James Downes met us in the tasting cottage at Shannon Vineyards on a crisp spring morning. The cottage was James’ home in his bachelor days and looks out over a beautiful garden, vineyards and waterway. All of it had been washed clean by early-morning rains. Click on individual photographs in galleries to view. Close to return to the post. Shannon […]
I usually spend September in denial about the end of summertime. By the time October rolls around I’ve come to terms with fall and actually look forward to a change of seasons. Thanks to Kenwood Vineyards that transition has been especially easy, and delicious, this year. We received a group of wines as tasting samples that perfectly bridged the change […]
Flora Springs in Napa Valley’s St. Helena goes all out for Halloween and with good reason. Their beautiful stone winery is considered one of Napa’s ghost wineries, which means it was built between 1860 and 1900, was abandoned for a time and then rescued and renovated to become part of the modern winery at Flora Springs. Today we’re getting in […]
The story of Soliloquy, a Sauvignon Blanc clone unique to Flora Springs and a wine of the same name made using those grapes, is a story of family and perseverance. California Wine Month is the perfect time to tell it’s tale. We received this wine as a tasting sample. Flora Springs Winery is a family-owned winery that sits at the […]
September is California Wine Month, a time to celebrate the outstanding quality of wines made in the Golden State. Today we are celebrating with two wines from Legacy, a winery that is part of the portfolio of wines from Jackson Family Wines. They are a perfect example of quality California wines and we received both as tasting samples. Jess Jackson […]
Did you know June 10 is Portugal Day? I didn’t until receiving an invitation to gather with a group of wine writers and wine industry professionals to celebrate the Portuguese holiday with Esporão wines. Portugal Day is a public holiday celebrated in Portugal that commemorates Porgugal’s beloved poet Luís de Camões who died on June 10, 1580 in Lisboa. In […]
Today we are sipping something a bit different for us – vermouth. We recently tasted a vermouth crafted in California and two made in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. Both are infused with botanicals and fortified, but they taste very different. We received both as tasting samples. I used to think of vermouth as exclusively an ingredient in cocktails, I […]
Today we are happy to be sipping Cabernet Sauvignon from Concannon Vineyard in California’s Livermore Valley and celebrating #CabernetDay. Yes, it’s another of those wine days! We enjoyed grilled lamb burgers and a burrata salad with tomatoes and basil along side this bright Cabernet, which we received as a tasting sample. The days have become noticeably shorter – sunrise is getting […]
Today’s cellar note takes us to the country of Georgia on the eastern shore of the Black Sea. Georgia lies south of Russia and north of Turkey and Armenia. Azerbaijan lies to the east. This is a region with an ancient history of winemaking dating back at least 8,000 years. Along with that history comes the qvevri, a large, oval […]
Argentine winery Domaine Bousquet continues to make outstanding wines using certified organic grapes in Tupungato, Uco Valley, Argentina. Two of the wines in this group are part of Domaine Bousquet’s Premium Varietals line of wines made using organic fruit from estate and purchased from vineyards in the Uco Valley. The third wine is one of two wines in the Virgen […]
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.