This past week Napa Valley has received the gift of unseasonably warm temperatures with seemingly never ending warm rays of sun.   The leaves on the grape vines have peaked and in certain American Cultural Areas (“AVAs”) such as Yountville and Carneros, autumnal colors literally carpet the landscape.   Wandering in among the vines, (as depicted in […]

Of course the answer to the title of this week’s article is “yes”.   Your eyes did not deceive you.   Italy, despite its prowess with all things Sangiovese and Super-Tuscan, does grow grapes specifically to produce Burgundy style red wines.  Before you race to your corner wine shop ready to stump the local clerk or armed […]

In the world of wine, as most know, there is no legal definition for “proprietary red”.   Largely ambiguous when used in relation to a wine, the word “proprietary” infers a sense of exclusive right by the winery to the goodness that waits in that bottle and generally reflects a unique craftsmanship that a winery is […]

As the sun’s late October golden afternoon rays catch the warm autumnal hues that paint surrounding vineyards, it is easy to get lost in Napa Valley’s immediate surrounding beauty and even catch your cheeks with a seasonally fitting crimson blush.   Napa Valley is romantic in many respects but spending fall here will bring out the […]

With autumn in full swing, colorful leaves begin to adorn grape vines in Napa Valley and in the rest of the country paint the treetops of skylines to only fall poetically to the ground.   Autumn’s palette fills with orange, yellow, burgundy red, crimson red and brown to create warm hues on leaves previously kissed by […]