YOUR ADVENTURE STARTS HERE

When you ask her which is her favorite wine, my best friend Tiffany does a shoulder shimmy and uses a Juliette Binoche accent to say "Rrrroommmbaaauuueeerrr." Even uttering the name of Napa's Rombauer Chardonnay is an intoxicatingly happy event. Rombauer Vineyards, located in the St. Helena area of Napa Valley, produces what might be the defining Butter Bomb. Secondary Malolactic Fermentation converts the tart malic acid, naturally present in grape must, to the smoother lactic acid with the buttery natural byproduct diacytl. When a sophisticated Oenophile says about their Chard that they ... Continue reading...

It's easy to describe the type of wineries I like. Some wineries are small, boutique wineries that are only open with a reservation. I like those wineries. Some wineries are big touristy wineries. They are open every day, and in addition to wine tasting, they offer other entertaining stuff, like behind-the-scenes winery tours, gourmet food, live music, and major events. I like those wineries. Some wineries are somewhere in between. I like those wineries. It's important to be unbiased. What's not to like about spending the day sipping the intoxicating liquid masterpieces crafted by passionate ... Continue reading...

Wine geeks were shocked. Heck, everyone who knows anything about wine was shocked. Wine is an acquired taste, so it stands to reason that younger people would be lower on the wine consumption scale than their “more mature” counterparts. Meaning old people drink more wine. But no. A while back, the wine world was rocked to the core by a report by the Wine Market Council that detailed who’s drinking wine and what they’re pouring into their glasses. Surprise! The biggest consumers of wine are not Baby Boomers or even Gen X’ers. They’re Millennials. Yes, Millennials. You know, the ... Continue reading...

A long, long time ago somebody - probably while staring despondently at a broken vessel and a river of spilled Cabernet Franc - realized that oak barrels were way better for containing wine than fragile clay amphoras. Eventually, oak barrels became the norm for aging wine, and the characteristics that oak imparts on the flavor of wine became desirable for many varietals. But barrels lose their oakiness after a few uses So vintners often sell used barrels to whiskey or bourbon distillers who appreciate the already seasoned wood. Recently, somebody - probably inspired by a couple glasses of ... Continue reading...

August 18 is a very important day. It is international Pinot Noir day. I found out about this important factoid in an email I received from Alma Rosa Winery in the Santa Barbara region. Alma Rosa - no surprise here - is known for vinting up some exceptional Pinot Noir. My discovery of this significant occasion raises several questions. What does one do to celebrate Pinot Noir Day? Who gets to decide that a certain day should be named something special? If Pinot Noir has its own day, does that make Sauvingnon Blanc feel kind of neglected. Do fried green tomatoes have their own day? OK, let’s ... Continue reading...

Temecula Wine Country is celebrating its 50th birthday this year. In an earlier blog (see my fascinating post from February of this year titled "50 YEARS OF TEMECULA WINE COUNTRY"), I shared the story of the Cilurzos, who planted the first commercial wine grapes in Temecula back in 1968. And also the story of Ely Callaway, who began planting in 1969, and in 1971 became the first winery in Temecula Valley. However, like most California wine regions, the area's first wine producers were not commercial ventures, but rather the missionaries, who planted and harvested the so-called mission grape ... Continue reading...

Sonoma is where it all started. It's the birthplace of California, the state, and also the birthplace of fine wines in America's most prolific wine-producing state. On June 14, 1846, a band of about 30 American settlers invaded the Mexican outpost called Sonoma, and took as a prisoner of war Sonoma's commander, retired general Mariano Vallejo. Using red paint, they decorated a cotton sheet with a star, a grizzly bear, and the words "California Republic." The so-called "Bear Flag Revolt" created an independent Republic of California that was extremely short-lived. Three weeks later, American ... Continue reading...

In 1828 - 22 years before California Statehood - El Paso de Robles ("The Pass of the Oaks") became an officially recorded place. Over the generations the name shortened to Paso Robles. The region has an interesting and varied past. Blessed with mineral-laden hot springs that are said to have powerful healing effects on the human body, Paso Robles became a destination in the early 1900's for wealthy spa-goers including many celebrities. Jack Dempsey, President Theodore Roosevelt, Douglas Fairbanks, Boris Karloff, Bob Hope, and Clark Gable were among those who stayed in Paso Robles. In 1954, ... Continue reading...

Santa Barbara wine country, as we know it today, began in 1962 when Pierre Lafond opened Santa Barbara Winery, the first winery in Santa Barbara County since prohibition. But really, the wine making tradition dates back to 1782 when Father Junipera Serra planted mission grapes to provide communion wine for the Franciscan monks and their congregation. By the late 1800's, vineyard cultivation had expanded to 45 vineyards comprising 260 acres. Prohibition put the kibosh on wine-making in the region, and even after its 1933 repeal, the once-burgeoning wine industry lay dormant for more than a ... Continue reading...

Napa Valley is, undoubtedly, the most famous and awarded wine country in the United States. Surprisingly, the Valley produces a relatively small amount of wine compared to the rest of the world, and even compared to the rest of California. Just 4% of California wine grapes grow in Napa Valley. And Napa’s wine production comes in at only 0.4% of worldwide totals. Napa Valley was a relatively unknown wine region prior to the 1976 judgment of Paris, which shone an international spotlight on Napa wine and launched a stunning advancement in the recognition of this tiny and beautiful Northern ... Continue reading...