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 →
Sauvignon Blanc Wines from 4 countries with pairings
I was at lunch with my friend Jodi at Paradise Pantry in Downtown Ventura many years ago. I was painstakingly perusing the wines list, trying to decide on a flight or a glass or… and what was I going to eat and how would it pair… all the usual for me. She’s decided already, and quickly so I asked. “Oh, I’m ordering sauvignon Blanc,” she replied. “I always do. It’s always good and it always goes with what I want to eat– salads and seafood.” Continue reading →
Chalk Hill Sauv Blanc and halibut pesto with beans
Spring is in the air everywhere signaling that it’s time for Sauvignon Blanc with Sauvignon Blanc Day coming up each year on the first Friday of the month of May, and celebrated with events all weekend all over the world! We have two days of wines and pairings, with four wines from around the world tomorrow, and today, two from Sonoma’s Chalk Hill which is celebrating over 50 years of wine making, including iconic Sauvignon Blanc! Continue reading →
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 