Several days ago we opened a very special bottle of wine: Colmant Absolu Zero Dosage NV. Peter eased the cork from the bottle and poured both of us a glass. As we watched the bubbles rise in our glasses many fond memories of visiting Colmant Cap Classique & Champagne in South Africa’s Franschhoek Valley came back to us. There is […]
For some reason I have always had it in my mind that 100 percent varietal wines should receive more respect than blended wines. Maybe because the varietal name appears on the label as opposed to red or white blend. Or maybe it’s because, from a non-winemaker’s point of view, it appears varietal wines are more challenging to make because the […]
Portugal’s Alentejo wine region is a warm one. João Barroso, Director of Sustainability for Wines of Alentejo Sustainability Program (WASP), recently told a group of wine media and writers during a teleconference that the region routinely experiences some of the warmest temperatures in Europe. It is also prone to drought. These factors coupled with climate change prompted the region’s wineries […]
It’s Friday and that means it’s time to plan for the weekend. Like many of you we will spend time working around the house, in the yard and relaxing. Today we have three wines that will take you from relaxing after your work week on Friday, to chilling after house and yard work on Saturday and finish the weekend with […]
We’re sipping more white wine than usual this time of year and Flora Springs has us covered with several recent releases that hit the spot. And Merlot is always a welcome red wine even in summer. We received these wines as tasting samples. Flora Springs is a name that is familiar to most wine enthusiasts who are at all familiar […]
Today we’re sipping a collection of wines from beverage entrepreneur Ron Rubin, which we received as tasting samples. In 2011 he purchased River Road Family Vineyards and Winery in Green Valley and established Ron Rubin Winery where he makes the Ron Rubin and River Road lines of wine. Ron’s path to winery ownership was not a direct one, but it […]
Before we visited Tyrrell’s Wines in October 2019, as part of the Wine Media Conference held in the Hunter Valley, I didn’t have a full appreciation for the history behind the winery. But standing beside the ironbark slab hut built by Edward Tyrrell, when he settled 320 acres along the Brokenback Range at Pokolbin in 1858, brought that history alive. […]
Any wine lover familiar with Sonoma wine will know the Benziger name. I most closely associate the name with Benziger Family Winery and their commitment to sustainable, organic and biodynamic viticulture. The winery recently celebrated 20 years of Demeter Biodynamic® certification. Joe is one of several Benziger siblings who with their father and brother Mike founded Benziger Family Winery in […]
Vermentino is a grape variety lovers of crisp, white wines should get to know well. Especially this time of year. William Allen makes a delightful version at his Two Shepherds winery that in addition to having plenty of refreshing acidity has loads of flavor. 2019 Two Shepherds Vermentino Windmill Vineyards, Yolo County — pale yellow in the glass with generous […]
Today we’re sipping three wines that will pair as nicely with time spent sitting in the shade on a warm afternoon as they would with summer salads, light pasta dishes or grilled chicken for supper. All are easy on the pocketbook and offer a taste of several varieties you might not have in your usual wine rotation. We received these […]
We enjoy wine, food and travel. Pull That Cork is a chronicle of our wine adventures, the food and wine pairings we create and our travels which are increasingly organized around wine.