With the holiday weekend ahead, of all the wines that could be served in backyard barbeque celebrations, if the evening temperatures cool and are moderate then Zinfandel should be one within easy reach.   Widely planted throughout California, Zinfandel is the red varietal that perhaps comes in second presently to the famed Cabernet Sauvignon.   The varietals, […]

Temperatures warmed this past weekend in the Bay Area and back patio doors opened on Father’s Day to fittingly commence one of America’s greatest past times, barbequing.   Grills up and down my neighborhood block fired up and permeated the air with smoky aromas of charcoal and grilled meat.   Despite the warm sun, a cool breeze […]

Much of the country the last few weeks have been gripped by high heat temperatures yet summer weather has been slow to arrive in Northern California.   Like a pot rolling to a slow simmering boil, temperatures only just this week have reached into the 80’s throughout the Bay Area and may even flirt with the […]

While the rest of the nation has been enduring waves of high heat, the Bay Area and Napa Valley have been subjected to unseasonable weather with colder than average temperatures and precipitation ranging from rain to hail.   Even though in other parts of the country a summer rain storm might be welcome, the Bay Area […]

Elyse Winery’s (“Elyse”) 2005 Syrah may be long gone from the tasting room, but it is not forgotten:  particularly if you had the foresight to set some aside to cellar. Months ago, I brought a bottle of this gem to work on a Friday for an end of the day impromptu happy hour.  A co-worker […]