For those who love sparkling wine, they know best that no matter the time, the meal or the event that life is simply better with Bubbles.  It matters not how extravagant the pairing (or to the contrary, how mundane), when paired with a glass of sparkling wine there is an added dash of festivity and […]

Last week I made a feigned attempt to resist featuring a sparkling wine under the excuse that I had commenced the month of July with some bubbles.   This week, however, commences a new month that is destined to be filled with adventure, fun and coastal excursions.  With much scheduled ahead in my monthly calendar, it […]

The 4th of July holiday weekend brought hot, dry weather to Napa Valley.  Folks slowly motored up and down Highway 29, taking in the beauty of the valley itself and wandering into wineries on whim.   While the crowds filled houses known for its Cabernet Sauvignon or feisty Zinfandel, with the sun baking the valley floor […]

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 […]

Throughout the summer and fall, articles have appeared seemingly left and right pondering the outcome of the 2010 growing season and what it will mean for Napa Valley wines.   Residents, hospitality staff and winemakers alike sat and nibbled their fingernails in nervous anticipation of 2010 harvest and collectively shivered through an unseasonably chilly summer.   While […]