When I think about how I usually enjoy wine, it is almost always with food. Either I’m sipping a glass of wine while preparing a meal, or more commonly, I’m enjoying a glass of wine with my meal. So, from that standpoint it makes perfect sense that a wine tasting be accompanied by food. Experiencing food and wine pairings prepared […]
Lori Budd and I have at least two things in common — a love of Cabernet Franc and the same “gateway” Cabernet Franc wine. For both of us, the Cabernet Franc that first grabbed our attention was made by William Harrison Vineyard and Winery in Napa Valley’s St. Helena. It’s a small wine world. Lori and her husband, Mike, have […]
Do you remember the first books you consulted when learning about wine? I do. What I remember is struggling to find a book that gave me just the basics, a place to start learning how to understand what I was tasting and what I liked. I remember being overwhelmed by the vocabulary and the size of most wine books. I […]
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 […]
One of the first things we do when planning a trip to another city, even if it is a location we travel to frequently, is search for new restaurants. Eating good food and drinking good wine is important to us, especially when we travel and cannot cook for ourselves or reach into our own wine cellar. If we find a […]
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, […]
The theme for this month’s Wine Pairing Weekend is American Wine for an American Holiday. Thanksgiving is fast approaching and it is just about my favorite holiday, so I’m happy to put together a paring around a Thanksgiving theme. This will be a paired-down pairing with three wines made by the Mercer family from Washington state. The Mercers were kind […]
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 […]
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 […]
I need absolutely no excuse to enjoy a glass of Champagne. Like almost every other wine lover I know, I closely associate Champagne with celebrations. In fact, the last time I enjoyed a bottle of Champagne was on our wedding anniversary in August. But, I also love Champagne with a meal. And Champagne can make the occasion just as easily […]
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.