Wishing you the joys of the season!

IT’S FINE I’M FINE EVERYTHING IS FINE! Well, here we are smack dab in the holiday season! While Solstice, Hanukah, and Christmas may be past, the days are getting longer, we’re in the 12 Days of Christmas, plus Kwanzaa, AND New Year’s Eve is on the horizon! Not to mention Continue reading →

Loveblock’s Pinot Noir

Some gatherings are large and some are small– especially when it comes to holiday gatherings! Sometimes you may be planning on two or three people and suddenly there’s five or six or more. That’s where an expandable cheeseboard, a salad, and something special like family style sliced duck breasts with mushroom rice pilaf served in a roasted squash come to play with wine with screw tops from New Zealand’s Loveblock winery: a Pinot Noir from Otago in the southern part of the South Island and a bottle of their Sauvignon Blanc Tee.  Continue reading →

Cantina Sociale di Quistello Lambrusco “80 Vendemmie” Rosso di Quistello I.G.P.

“Hey, we’re in the area, should we come by?” We all know these phone calls– or the knock on the door– and as happy as we are to have the unexpected guests, what to serve? An unexpected wine! Sure you can probably put together a cheese platter and open a bottle of wine, but we have another sparkling idea: LAMBRUSCO and PIZZA.  Continue reading →

Lodi’s Organic Bokisch Vineyards Sparkling Albarino and Rosado Paired with Turkey and Trimmings

What’s the best way to brighten up the dark days of winter? Sparkling organic wine, of course! And you’ll be happy to know that if you have both a rosado as well on the table, you’ll have a wine that works from a greeter wine to a dinner of turkey and all the way to apple pie. Continue reading →

Special Wines for Special Occasions: Champagne!

For winophiles like me, it’s exciting to find a special bottle of wine for a special occasion. We all have our favorite sources, and we know who we can trust with recommendations. We love going and perusing the bottles and learning more about the wines inside, imagining the pleasures within, especially when we see the Demeter insignia on the labeling indicating that the wine is certified biodynamic. Sue and I love Point du Chene in Ojai which has a nice selection of organic and biodynamic wines made by small producers, and here in Midtown Ventura near my home, there’s a new wine store specializing in natural wine that I look forward to visiting. In Los Angeles, Sliver Lake Wine has a great selection of interesting wines while Wine House LA seems to have everything.   

But sometimes, we’re already on our way to the special occasion gathering when the call comes with a request: “Can you stop by the store and get some Champagne?” Continue reading →

3 Maipo Valley Cabs vs 3 Napa Valley Cabs

Looking for a Cab for Christmas? You’ve probably considered a Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa but what about one from Chile’s Maipo Valley? And what about pairing a Cab or two with a festive meal that’s easy on the eyes, the wallet, and the effort in the kitchen like this Cabernet Sauvignon Braised Pomegranate Pot Roast which we have a recipe for you below? And Kathy’s No Damn Mayo Waldorf goes great with these Cabernet too; Continue reading →