Author: Nancy (CSW)

Tinto Figuero Tempranillo

We took advantage of a cool spell, relatively speaking, to sip some Tinto Fino, aka Tempranillo. These three lovelies offer a comparison of vine age, winemaking and aging from Spain’s Ribera del Duero. We received these wines as tasting samples. Ribera del Duero is a rugged wine region north of Madrid that takes its name from the Duero River, which […]

Mix Up Your Summer Sipping

I don’t know about you, but hot summer temperatures can make me lazy. I prefer to keep food preparation simple and the same applies to summer sipping. Pouring a glass of chilled wine is about as simple as it gets, but it’s also fun to mix things up a bit on occasion. I have a couple of suggestions for refreshing, […]

A World of White Wines for Summer Sipping and Beyond

This is my happy time of year. The days are long, the weather is warm, and I’m including more white wine in my sipping rotation. Today we have five white wines from around the world that are perfect for summer. You may enjoy them so much you’ll want to sip them all year long like I do. We received these […]

Sipping Rosé from Around the World

It might appear that we just can’t get enough rosé and I suppose that’s true. With more rosé choices than ever from wine regions around the world, it is difficult not to be curious about them. Today we have one more group of rosé wines, made using a long list grape varieties, that takes us to Italy, New Zealand, France […]

Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp: The Enchantment of an Ephemeral River

When we began planning our return trip to Namibia with Expert Africa we knew we wanted to include the Skeleton Coast and the impressive dry riverbed of the Hoanib River in our itinerary. We got a brief glimpse of both on our first trip – just enough to make us want to return. The Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp is located […]

Chillin’ With Rosé of Pinot Noir

Our celebration of rosé continues with three rosés of Pinot Noir. Two are made in California and the third in Oregon. All were provided to us as tasting samples and all are part of Jackson Family Wines. How did they know my first love is Pinot Noir? Hot weather has descended upon us this year without much transition from cool, […]

#NationalRoséDay: Time to Drink Pink

The second Saturday in June has been anointed as National Rosé Day. Those of us who love rosé and drink it all year long don’t really need a reminder, but it is great fun to celebrate this delicious pink wine. To celebrate we have a collection of rosé from France, Italy and Spain. All were provided to us as tasting […]

Love the Rosé You’re With

This is my favorite time of year. Our garden is lush and green from a long, wet spring. The azaleas have bloomed and the hydrangeas are about to do the same. And, perhaps most importantly, a new vintage of rosé has been released. Here are six rosés we received as tasting samples that will provide sipping pleasure from now until […]

Sipping Kenwood Vineyards Six Ridges

After a long, wet winter and spring it appears summer may finally have arrived. I hope. That means we’re ready to slip more white wines and lighter red wines into our wine rotation. Kenwood Vineyards sent us two such wines as tasting samples that will be delicious dining companions in the months to come. The Six Ridges line of wines […]

Ranchero Cellars: Fearless Winemaking by Amy Butler

Is it possible for a winemaker to be both pragmatic and fearless at the same time? Or maybe the question should be whether both qualities are a requirement? Pretty quickly after meeting winemaker Amy Butler it was clear to me she is a very practical person. She’s direct and grounded and also has a keen sense of humor.  We recently […]