Reviews of wine related trips and accessories.
If it’s October, then it’s time to celebrate Merlot. For the past five years the Merlot Movement has gained momentum with Merlot tastings and social media sharing during October using the hashtag #MerlotMe across social media platforms. The effort is supported by a group of California and Washington state wineries who have declared October International Merlot Month. You will find […]
My experience tasting wines made in the U.S. state of Virginia is very limited. I first tasted Virginia wines at the Wine Bloggers Conference (WBC) we attended in Portland several years ago. It was our first WBC and I was overwhelmed by the variety (and sheer number) of wines we tasted during the event, not to mention the number of […]
Most Monday evenings we are home enjoying a meal with our friend, Dave. Dave is super into wine. Red wine. He’s not a fan of white wine and isn’t persuaded by bubbles. We know better than to pour a rosé. So Mondays have become a red wine day in our house which, of course, is a good thing because we […]
Numismatist. Not your everyday word. Thanks to Steve and Seanne Contursi, the creative couple behind Arrow&Branch winery, I recently learned the meaning of this difficult-to-pronounce word and had the opportunity to taste their Arrow&Branch wines. It is because of Steve’s success as a numismatist (a coin collector and trader) that the Contursis are able to realize their dream of owning […]
The origin of the name Villa Maria has been a curiosity to me since first I first read the wine bottle label and realized it was a New Zealand wine. The name never quite fit with its New Zealand origin. I remember several years ago searching the Villa Maria website for a clue as to its origin. The founder of […]
Terrunyo is a range of wines made by the well-established Chilean producer Concha y Toro. Terroir is the focus of this range. Specific vineyard blocks in prime locations for each grape variety have been identified and are the source of grapes for these wines. The range includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère and Syrah in addition to Sauvignon Blanc. This Sauvignon Blanc, […]
The following three wines from Paul Dolan Vineyards are made by Mendocino Wine Co. located in Ukiah, California. We received all three wines as tasting samples. These wines are of particular interest to me because they are made from organically grown grapes. Whenever I buy food, and I consider wine to be food, I look for organic options. So, naturally, […]
If you have tasted Chardonnay made in California, chances are Wente family ancestors had a hand in developing the Chardonnay clone that produced that glass of wine. As much as 80% of Chardonnay grown in California is made with or derived from the Wente clone. That’s a pretty amazing statistic and a very good reason for Wente Vineyards to be […]
As much as I enjoy oven-roasted beef, pork or chicken, there is no substitute for outdoor grilling in terms of flavor. With the weather improving quickly it’s time to fire up the grill and begin to think about the wines to pair with your outdoor meals. This trio of Malbec (received as tasting samples) produced by Trivento in Argentina cry […]
Springtime brings a welcome renewal in our garden after the dormancy of a cold, wet winter. The lawn and shrubbery are an intense green this time of year with azaleas adding pink, red and coral accents. At about this same time of year our supply of rosé dwindles to one or two bottles. We begin searching the shelves of local […]
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.