Category: california

Sunday, May 12, and Sunday, June 16, 2024, are Mother’s and Father’s Day respectively. Did you know that Mother’s Day has its origins in the United States, where it was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914, while the first Father’s Day was started by a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd and was first…

My first BBQ of 2024 was a few days ago. I grilled steak and opened a bottle of Tom Gore Vineyards Farmer’s Blend red wine from Sonoma, California. It is a blend of 30% Petite Syrah, 30% Merlot, 15% Malbec, 15% Teroldego, and 5% other reds. Tom Gore is a second-generation grape farmer from Sonoma County and from the time…

It’s not often that I have a chance to try coastal Pinot Noir from two different geographic regions and compare the differences, if any, between the wines.  I had the chance to compare Vancouver Island’s Blue Grouse Estate Winery‘s Pinot Noir with two Pinot Noirs from California, by La Crema and Cambria Estate.  Here are my tasting notes that I…

California is a leader in sustainable wine growing.  According to California Certified Sustainable, 38% of California winegrape acres that they monitor are sustainable, and 188 Certified Wineries produce 202 million cases of wine (80% of California wine).  That is remarkable and commendable.  I have two bottles of Certified Sustainable Pinot Noir wines from California to review for you:  Cambria Estate…

Around a month ago I received three bottles of Pinot Noir.  One was from Vancouver Island, Blue Grouse Estate Winery Reserve Pinot Noir 2021, while the other two were from California.  They are the La Crema Vineyard Monterey Pinot Noir 2022 and Cambria Estate Winery Julia’s Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley, Pinot Noir 2022. I will taste each and compare my…

The Robert Mondavi Winery is historic for putting California, and New World wines, on the international stage. I was fortunate to have a chance to interview Kurtis Ogasawara, Winemaker for Robert Mondavi during VanWineFest 2024.  I was told, “Growing up in Sunnyvale, California, Kurtis lived just outside of wine country in the Bay Area. When he went off to college,…

2024 is the Year of the Wood Dragon, beginning on February 10th, 2024 (Chinese New Year) and concluding on January 28th, 2025.  “In Chinese culture, the Dragon holds a significant place as an auspicious and extraordinary creature, unparalleled in talent and excellence. It symbolizes power, nobility, honour, luck, and success. Consequently, 2024 is forecast to bring about opportunities, changes, and…

This year I had many terrific wines to taste and review.  Wines that I rate as 5 star I deem as needing nothing to add or subtract.  They are perfect as-is.  I had one wine that reached that status this year so instead of making a separate article for that wine, I am including it in this article.  My 4.5-5…

When I think of olives, I think about olives coming from Europe.  They are typically brined and salty.  But there is an alternative; California Ripe Olives.  I was invited to a lunch with calolive.org to learn about how olives are grown and processed in California. Our host was Emily Lycopolus, a level-two olive oil sommelier and author of eight cookbooks. …

The history of Sonoma Valley wines is a rich and storied one, dating back to the early 19th century when Russian settlers first planted grapevines in the region. Over the years, it has grown into one of the most celebrated wine-producing areas in California. Sonoma Valley is renowned for its diverse microclimates, which allow a wide range of grape varieties…