Troon Vineyard Druid’s Wines: Committed to the Environment, Delicious!
Troon Vineyard – Leaders in Regenerative Organic CertificationOver the past several years, the team at Troon has transformed Troon Vineyard into a world-leading demonstration of real sustainability in the 21st century. Certified organic, Demeter certified biodynamic, and Regenerative Organic Gold Certified, they are showing that farming can improve the soil, protect animals and support workers, … Continue reading
Time to Try a Cold Climate White: Chankaska Creek Itasca!
TL:DR Search out Chankaska Creek’s 2023 Itasca, it’s really good! Itasca – A Cold Climate Hybrid GrapeThe Itasca grape is one of the most recent releases from the University of Minnesota’s Grapevine Cultivar Development Program. The goal of the wine grape cultivar program is to develop grapes that are simultaneously hardy to Minnesota winters (agricultural … Continue reading
Domaine Bousquet: Sustainable, Affordable, Delicious!
Domaine Bousquet – A French Family in Argentina?The Bousquet winemaking family was originally established at a property in Carcassonne in the south of France. In 1990, third generation vigneron Jean Bousquet visited the Tupungato high altitude region in Mendoza, Argentina with an idea of establishing vineyards and a winery. At that time, the area was … Continue reading
Jeff! Where Have You Been?
If you have followed my blog for some time, you might have noticed a dramatic slowdown in my posting frequency over the last two years. Today I am returning to more active posting. What happened? Read on. Short attention span? Here’s the TL;DR: Sold the House, Moved to France 2021: The InvitationOur son moved to … Continue reading
Marquessa – a Marquette Hybrid Appellation #WorldWineTravel
World Wine Travel Writers Explore Hybrid Grapes/WinesThis month, our writers are looking into hybrid grapes and the wines made from them. Hybrid grapes are becoming increasingly important as they can be bred for increased disease resistance and tolerance to different temperatures while hopefully retaining the ability to make tasty wine. Keeping all these features is … Continue reading
Cabin Chores, Pizza and a Great Bottle of Wine
Spring = Cabin ChoresWe co-own a cabin a couple hours north of Minneapolis. Spring and fall are our seasons for doing chores, making improvements, fixing whatever is broken; there might be some fun had along the way. I particularly love the early spring as our section of the lake is often deserted, so much peace … Continue reading
Tartiflette: Quick! Before Spring Arrives
Tartiflette – A French Alps ClassicTartiflette is a classic cold weather dish from the Haut-Savoie region in the French Alps. It’s perfect on a snowy or even cold rainy night with its’ rich potatoes, stinky washed-rind Reblochon cheese and lardons-fumé (smoked bacon). Make lots because you’ll eat more than you predict and the leftovers are … Continue reading
A Burgundian Approach to Beaujolais #Winophiles
Winophiles Celebrate All the Forms of BeaujolaisThe third Thursday in November is the annual release date for Beaujolais Nouveau, that fresh and fruity 1st wine of the year. A great marketing tool, Beaujolais Nouveau became very successful, unfortunately at the cost to more serious wines from the region. This year, our French Winophiles are celebrating … Continue reading
September in France is Rentrée #Winophiles
Winophiles Investigate Fall in France – RentréeThis month, our French Winophiles writers are dusting off our cool weather recipes to highlight Autumn in France. As of 2023, Julie and I are now living part time in Dijon, France and we are getting accustomed to how things work. For instance, August is the month of “les … Continue reading
Cowhorn Vineyards Red or White with Lamb?
Cowhorn Wines – Two Ways with Lamb ChopsI have been wanting to write about Cowhorn Wines since visiting in 2018 and 2021. Recently, I decided to highlight their robust Spiral 36 as a partner for grilled red meat like lamb chops. White wine lovers need to have food choices beyond fish and chicken, right? While … Continue reading















