Two of the coolest wine experiences I’ve had involve 30th birthdays. The first was many years ago for the hubby’s 30th birthday (I won’t reveal the date as to not reveal hubby’s old age). Years prior to this day he had purchased a special bottle that he wanted to drink specifically on this monumental birthday. …
Red Wines
To Join a Wine Club, or Not to Join a Wine Club?
I remember the very first winery my hubby and I ever visited, on our very first trip to Sonoma, because we joined their wine club. It happened again the very next day at another winery, we joined another wine club. Within the first year of living in San Francisco and frequent visits to Sonoma and…
My Cougar Town Wine
But first, why I like Cougar Town (bare with me, I do have a point here) I’m not afraid to admit it; I like the show Cougar Town. There I said it. It’s out there to the world. One of my oldest and closest friends, Allison, got me into the show last year during its…
Bordeaux Wine Series, Part I
… Plus the winner of my Wine Essentials Giveaway contest! Throughout this past summer I was able to teach quite a few wine classes that introduce various important wine regions of the world. My goal when I teach these classes is to do my best to introduce participants to the regions, provide them with key…
WillaKenzie, Aquariva and a Great Food & Wine Pairing
Trying to explore as much Oregon as I can before moving to the Northeast, I accepted an invitation to a wine and food pairing lunch a couple weeks back hosted by WillaKenzie Estate Winery. Lunch consisted of a five-course food and wine pairing prepared by Chef Andy Arndt of Aquariva that turned out to be…
Cupcake Vineyards
Sometimes grocery store wines can truly surprise me. It’s rare, but it does happen. Take the case of Cupcake Vineyards. In all honesty I’ve seen these wines lately displayed in large stacks at the grocery store. When I see wines displayed like this I typically pass them over, assuming they’re just some un-quaffable mass-produced grocery…
#WAMerlot: Merlot’s Big Night
Last Thursday Josh Wade from the blog Drink Nectar, with the help of a few other bloggers and tweeters, organized a worldwide twitter tasting in honor of Washington Merlots titled #WAMerlot, further validating in the wine world the growing power of twitter. The goal was simple, get a bottle (or many) of Washington Merlot, drink…
Seeing red for the first time: Wine Blogging Wednesday #67
Wine Blogging Wednesday (WBW), created by Lenn Thompson from The New York Cork Report, encourages bloggers to write a post based on a selected theme of the month chosen by a rotating host. This month marks WBW #67, but the sixth I have participated in, and is hosted by Joe Roberts at 1 Wine Dude,…
Meeting Tom Mackey from St. Francis Winery…
… and a stroll down memory lane Most wine lovers have quite a few bottles of wine that they would categorize as “most memorable” wines. Some have many, others have one or two. I’d have to say I've had many great wines in my life, but few have left a mark on me that I…
Pinot, Pinot, and more Pinot!
A couple of Willamette Valley ‘07’s and an intro to an ‘08 I promised myself I wouldn’t use this blog to rant on and on about my thoughts around the endless stream of negative comments about Willamette Valley Oregon’s 2007 vintage, so I won’t. Sparing you said endless rant, I do need to say this,…
Oregon Zinfandel to Pair With an Oregon Snow Storm!
This month for Wine Blogging Wednesday #65 wine bloggers were asked by Michelle Lentz from the blog Wine-Girl to write about “Snow Day Wines”: “I want you to look out your window and imagine Snow. Snowmen, snow balls, igloos, snow trucks, snow … cold, cold snow. Then I want you to imagine what that makes…
Yes, Twitter Can Generate Revenue For Your Winery!
I’ve read arguments up and down, left and right, about social media and wineries, specifically whether it is beneficial for a winery to use Facebook or Twitter to promote their brand, and more importantly whether or not it helps to generate revenue, and all I have to say is “why not”? It’s free, and it…
Thanksgiving Wine Pairing & Buying Guide
Right around this time of the year many people begin to stress about what wines to pair with Thanksgiving dinner. If you’re one of those people, you’re not alone. It can be daunting when thinking about what to pair with all of the many dishes that go into this celebratory meal. When it comes to…
Ideas To Get You Through Winter
It’s no big secret that I’m not a fan of winter. The Holiday Season? Yes, of course I love that, but once January hits, it seems as if it’s just long months of cold, darkness, and long hours spent anxiously awaiting next summer to arrive while daydreaming of tropical beaches and Mai Tais. A couple…
A Grape By Any Other Name… Is it Spätburgunder or is it Pinot Noir?
Wine Blogging Wednesday, created by Lenn Thompson from Lenn Devours: The New York Cork Report, encourages bloggers to write a post based on a selected theme of the month chosen by a rotating host. This months Wine Blogging Wednesday (#62 officially, but only #2 for me) is hosted by Dale Cruse from the blog Drinks…
Wrapping up summer value wines ’09
Rumor has it that summer is winding down to an end here in Portland. As much as I am in denial about this I’ve realized all good things must (eventually) come to an end. This is sad for me since I am summers biggest fan and believe there are few people in the world who…
Anne Amie Vineyards, At The Source
This is my first time participating in “Wine Blogging Wednesday”. When hearing about this months theme, tasting and experiencing a wine "At The Source", I had no excuse to pass it up being that I live within an hour from two world class wine regions (The Willamette Valley and The Columbia Gorge)… Although I do…
New wines worth exploring… this time from Greece
Coincidence? I think not. Studying for the Court of Master Sommelier Certified exams can be daunting. It takes a lot of time, patience, and focus. So much to learn and so little guidelines on what specifically to focus on. Yes, there are prep courses out there to help, but none were located near me (not…
