Are you a curious wine drinker? Do you have a keen eye for new wine regions, grape varieties or styles of wine? Then, if you haven’t already become acquainted, allow us to introduce you to the Portuguese wine region of Alentejo. This taste of five wines from Alentejo, which we received as tasting samples, includes one white and four red […]
The Rombauer Vineyards’ tasting room is situated overlooking the Napa Valley in St. Helena on the top level of the winemaking facility that is built into the hillside. The area is wooded and beautifully landscaped. It is the perfect place to taste and enjoy the wines of Rombauer Vineyards. I love tasting wine like this: unhurried and in a beautiful […]
It wasn’t until I began to take wine seriously that I became interested in the story behind a bottle of wine. My first interest was the variety and then, with a bit of experience, I began to consider style. The story of the winery came much later, after I began to grapple with wine regions. I think it was simply […]
Cava. Are you curious about it? So am I. Cava is sparkling wine made in Spain. It is made using the same method as in Champagne (the second fermentation takes place in the bottle), but using mostly indigenous Spanish grape varieties. I’m a sucker for indigenous varieties, so I was curious to give Cava a taste and to dig into […]
Today’s Cellar Note takes us to the the Rhône Valley in France and a taste of two wines from Ferraton Père & Fils, both of which we received as tasting samples. These wines are part of the négociant range of wines produced by Ferraton Père & Fils, which was founded in 1946 by Jean Orëns Ferraton. Ferraton has been owned […]
’Tis the season for a glass of Port. The weather is chilly, you’ve just finished a hearty meal and there is a fire in the fireplace. A glass of Port is just the thing to end your meal and help you settle comfortably into the rest of your evening. Port wine is made in several styles and all are fortified, […]
When a recent opportunity to receive tasting samples of Montinore Estate wines presented itself, I was quick to respond in the affirmative. I recognized the Montinore name immediately. Last August I enjoyed a bottle of 2015 Montinore Pinot Gris we received through one of our wine club memberships. The Pinot Gris caught my attention for several reasons. First, it was […]
Today’s the day. National Zinfandel Day. #ZinDay takes place every year on the third Wednesday in November and we are happy to celebrate Zinfandel today with two wines we received as tasting samples. Both wines are made from very old vine Zinfandel in the Mokelumne River sub-AVA of the Lodi AVA. The wines are made in two very different styles, […]
Age is a tricky thing, even for a grapevine. There is no universally agreed upon definition of old for a vineyard. To be listed among California’s historic vineyards by the Historic Vineyard Society a vineyard must have been planted in 1960 or before, be in production currently as a wine vineyard and at least 1/3 of the vineyard must be […]
Josh placed a small wine glass containing a generous taste of a chestnut-colored liquid on our table and stood back. This was a surprise, we hadn’t ordered another wine. After a pause, Josh said, “Taste this. If you can tell me what it is, I will buy your dessert.” Pete and I looked at each other and smiled. We had […]
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.