Tag: Chardonnay

SCAIA wines featured photo

SCAIA: Fun Wines That Break the Rules

Are you a rule breaker? Do you like a taste of something a little different in your wine glass once in a while? If so, we have two wines for you to taste. These wines from SCAIA break the blending rules in their region and carry an IGT classification. They are easy sipping and reasonably priced wines; we received both […]

Benziger and Imagery wines featured photo photo

Tasting Wine With The Women Who Made Them

Lisa Amaroli is director of winemaking at Benziger Family Winery and Jamie Benziger is head winemaker at Imagery Estate Winery. Neither woman set out with the singular focus of becoming a winemaker, but both found their way to winemaking through hard work and a passion for their craft. I had the opportunity to meet both women during a recent virtual […]

Oregon wines re-bottled by Master The World photo

An Exploration of Oregon Wine Beyond Pinot Noir

When I think of Oregon wine my mind automatically goes to Pinot Noir and the Willamette Valley. Without a doubt Pinot Noir is Oregon’s signature variety and the Willamette Valley its best-known wine region, but as I learned during a recent online seminar sponsored by the Oregon Wine Board, Pinot Noir just scratches the surface of an evolving wine scene […]

Franciacorta featured photo

Franciacorta: Sparkling Wine Made Beside Lombardy’s Lake Iseo

I recently had the good fortune to be introduced to Franciacorta. That introduction came by way of a webinar hosted by Napa Valley Wine Academy. Giammario Villa, Master Taster and Franciacorta Brand Ambassador, shared his detailed knowledge of the region and its wines. Peter Marks, MW joined in the discussion. We tasted three styles of Franciacorta, all of which were […]

2020 wines featured photo

2020: Wine That Helped Us Through the Year

It’s hard to remember a year more difficult than 2020. The loss of my parents marked the most sorrowful years for me personally, but collectively this is the most difficult year I can remember. The bad news has continued since February and the worst may not be behind us. Coronavirus, COVID-19, stay-at-home and social distancing became part of my everyday […]

District 7 featured photo

District 7: Certified Sustainable Wines from California’s Monterey AVA

The more I read about District 7 wines the more impressed and curious to taste the wines I became. Some of the qualities that attracted me include: family ownership, certified sustainable vineyards and winery, 100% estate vineyards, a commitment to renewable energy and community support. Today we’re sharing four wines from District 7 that we received as tasting samples. District […]

Elden Selections featured photo

Elden Selections: Burgundy Specialists at Your Service

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 […]

Black Stallion featured photo

An Introduction to Black Stallion Estate Winery

Black Stallion Estate Winery is situated not far from the Napa River along the southern end of the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley’s Oak Knoll District. The winery makes its home in what was a large equestrian center called the Silverado Horsemen’s Center. There is more history to tell about the family that owns Black Stallion Estate Winery and the […]

Colmant Cap Classique & Champagne featured photo

Celebrating Memories with Colmant Cap Classique

Several days ago we opened a very special bottle of wine: Colmant  Absolu Zero Dosage NV. Peter eased the cork from the bottle and poured both of us a glass. As we watched the bubbles rise in our glasses many fond memories of visiting Colmant Cap Classique & Champagne in South Africa’s Franschhoek Valley came back to us. There is […]