Author: Nancy (CSW)

Spanish Valentine wines featured photo

Sipping Cava and Sherry for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, so if you haven’t already made a plan now is the time to do so. To aid you in planning your celebration we are sharing three Spanish wines today, all were sent to us as tasting samples, that will get you off to a delicious start and then finish your evening with something sweet. We […]

Vintage Longbottom featured photo

Vintage Longbottom: A Taste of Persistence

We were recently introduced to the wines of Vintage Longbottom, made by Kim and Margo Longbottom in South Australia, when we received several wines as tasting samples. We opened the two white wines and tasted them without knowing anything about the winery or how they were made. When I went looking for background on the wines and Vintage Longbottom, I […]

Experience the Hess Collection Winery

Hess Collection Winery sits above Napa Valley on Mount Veeder. The drive to Hess from Napa takes you through residential neighborhoods that eventually give way to mountain forest. As the winding road narrows the sights and smells of forest replace those of Napa’s valley floor and it is no longer obvious you’re in wine country. Once you arrive at the […]

Alessandro Viola Sinfonia de Grillo

Today’s cellar note takes us to one of our favorite vacation spots…Sicily. The prospect of sipping this delightful Grillo took me back to Sicily’s rolling hills covered with a combination of olive trees, vineyards, pastures and picturesque rural towns. It brought back memories of open-air markets, Baroque churches and arancini. Now I’m longing to return. A quick review of the […]

Garofoli featured photo

A Return to Marche and Garofoli Wines

It’s always fun to revisit newer vintages of wines that we have tasted in the past. It’s an opportunity to evaluate a winery’s continuing quality and I always hope to taste the nuances that can come with a new vintage – though this can be a stretch for me. It’s also an opportunity to impress upon my tasting memory the […]

Kay Brothers Amery Vineyard Block 6 Shiraz

Today we are enjoying a taste of Australian wine history. It isn’t every day one has the opportunity to taste wine made from Shiraz planted in 1891 and made by the same family whose ancestors planted those vines, but that is the story of Kay Brothers Amery Vineyard Block 6 Shiraz. We received this wine as a tasting sample. Herbert […]

Celebrating Biodynamic Wines with Benziger Family Winery

The Benziger name is one you likely associate with wine in Sonoma County. You might even know the Benziger family made a commitment to sustainable, organic and biodynamic viticultural practices in Sonoma long before the ideas were fashionable. Today we are tasting two Benziger Estate wines that are Demeter-certified Biodynamic® and celebrate the family’s dedication to biodynamic viticulture and winemaking. […]

A Taste of Navarra Wines

Today we’re taking a quick trip to northern Spain’s Navarra DO (Denominación de Origen) situated south of the the Pyrenees Mountains. The region is known for its bright rosé wines, a small amount of white wine and predominantly red wines made using Tempranillo and Garnacha along with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. These are wines for every season to serve with […]

Champagne for the Holidays and Beyond

My obsession with holiday sparkling wine is, well, bubbling over today with three champagnes. I’ve saved the champagne for last because it’s the standard against which all other sparkling wine is judged and that makes it very special. We received these champagnes as tasting samples. Champagne Boizel Brut Réserve NV — medium yellow in the glass with generous fine bubbles. […]

Just Say Prosecco Please

I never need a reason (excuse) to enjoy a glass of bubbles. We often have a bottle open in our house, but I do admit to enjoying sparkling wine a little more often as the holidays approach. I’m betting I am not alone. Today we’re sharing a group of Prosecco from Mionetto that will serve you well throughout the holidays […]