As June winds to an end, our days are seemingly longer accompanied by rays of light painting the sky with varied warm hues until long into the evening.   Aromas of ripening stone fruit and strawberries fill the air and the garden landscape is dotted with brightly colored blossoms of various vegetables yet to come.  […]

Summer … it has finally arrived in its entire splendor.   Bringing warm lazy afternoons and fresh fragrant ripening stone fruit, late June in Napa Valley always manages to deliver a sense that time has temporarily stopped and that the rest of the world is far away.   It is on days such as these that it […]

Memorial Day weekend looms ahead and May for many areas of the country (including Napa Valley) has been fraught with cooler temperatures and lingering rain.   Yet this week most of the country has suddenly been gripped with steamy hot summerlike temperatures and even Napa is hurrying to join such weather festivities and anticipating quickly reaching […]

There is an excitement in the air this week in Napa Valley.   Is it an exclusive, fancy event?  No.   Is it the presence of some major celebrity chef?   No.   It is the mere simple presence of… bud break!    The first of many tiny green leaves have emerged on the grape vines and signal a burst […]

Port, that pleasing after dinner wine, is best known for its sweeter and “fortified” representation of your favorite wine grape.  Like any other wine, no two ports are alike and can vary greatly.   First, there are four primary types of port:  (i) vintage (which is a single grape port and often very expensive); (ii) ruby […]