Category Archives: adventures in wine

Champagne Day 2024 with a Couple of Seniors: La Grande Dame b. 1979 and Nicolas Feuillatte b. 2005

1979 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin La Grande Dame and 2005 Nicolas Feuillatte

When I saw a bottle of 1979 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin La Grande Dame at a neighborhood garage sale, I noticed right away that the level of liquid on the bottle was well below the cork– NOT a good sign! You want to see the the bottle is pretty full so that the liquid touches the cork. But I figured for the right price it would make a good story. When he said Continue reading →

Surprise! Italy Wins RVF’s 2024 World Wine Tasting Championship!

On Saturday, October 12, Château Dauzac in Margaux France hosted the 12th World Wine Tasting Championship sponsored by French wine magazine, La Revue du Vin de France. Italy made a surprising win by a huge margin of  28 points over Switzerland and Taiwan who tied for second place with 140 points. Japan came close with 138 points.

Looking for the 2025 results? Look here.

A record breaking total of 39 teams traveled from around the world to compete. Team USA came in Continue reading →

Fall 4 Biodynamic Oregon Wines: Brooks Riesling, Cowhorn Viognier, Troon Rose, Montinore PN + Menu

4 Biodynamic Oregon Wines with pairings: duck breast with blueberry sauce, fall salad, squash and mushroom risotto

We’re falling for biodynamic wines from Oregon this autumn paired with a fall menu of favorites. We have four very different but all stellar wines from four wineries that have been leading the United States in biodynamic and organic practices. Bonus: Continue reading →

Getting Extradimensional with Hardy Wallace: Yeah!

Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah! Wines with light bites

Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah! founder Hardy Wallace says that wine is like a spaceship that takes you beyond the known universe to places you can’t wait to talk about. So as the sunsets on California Wine Month, I’m getting extra dimensional — what better way but to celebrate with truly out of this world wines from Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah! Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah! wines aim to supply pure California Energy to those who wish to imbibe beyond the known universe. Continue reading →

It’s Grenache Day! Staysail Grenache Blanc + 2021, 2020 Grenache Noir with Oysters, Peach Burrata Salad, Butter Lamb Curry

Staysail Grenache Wines

I discovered super small Sonoma County Staysail at the silent auction for the Garagiste Festival in Sonoma…or Glendale! I bid on the lot of six wines– two Grenache Blanc plus two of two vintages of Grenache Noir thinking even then that it would make a great Grenache Day post if I won the lot– which I did! Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to stop at his table to meet winemaker Matt McDermaid — or taste his wines– until I got home, and Sue and I tasted the wines for Grenache Day paired with oysters, a grilled Peach Burrata Salad, and Butter Lamb Curry with turban squash chickpeas. yum! Scroll down for all the details! And happy Grenache Day! 

While Grenache is one of the top wine grapes grown around the world, there’s less than 4,500 acres of it grown in California– down from 20,000 acres in the 1970s when it was grown in the Central Valley and used for bulk wine. Compare that number to Cabernet Sauvignon in California which has 95,000 acres right now in the Golden State according to 2021 USDA data and which made up 15% of the 2022 crush. Continue reading →

Let’s Go Grenache! Dave Phinney’s D66 from Cotes Catalanes France with Lamb Chops #Winophiles

Grenache from Dave Phinney Orin Swift D66 with lamb chops

With Grenache Day next Friday Sept. 20. the French Winophiles are going with Grenache; scroll down for links. So how I could say no? I love Grenache whether it’s blanc or noir or rose!

So I hit the cellar Continue reading →

Central California Rhône Whites Equal Summer Delights: Wines from Bolt To, Four Brix, Tablas Creek Paired with Sable Fish and Capers, Anchovy Fritters and Caesar Salad

CA Rhône Whites Equal Summer Delights:

Did you know that California has almost 90k acres of Chardonnay– the most popular white wine in the world? Coming in second is Sauvignon blanc with less than 17k acres. What about white grapes originally from the Rhône region of France planted in California? Not so many! There’s only 2.5k acres of Viognier, 620 acres of Grenache blanc, and 150 acres of Vermentino grown in California according to the California Wine Institute. If you add in miscellaneous rows of Rhône white grapes, it’s unlikely that there’s much more than 4k total. No surprise Americans are more familiar with Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc than Viognier and other white grapes from the Rhône region– an area of southern France where red grapes like Syrah and Grenache are better known and more widely grown (stay tuned and subscribe for Grenache Day in September!)