SALUD... to a happy MALBEC WORLD DAY! Today is the day to lift our glasses, with Malbec of course, and celebrate the grape that made Argentina famous, and the many wonderful people who worked hard to see this dream realized... so we could enjoy this extraordinary wine...
At home. Just took this 16 year old vintage out of the cellar. Anyone want to join me? The fruit is still very fresh, now with the delicateness of age. Château La Chapelle 1999 Bordeaux.
It is a beautiful evening of Pinot Noir Wine Tasting from remarkable CALIFORNIA wine regions... Los Carneros AVA, Sta. Rita Hills AVA, Central Coast AVA, Santa Maria Valley AVA, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, and Russian River Valley AVA... and Paul Hobbs Winery has done...
Here is the opening photo spread to the Patagonia Section of Exploring Wine Regions Argentina book. I felt the clouds gave nice movement to the composition as well as for the meaning of "WINEMAKERS OF THE WIND" which is so characteristic of Patagonia. Photo is of the...
Remember... #8 Best Wine in The World for 2014 by Wine Spectator? It was the 2012 Brewer-Clifton, Sta. Rita Hills, Pinot Noir (Santa Barbara, California). I am with owner Crystal Clifton tasting her next vintage, which is now the 2013 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir... and...
I have not yet written about my visit to the Miras Winery in Rio Negro Patagonia. This is a family enterprise led by Marcelo Miras wife Sandra and his son Pablo Miras, almost incognito inside a winery with the name Estepa written on the outside wall. You definitely...
BUD BREAK on Old Zinfandel Vines in the Dry Creek Valley AVA... sure makes springtime beautiful in the vineyards! Dry Creek is just outside of Healdsburg in the Sonoma County Wine Region in California. Life begins again for a new year's growth, each bud contains all...
The newest winery under construction in Patagonia is also in a new region of Neuquen, along the Rio Limay. Gonzalo Estigarribia showed me his new Bodega Fincas Del Limay, making his first harvest of Pinot Noir grapes. Gonzalo inspects the grape clusters carefully...
Beyond The Grape... is Rappelling Off The Cliff... with Patagonia Mountain. This is crazy adrenalin fun!!! The view of the Rio Negro and the valley is spectacular. Meet my wild new friends, and rappelling instructor extraordinaire, Luciano Pesce!
And so I thought I was really not interested in Chardonnay... until Agustin Ezequiel Lombroni, winemaker at Bodega Del Rio Elorza, showed me his very special 2013 Verum Chardonnay. 90% is aged for nine months in concrete tanks (no epoxy!) and 10% in used oak barrels....