by Richard Mark James
New Zealand winemakers are well known for their lively expressive Sauvignon Blanc wines and Chardonnays too made in different styles (fresh & fruity, rich and toasty, somewhere in between...). So it makes sense that other 'aromatic' white varieties are coming to the fore in cool climate New Zealand wine country including Riesling, Pinot Gris (Grigio) and Gewurztraminer. Let's not get too excited though: they're still small fry in the vineyard scheme of things, as these three grapes combined amount to about the same area of Chardonnay overall - a bit over 3000 hectares - and are dwarfed by 20,000 ha of ubiquitous Sauvignon blanc. Maybe this is why the wines are quite expensive - you'll struggle to find one under £10 in the UK and €12 in Ireland - but the best are definitely worth a go (t...
by John Cesano
When you have to eat your words, use a Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel to wash them down.Recently, I wrote that while the Passport to Dry Creek Valley is the big daddy of wine events, Hopland Passport is the better value.I’m a little jaded, I work for what I think is the best tasting room in Hopland; the wines we pour and the food we serve with them are unmatched in quality, so I allowed my pride for what we do half an hour north of Healdsburg with our wine and food at our event to color my writing.I write about wine while running a tasting room; and in the past I used to sit on the board of, and then did marketing for, Destination Hopland – the folks who put on Hopland Passport. Perhaps, I was a touch biased in my piece for the local paper.I received a media invite to Passport to Dry Creek...
by John Cesano
One of the biggest differences between winemaking in Europe and the United States is that wine made in Europe is made following a protocol established by and for the geographically identifiable area the wine is made in, while wine made in the United States is made with near complete freedom.A Mendocino County wine might be Chardonnay or Malbec. Napa Valley is likely to contain Cabernet Sauvignon, but could instead contain Sangiovese. Russian River Valley wine bottles could be Pinot Noir or Semillion. In the United States, we have to label our wines with the grape varietal, because there is no rule, rhyme, or reason about what each area can put into the bottle.When you buy a bottle of Bordeaux at the wine shop, you know which grapes the wine can be made from based on long established histor...
by John Cesano
A few months ago when launching this column, I said I would try to limit my use of the words love and adore, because with the way I feel about the area’s wines and people I could easily overuse both.Well, I have been sparing enough that I hope you’ll forgive me now. I absolutely adore Deanna Starr.Deanna and her husband Ted own Milano Family Winery at the south end of Highway 101 in the big old hop kiln. Deanna is also the winemaker at Milano.I worked with Deanna when we were on the board of Destination Hopland together. Deanna is intelligent, funny, patient, thoughtful, and a joy to work with. Deanna is also a gracious hostess; last year, I attended a group meal Deanna hosted at Milano for tasting room folks from a number of local wineries in the middle of Hopland Passport after the f...
by John Cesano
I have visited Campovida, just about a mile east of Highway 101 on Old River Road in Hopland, often since Gary Breen and Anna Beuselinck opened their gates for the spring 2010 Hopland Passport, after the former Fetzer Valley Oaks property had been chained and neglected for the previous five years.Originally, Gary and Anna allowed four labels under one larger umbrella wine brand, Magnanimus, to be poured at Campovida. Some of the wines were quite good while others were just okay, but the draw for me was never the wines but the property itself.That said, Cesar Toxqui made a delicious gold medal winning Viognier for Gary and Anna’s new Campovida labeled wines.The biggest news on the Campovida wine front is that Gary and Anna have hired Sebastian Donoso from his assistant winemaker position ...
by Rachel Shoniker
“If there is wine along the way, then I’ll get on a bike,” my 64-year old father candidly blurts out as we’re picking up our rental bikes at HeatStroke Cycle in Osoyoos, BC. The nervous excitement in the bike store is palpable. Nobody in our group, which consists of my white-haired parents, my burly husband and our chubby-cheeked two-year old daughter, has ridden a bike in several decades. The last time I rode a bike was in the second grade when I proudly owned a purple bicycle with a glittery banana seat.We are about to embark on a wine-infused, secular pilgrimage to the Black Sage Bench between Osoyoos and Oliver. While these revered wineries aren’t categorized as holy places of worship, they do attract a loyal following of devotees.For my dad, this excursion is all about the w...
by Joseph Stephens
You are probably familiar with the traditional fruit baskets and flower settings used as business gifts in today's modern corporate world. But a new trend is developing in corporate gift giving that adds a whole new dimension to business relationships the business wine gift.As it is customary for business associates to exchange gifts on occasion, an alcoholic gift has been frowned upon in the American business scene. But as business relationships become closer and on a more personal level, a wine gift is becoming much more acceptable.Is a Corporate Wine Gift Appropriate?Because of business teachings in America, the mixing of work and alcohol has never really been accepted as an appropriate practice. Of course, the endorsement of intoxicated employees at any corporate level is never a goo...
by Linda Perrins Ress Foxworth
Everyone seems to have different ideas about pairing wine with food. But there are four rules that are consistent among most wine experts. Here are the four rules of pairing wine with food in order of importance.1. Match the weight of the wine to the weight of the food. If you're serving a heavy, winter-weather meal, serve a heavy winter-weather wine. If you've made something light and summery, serve a light, summery wine. This is where the old adage 'white wine with white meat, red wine with red meat' really holds up. It is the quickest and easiest way to pair your food with wine. But, say you want to make a more sophisticated pairing. That's when you go to rule #2.2. Match the elements of the wine with the elements of the food. The three elements of wine that you want to conside...
by Joseph Stephens
How about teaming up your favorite meal with the best of wine this weekend? It sounds a great idea but don't you think you may overindulge? Well, you may not mind this but what about the hangover you have to face, the other morning. How about spending you entire Sunday afternoon sitting inside the bathroom, with one hand on your forehead and the other on your stomach? Scary isn't it?Hey, hold on! I am not trying to scare the life out of you. I am just showing you the real picture of a hangover that you may require to face the following day after you have overindulged in your favorite wine.This sounds really bad but don't worry, there are many tips you can follow in order to get rid of a wine hangover. All you need to do is to follow the instructions given below:a) Water, water and water:Wa...
by Joseph Stephens
Alright the holidays have passed and needless to say you’re tired of turkey, ham or roast beef or what ever and now you maybe watching your diet after indulging yourself. So here are some quick and easy food ideas that keeps calories in mind but are still good and are a nice change of pace. If you’re really trying to watch your calories then try to keep the wine to only one glass a day and not too late at night the reason for this is that wine contains alcohol which will slow your body’s ability to burn calories. Of course you can always forget the wine but just remember you might not enjoy your meal as much.We hope that you enjoy these recipes and they give a nice change to your meal ideas and nice change of pace. There can be many befits to adding wine to your meal it can enhance ...