Deconstructed Tartine & Domaine de L’Astré Pèlroge #Winophiles

French Winophiles Explore Southwest FranceOur French Winophiles love every corner of France from the famous to the under-the-radar regions. This month we are exploring the Southwest of France, known in-country as Sud-Ouest. This region is less well-known in part because it lives in the shadow of Bordeaux. Historically, the city of Bordeaux was an important … Continue reading

Rogue Valley Favorites: Troon Vineyard at the Dinner Table

Troon Vineyard is located in the Applegate Valley, within the larger Rogue Valley region of Southwest Oregon. Truth be told, the reason I chose the Rogue Valley pre-conference excursion was to take advantage of the chance to return to Troon Vineyard and Cowhorn Vineyard, which I had visited previously. The other wineries were a pleasant … Continue reading

Judging at the International Cold Climate Wine Competition

International Cold Climate Wine Competition (ICCWC)The ICCWC is an annual wine competition for wineries working in climates too cold for traditional vitis vinifera, “normal” wine grapes. Cold winters in the northern states often produce temperatures below -25 F for extended periods. These temperatures reliably kill grapevines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and all the other familiar … Continue reading

“Malbec mon amour”: A Love Letter and Much More

“Malbec mon amour”: Grape and Family HistoryAre you a Malbec fan? If so, you’ll want to search out the new “Malbec mon amour“, authored by Laura Catena and Alejandro Vigil. Laura is well known as the managing director at Bodega Catena Zapata and Alejandro is the long-time director of winemaking there. This book will surprise … Continue reading

Explore Rogue Valley Oregon: Weisinger Family Winery

Touring Oregon’s Rogue ValleyWe continue our tour of the Rogue Valley in Southwestern Oregon with a stop at Weisinger Family Winery. Disclosure: I visited Weisinger Family Winery as part of a pre-conference tour of the 2021 Wine Media Conference. I paid for transportation to and from the conference and there was a fee for the … Continue reading

You Say Shiraz and I Say Syrah… #WorldWineTravel

World Wine Travel Writers Dig into Victoria RedsThis month, our World Wine Travel writers are exploring the red wines from the state of Victoria. Due east of South Australia, Melbourne is the big city located in the region. Victoria has a wide variety of growing conditions thanks to ocean influence that extends well into the … Continue reading

Markus Wine Company “Toura” at the Grill

Markus Wine Company, Lodi CaliforniaI met Markus Niggli in 2016 at a Wine Media Conference in Lodi, California. A chance meeting has turned into a friendship, and I have enjoyed returning to Lodi to visit Markus on several occasions. In an area known for high volume inexpensive wines, Markus is a champion for growing high … Continue reading

Celebrate French Women in Wine: Anne-Sophie Dubois #Winophiles

French Winophiles Celebrate Women in WineMarch is Women’s History Month, with March 8 being International Women’s Day, so our French Winophiles are dedicating our March posts to French Women in Wine. Join us this month as we celebrate French Women involved in our favorite beverage. Take a look further down in this post for links … Continue reading

Riverland Surprises in South Australia #WorldWineTravel

World Wine Travel Virtually Visits South AustraliaThe next stop on our group’s virtual tour is the red wines of South Australia. If you have enjoyed an Australian wine, chances are good you are at least somewhat familiar with this large region. Names such as Barossa Valley and Mclaren Vale for Shiraz, Coonawara for Cabernet Sauvignon … Continue reading

The Stunning, Rugged Landscape of Priorat and its Wines

Guest Post from MillesimaThis is a guest post from my friends at Millesima. Back in 2017, I won one of the spots in Millesima’s wine blog contest which led to a sponsored trip to En Primeur in Bordeaux. I was so impressed with the people involved, I’m happy to host this guest post on Food … Continue reading