Bob and Renée Stein are especially pleased to be releasing their 2019 Notre Vue GSM Rosé and Chardonnay Musque. 2019 was an extremely challenging year that was marked by two fires that struck the Sonoma County property. The first, in May, damaged the tasting room and warehouse. Then the Kincade fire, which started October 23, destroyed an outbuilding, furniture and […]
The current diversity and quality of wine around the world can be a bit overwhelming. Not that as a consumer I’m complaining, but it can be a challenge to taste wine from every region let alone every variety. The same applies to the quality and diversity of California wine in my experience. Petite Sirah is one of those varieties that […]
Many wine drinkers stop sipping and pairing white wine with meals about the time the weather cools and they stop wearing white pants. That’s not the case in our house. We sip white wine all year long which means we’re enjoying them with meals year round as well. So, what wine is as easy to sip on its own while […]
The first thing I noticed about Shashi Singh was her broad smile. It was evident even at a distance as she drove a small tractor along the edge of her Syrah vineyard. She had been working at the back of the vineyard and was dressed in work clothes and boots. She stepped off the tractor and welcomed us to her […]
The first versions of Chilean Carmenere I tasted years ago were often characterized by generous fruit flavors, dense color, chewy texture and distinctive flavors of jalapeño or green bell pepper. Those flavors of jalapeño and bell pepper were pleasing in moderation, but I found them overwhelming in many versions of the variety. Recently I was re-introduced to Chilean Carmenere from […]
Eleanor Garvin and Dennis Sherman traveled to France from Maryland on one-way tickets in 1983 and cooked their way through several wine regions before permanently settling in Burgundy. Could there be a better way to learn about the food and wine of France and Burgundy in particular? I don’t think so. That knowledge, accumulated over 30 years spent getting to […]
Concannon Vineyard has a long history in California’s Livermore Valley. Their history is closely connected to Cabernet Sauvignon (and Petite Sirah, but that’s a story for another time.) We recently had the opportunity to taste three Concannon Cabernet Sauvignons during a virtual tasting with Concannon winemaker, James Foster. The International #CabernetDay tasting offered the opportunity to dig into the history […]
September 1 is #CapClassiqueDay, a day set aside to celebrate South Africa’s premium sparkling wines. Cap Classique is made using Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) — the traditional method (as in Champagne) where the second fermentation takes place in the bottle. These sparkling beauties are made in a variety of styles, from grape varieties that you might expect and a few […]
We’re celebrating this #PinotNoirDay in true wine geek fashion with a tasting of three Pinot Noirs made by a winery with a history closely tied to Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. In fact, I’ve read in several places that Gary Farrell, the man and the winery, helped establish the Russian River Valley’s reputation for fine Pinot Noir. We received these […]
Carrie Wynkoop established Cellar 503 out of a passion for Oregon wine and necessity. Specifically, she looked for a wine club that curated wines from small, boutique wineries throughout Oregon and couldn’t find one. So Carrie put her enthusiasm and knowledge of Oregon wines together with her prior business experience and established Cellar 503 in 2015. I recently met Carrie […]
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.
