exploring what’s in your glass
Oregon’s finest: Wine and Cheese Pairing Bites
Every year, cheesemakers, retailers, consumers and food critics (and foodies) come together to judge over 4,000 cheese from over 40 …
Southern Oregon’s Iberian Surprise: Amazing Tempranillo
Unlike Willamette Valley to the north, Southern Oregon’s warmer and drier Rogue River and Umpqua Valleys do not have a …
Viticultural Dreamin’: The Farmers of Rogue Valley AVA
The landscape of Rogue Valley is filled with rows of deep green fir trees, flat valleys with fields of vineyards …
Going Native: Four California Zins that Somms Love to Drink
Zinfandel is the third most popular grape grown in California, a wine predictably offered by the glass in most restaurants …
Getting to Know You: Petit Manseng
A rare variety, Petit Manseng originates from southwest France, most famously, the Jurançon region, at the base of the Pyrenees …
Extreme Wines on Trend: Canary Islands
Over the last couple of years I have noticed more references to the wines of the Canary Islands, in wine …
#savelugana: Beautiful Wines of Northern Italy
While attending the WBC 2018 in Walla Walla, Washington, I had the pleasure of experiencing wines of a region over …
East of Rutherford, Chiles Valley AVA
On my last trip to Napa, I wanted to visit an AVA I had never tasted before. From Rutherford on …
What to Drink from Washington State: Rattlesnake Hills AVA
When I stepped out of the Tri Cities Airport in Pasco, Washington, I noticed right away the vast openness of …
Gem of the Pacific Northwest: Yakima Valley Wines
Driving in Yakima Valley, you see agriculture all around you. Apple, pear, cherry, and hops orchids surround the highways. Mt …
Effortless Wine Tasting: Exploring Paso Robles
Last spring a good friend of mine had a work trip to Los Angeles with one thought – make it …
Spellbound by the West Sonoma Coast
Extreme winds, sea salt air, blanketing fog, rocky cliffs, orange sunsets, and clear view stars. Vast, remote, singular. These are …
Jordan Winery: The Ultimate Wine Country Lifestyle
Jordan Winery, located in Alexander Valley AVA in Sonoma County, produces beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, and they deliver much …
Carneros spotlight: Sonoma’s Etude Winery
Straddling both Napa and Sonoma counties, Carneros AVA grows some of the most concentrated Pinot Noirs in California. Often more …
Sta Rita Hills: Pinot with a LA Vibe
In the winter of 2016, I was eight months pregnant and day-dreaming about my next wine adventure. I’d heard so …
On the Edge: Pinot Noir from the West Sonoma Coast
The wines from the West Sonoma Coast are very special. They possess an elegance that is found in only the …
A Serious Wine: Napa’s Howell Mountain Cabernet
About a year ago, six of us piled into an SUV from the floor of Napa Valley in St. Helena …
Wine in the Spotlight: Vertical (Sequel to Sideways) Book Review
Rex’s Pickett’s sequel to the phenomenal Sideways novel picks up the story of best friends Miles and Jack and their …
Heritage Vines of California: Lodi Zin
I was fortunate to visit a very special block in California this summer- Rous Vineyard. Located in Lodi, California, this …
California’s Best Pinot Noir: Explore Anderson Valley
One of the aspects of California wine I enjoy the most is the variety of wine produced in the state …
Lodi’s Verdelho Three Ways
As part of my journey to discover Lodi wine at the 2016 Wine Blogger Conference, I was very fortunate to be hosted by …
Passion and Points: The Story of HALL Wines
Sometimes, Napa gets a bad rap. No, really. The world-famous valley in California, notable for producing some of the world’s …
Lodi: Where The Old World is New Again
I first heard about Lodi, California, from Jon Bonné, author of the The New California Wine (2013). Bonné highlights some …
I’m Certified: The Top 3 Things I Learned From WSET 3
Having spent the better part of my weekends and evenings over the course of three months reading a British textbook …
Wine and Baseball: Two of the Finest Found at AT&T Park
On our last trip to Napa (August 2015), we decided to spend one night in San Francisco to see our …
Four Cabs from Four Regions: Which Came Out on Top?
Cabernet is the “king” of grapes in many people’s opinion. Rich and intense in flavors, Cabernet Sauvignon often typifies the …
Spring Time Wine: What to Drink Right Now
DC is simply gorgeous in the spring. After a long and grey winter, Washingtonians are watching for the precise moment …
Vegas Vino: Drinking Wine in Sin City
People travel to Vegas to gamble, see a show, eat amazing food, and indulge. They don’t go to Vegas to …
Paso-bilities Part II: More Wine, Coastal Hikes & a Hollywood Castle
While hubby and I really enjoyed our day tasting in Paso Robles Willow Creek AVA, no visit to California is …
Rhône of the Americas: Paso Robles
What’s the best way to escape DC in the doldrums of winter? Jet off to a place that is the …
Hollywood Eat and Drink: 2016 SAG Awards
Not my typical blog post, but I thought you might enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at the 2016 Screen Actors Guild …
Thanks, Snowbama: Snowzilla Champagne and Bourbon Weekend
When the weather forecast called for a blizzard warning, Washingtonians freaked out. Everyone ran out and bought lots of wine …
Wine Trippin’: Plan the Perfect Wine Country Weekend
With the new year upon me, I am eager to get out of the grey cold of DC and into …
Hirsch vs. Hirsch: A Comparison of Pinot Noir
As I explore more about what’s in my glass, I wanted to experience the hype of Hirsch wines. The name …
Shop DC: Where to Buy Your Favorite Small Producers
After learning more about wine (and by learning I mean drinking), I wanted to know the story behind each glass …
Turkey Time: Three Alternatives to Pinot Noir for Thanksgiving
Oh yes, now is the time for you to buy the most important part of Thanksgiving dinner – the wine, …
Spring Mountain District: Exploring a Less Traveled AVA
While not nearly as distinguishable (um, regulated) as French or Italian wine-growing regions, many AVAs in California have an unique …
Me in a Glass: The American Classic, Schramsberg Brut Rosé
Tucked into the forested hillside of Diamond Mountain, Schramsberg Vineyards embodies the spirit of French Champagne by hand-riddling each bottle …
The Wine Geek’s Essential Napa Packing List
The day is finally here! I actually get to do all of the things on my “Calistoga, Here We Come!” …