Californian Wines
Photo from Cain winery

Cain and persistence through ashes

by  |  11-07-2024

I was seeing my family for Christmas in 2021, but I was also seeing the harsh realities of making wine in California in these modern times. A light rain misted the road as I arrived... more »

A book review of, the “Slow Wine Guide USA 2024”

by  |  22-04-2024

And so arrives the newest release of the Slow Wine Guide USA 2024. For those unfamiliar with the whole "Slow" brand, to rewind a bit, Slow Food was founded in 1986 by Carlo Petrini to... more »

Ridge Buchignani Ranch Carignane 2018

by  |  05-04-2024

I don’t understand why Carignan is so polemic. Anyone who’s a regular reader of this site knows that I’m a huge fan of the variety as shown with the large Carignan tasting I did awhile... more »
Grgich in October, 2008 at his winery, thus the pumpkin theme.

Mike Grgich / Miljenko Grgić

by  |  18-12-2023

Two notable humans reached a century of existence this year, only to then depart from this crazy world. But, despite this tenuous link of both living to 100 years of age, I would however posit... more »

Ridge – Frediani Valdiguié 2021

by  |  25-09-2023

When I was still working for a winery in Napa Valley many years ago now, my mom asked me, “Hey, what ever happened to Gamay Beaujolais? That was one of my favorite Napa wines, but... more »
Photo by Fiddlehead Cellars

A taste of Fiddlehead & talk with Kathy Joseph

by  |  27-04-2022

If you work in the wine trade, Fiddlehead Cellars is very much a known entity. As one of the founding wineries of Sta. Rita Hills AVA in Southern California, winemaker Kathy Joseph and her wines... more »

The wines of Petaluma Gap AVA 2022

by  |  08-03-2022

Napa Valley has long-claimed the wealth of headlines about California wine. The irony in this is that it produces but 4% of all wine in California each year. Sonoma County to the west of Napa... more »

Revisiting an urban favorite: Broc Cellars

by  |  15-02-2022

Back in 2011, I was spending a good deal of time at a local San Francisco bar called, Koko Cocktails. Beyond enjoying a drink, my reasons for this were twofold. Number one with a bullet... more »
Photo from Tablas Creek

A taste and talk with Tablas Creek

by  |  03-02-2022

The first time I visited Paso Robles was in the early summer of 1994. I’d just graduated rom high school and found myself in possession of a car that was too fast for my age.... more »

A visit to Vine Hill Ranch

by  |  21-01-2022

When talking about vineyards in Napa Valley, inevitably one name will always come up: To-Kalon. Known for being the source of many sought-after wines and more infamously for being the source of protracted legal battles... more »