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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Summer months generally are not my ideal time to be cracking into Cabernet Sauvignons.   As most know, Cabernet Sauvignons can be big, bold and ever-tannic red wines.   The tannins typically dehydrate me which is the last thing that I seek during hot sultry summer evenings.    Depending on the American Viticultural Area (“AVA”), Cabernet Sauvignon grapes […]

Each week this month Napa Valley seemingly receives a tease of warmer spring weather to only fall short and experience another swath of cool rainy days.   While this pattern seemingly places a taunting hold on warmer weather, it continues to provide ideal temperatures to comfortably enjoy red wine. Claret (pronounced Klar-it) is generally a red […]