Sparkling Wine 101 – Bubbly for Every Budget
Sparkling Wine 101 The holidays are upon us, and we have lots of opportunities to celebrate with family and friends. What better time to have plenty of sparkling wine on hand. No matter your budget, there is a delicious sparkling wine for you; read on! (It’s rare to find something worthwhile for less than $10. … Continue reading
Harney Lane – When Big Flavors Need Big Wines
Tender Minnesota Palates Sometimes Call for Big Flavors For my personal tastes, I tend toward elegance, subtle flavors. I’m an old world (approach) wine lover first and foremost. I don’t cook a lot of super spicy foods, or big 3 layer hamburgers with cheese and chili and bacon and and and….. HOWEVER, I do love … Continue reading
50 Shades of Kabinett Riesling #WinePW
Wine Pairing Weekend Group (virtually) Visits Germany Join our #WinePW group this month as we take a virtual visit to Germany. Thanks to the generosity of Winesellers, many of our group received samples of German wines for our posts. Let’s dig in to German wines and foods that pair with them. Take a look further … Continue reading
Science Meets Biodynamics at Troon Vineyard
Biodynamics and Science General Manager Craig Camp and owners Denise and Bryan White could see the potential at Troon Vineyard in the Applegate Valley in southwestern Oregon. In a career-long involvement with all aspects of wine, Craig had become convinced of the value of biodynamics to produce superior wines showing their place of origin. When … Continue reading
Comparing Washington and California Merlot over Dinner #MerlotMe
Does It Matter Where Your Merlot is Grown? When it comes to Merlot, my personal favorites are from the Right Bank in Bordeaux. During our annual October month-long #MerlotMe celebration, I sample a variety of Merlot wines from California and Washington (master post is here). Generalizations are always difficult as there are plenty of counter … Continue reading
Exploring the Toe of Italy’s Boot with Cirò Rosso #ItalianFWT
ItalianFWT Returns to Calabria This is our 2nd virtual trip to Calabria with the Italian Food, Wine and Travel Group. My first post with an introduction to the region is here. On this trip, I’m enjoying a key wine and a couple of foods typical of Calabria. While there are several DOC regions in Calabria, … Continue reading
Scare Up Some Tawny Porto for Halloween
Over 21 Halloween Fun October 31 is upon us, and many of us will be handing out candy to costumed kids in an American tradition. I don’t hear about many tricks, like soaped windows anymore, but why risk it? Whether you have kids yourself, or even if you just have a big bowl of candy … Continue reading
Riedel Performance Wine Glass Seminar
The Riedel Wine Glass Seminar The Riedel family has been in the glass business a long time, since 1678 to be exact. They have also been through many ups and downs, including losing everything during World War II. Still, they recovered and never lost their commitment to glass. In 1973 Georg Riedel introduced the Sommelier … Continue reading
New Wine Folly Magnum Edition
New Wine Folly Magnum Edition A new, expanded edition of the Wine Folly Wine Guide will be hitting the shelves on Sept. 25. Want to see what’s with the new expanded version? Come and take a peek! Disclosure: Thanks to Avery Books, I received a pre-release sample copy of the Wine Folly Magnum Edition. All … Continue reading
Knudsen Vineyards Chardonnay and Farro “Risotto”
Knudsen Vineyards – Dundee Hills Pioneers I think of Knudsen Vineyards as the oldest new winery in the Willamette Valley. Way back in 1971 Cal and Julia Lee Knudsen purchased a 200 acre ex-walnut orchard and they initially planted 30 acres of their land to a vineyard of pinot noir grapes. They formed a partnership … Continue reading
