called attention to the plight of the planet and led to changes in laws and practices including the development of the Environmental Protection Agency, the passage of the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, and more important legislation in the United States.

This year Earth Day will be celebrated in 192 countries and by a billion people around the world, with many focused on this year’s theme of ending plastic pollution, Continue reading →

Picpoul Goes Southern Style with Shrimp and Grits

 

Not too familiar with Picpoul? We’re not either but we’re learning!

After two outings in two months with this zesty, racy grape, we’re fast fans of this super acidic grape that is one of the thirteen allowed blending grapes in the Rhone’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Picpoul is also grown south of the Rhone in the Languedoc region, where it is one of the oldest domestic grape varieties.  Because of its susceptibility to fungal diseases like powdery mildew and because it is low yielding, it fell out of favor,

But it is starting to show up in California thanks to Tablas Creek’s connections. Continue reading →

Organic Argentina Gaia for Earth Month with Locro

Happy Earth Month (April!), Earth Week (this one!) and Earth Day (Sunday!)!

How are YOU celebrating the Earth this month? Not sure?

Well, we have a few ideas (SURPRISE!) here on Wine Predator. Today’s post focuses on organic wine from Argentina’s  organic Domaine Bousquet “Gaia” brand paired with a vegetarian South American menu. Continue reading →

Wines to help you through the tax season

April 15 aka Tax Day, has come and gone!  Did you get your taxes done in time?

Fortunately, this year, because Tax Day April 15 is a Sunday, and because Washington DC celebrates Emancipation Day with a holiday on Monday April 16, this year, like last year and the year before,

we all have a reprieve until Tuesday April 17.

Continue reading →

#WinePW: Along “The Way” with Wine and Food from Navarra Spain

Navarra is an up and coming wine region in Northern Spain located in the western part of the Pyrenees Mountains that form a natural boundary between France and Spain with the Basque mountains further to the West. Navarra butts up against France to the north and to the south is Rioja, famous for Tempranillo. Continue reading →

Wine from Navarra: Preview of #WinePW Camino plus Ochoa Reserva

This month, the Wine Pairing Weekend crew become Pilgrims on a sacred journey this April to Navarra, Spain, home to the Camino de Santiago as well as a cuisine that pairs heavenly with the region’s wines! Here’s the invitation to participate.

The famous “Way” travels from many points in Europe with most of them converging in Navarra, Spain, the focus of this month’s Wine Pairing Weekend which includes posts published this Saturday April 14 and a twitter chat that morning at 8am PST.

Navarra’s history is intertwined with the Camino de Santiago which leads to the shrine of St. James the Apostle in Santiago de Compostela, located about 400 walking miles to west, in the coastal province of Galicia, home to Albarino (read about nine meals to pair with Albarino). Pilgrims returned from the Camino bearing stories about the wonderful wine in Navarra; Rioja, just west of Navarra, became famous this way also (read about two from Rioja).

Read more about these two Garnacha from Navarra in the invite post.

Please join us as we explore this region of Spain; food ideas here. Many of us received a variety of samples from Wines of Navarra for which we are grateful. To prepare us further, Sue and I opened a sample of a 2008 Ochoa Reserva from a single vineyard which we paired with osso bucco.  Read on to learn more!

What did the Wine Pairing Weekend Pilgrims do with Navarra Wine?
Here’s a preview of the posts you can expect to find by Saturday morning, April 14:

Continue reading →