October is a month that typically involves lingering.   Knowing that the holidays loom ahead (and that those months are characterized by hustling, bustling, preparation, planning and more preparation) is enough incentive to take one’s time coasting through October.   Harvest activities are still on-going this year at most wineries due to the unseasonably chilly summer that […]

Every so often I like to feature a food and wine pairing that dispels the traditional safe notions that (i) white wine pairs with poultry and fish and (ii) red wine pairs best with red meat and pork.   While in many circumstances the traditional rule is best followed, a vast creative world awaits your departure […]

This past week Mother Nature gripped California in an angry heat wave as if to remind every “Doubting Thomas” statewide that wrathful heat was possible despite prior “cold” summer conditions.  Despite the climatic vengeance that ensued during the first official week of autumn, temperatures are now beginning to stabilize.   While oppressive heat may be uncomfortable […]

Autumn has arrived.   Some parts of the country are still experiencing unseasonably warm temperatures reminiscent of a typical Southern California autumn and yet Napa Valley is gently coasting into fall with cooler evenings, early rain showers and a sense that summer has been left behind with a sad wave in the rear-view mirror.   As much […]

For those who do not have the benefit of living in Napa Valley, it is often a mystery why it is that one year a wine can be outstanding from a vintner and the next year it can be drastically different.   Provided that the fruit is selected from the same vineyard and the vinification process […]