Recent Posts

#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 […]

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 […]

Pelletiere Estate Vineyard & Winery: Home to Italian Varieties in the Paso Robles Willow Creek District AVA

Pelletiere Estate Vineyard & Winery is tucked away in the Paso Robles Willow Creek District AVA on Paso’s westside. The 16-acre property is home to an interesting collection of Italian grape varieties covering a hillside above Las Tablas Willow Creek Road. In a sub-AVA that is better known for Rhône-style wines, proprietor Janis Pelletiere Denner’s Italian heritage has inspired her […]

Lodi Winery Sign featured photo

Lodi ZinFest 2019

Lodi ZinFest is the annual celebration of Lodi wine, food and fun that takes place at Lodi Lake. The 2019 event will kick off on Friday, May 17 and run through Sunday, May 19. A few of this year’s highlights include: Friday, May 17 2019 ZinFest Blind Tasting – A Study of Ancient Vine Zinfandels of California. This tasting will […]

Paxton featured photo

Celebrate #EarthDay with Paxton Wines

Today is Earth Day! Every year April 22 is the day set aside to celebrate environmental protection. Ideally everyone’s commitment to our environment extends beyond just one day, but the day can, at the very least, be a reminder to think of our planet and do what we can to protect it everyday. As a winelover one of the ways […]

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#MalbecWorldDay — Let’s Celebrate

This year we are celebrating Malbec World Day in grand style by sipping five Malbecs from Argentina. And even though Malbec originated in France, the variety is now most closely associated with Argentina. We received these wines as tasting samples. When I open Wine Grapes: A Complete Guide to 1,368 Vine Varieties, including their Origins and Flavours by Jancis Robinson, […]

Montinore Estate Pinot Noir and Maple Chipotle Salmon

Celebrating Biodynamic Wine with Montinore Estate Pinot Noir #winePW

This month’s Wine Pairing Weekend (#winePW) challenge comes from host, Gwendolyn Alley. She thought Earth Month would be the perfect time for our group of wine and food enthusiasts to explore the world of biodynamic wine. Brilliant idea, Gwendolyn. The principles of biodynamic farming are complex and interdependent, but worth understanding. It isn’t necessary to understand every detail of biodynamic […]