A Lesson in Sangiovese: Tuscany’s Most Famous Varietal

An Etruscan export since the 7th century BC, Chianti is the 3rd most recognized wine in the world. But how much do you really know about Sangiovese, Chianti’s main grape? Continue Reading…

Moving? Don’t know where your wine opener is? I’ve got you covered.

I recently relocated. Beyond what fit in my truck around the carrier for one oversized, excessively furry cat, all of my posessions spent a few weeks under the guardianship of Wheaton van lines. Stumbling into the Trader Joe’s in my new city, desperate for a brief respite from my environs–which looked like Hoarders after the movers left–I zombie-shuffled my way to the wine aisle. And then realized I had no idea where my wine opener was. Now what was I going to drink? Continue Reading…

Plush Elegance for the Holidays: Stags’ Leap Petite Sirah

It’s a time of year for stories and a time of year for traditions. And we gather around the table to celebrate those stories and those traditions. An excellent bottle of wine can transport a special meal into the realm of a life long memory. Stags’ Leap Petite Sirah is one of my traditions. Continue Reading…

Need to get out of town before you get out of town?

Ahhh the winter holidays. While traveling to see family is a rewarding tradition, it is often a jam-packed week or two with little time for relaxation. Why not take a weekend’s rest and rejuvenation early and shore up those energy reserves? Continue Reading…

Looking for an Excuse to Wear Your Costume?

So you’ve got your Big Bird costume and your hand-lettered “Will Work for Food” sign. Or you’re a redhead who’s going to hang loaves of bread from his clothes and be the Gingerbread Man. All dressed up and no place to go? Why not throw a different kind of Halloween party?

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One More White for St. Martin’s Summer

What better way to enjoy the autumn warmth and sunshine than with a wine from St. Martin’s Loire Valley? I suggest Guy Saget’s 2010 Domaine de la Perrière Sancerre.

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A Winemaker To Watch

Justin Kahler can appreciate the Extra Virgin lifestyle. He knows that taking an agricultural product like grapes, and turning it into a finished product like wine, requires infinite decisions and collaborations with Mother Nature. Justin’s journey began in the enology program at Cal State Fresno and continued through Spain, Bordeaux, New Zealand, and Monterrey. Now JK Wine Company, his Paso Robles-based winery, works with the area’s unique topography to grow varietals native to Spain and the Rhône valley.

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Dalliance: Everyone Wants a Taste of this Wine

Eating dinner with my family at Harwig’s in Steamboat Springs, CO, a restaurant famed for its wine list and multiple Wine Spectator awards, I asked the sommelier to suggest a bottle. “What do you like?” he replied. “We like Syrah, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel,” I answered, “but we love to try new things.”

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A Summer Wine in the Tuscan Twilight

Though I am an enthusiastic scholar of red wine, and I drink it about 90% of the time (full disclosure: I am drinking Petite Sirah as I write this), I love white wine in summer. This love affair began in college, when I first had the opportunity to taste something beyond the low-quality, oaky California chardonnay that was available to me at the time. Continue Reading…

Wines By Nature

Though I love to throw dinner parties, it is rare that someone does me the same honor. However, two months ago my friends Liz and Joel did just that—using the visit of my boyfriend and me as an excuse to host an eight-person dinner party around their lovely black wood table. It was the best kind of night in, good company, raucous laughter, and simple, satisfying food prepared with fresh, flavorful ingredients. Continue Reading…