When reading the May issue of Wine Business Monthly, I smiled when I saw Dan Martin of Martin Ranch featured as part of their “Winemaker of the Month” series. His story of how he transitioned from grocer to winemaker is worth a read. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake had [...]

We can all agree that “Wine Country” in California pretty much applies to nearly everywhere that grapes are grown. No matter where you live in this great state, many wine tasting rooms are within easy reach, except right now.  This pandemic has certainly put the kibosh [...]

You may not be able to book a table at one of San Francisco’s famed eateries, but Carolyn and John Aver are making it possible for you to take cooking lessons from the renowned chef at one of them, right in your own home.  On Sunday, May 3, at 4pm, the public is invited [...]

We gotta look for some good news here. Let’s celebrate the good results for local wineries that entered the Monterey International Wine Competition, held March 14 in King City.  Alara Cellars scored Gold for the 2017 Cabernet Pfeffer, and silvers for the 2017 Barbera, [...]

Everyone knows Guglielmo Winery, perhaps for its estate Zinfandel or Petite Sirah, the latter soon to be on local Trader Joe’s shelves.  Assistant winemaker Niklas (Nik) Zorn is not just about making old world style wines from Santa Clara fruit, though. He looks far and [...]

What could be better than a great Pinot Noir? How about four of them?  Hailing from as far away as San Luis Obispo and Russian River, and as near as the Santa Cruz Mountains, these wines really speak of place, and of winemaker Christian Roguenant’s eagerness to make them [...]

The Wineries of Santa Clara Valley have decided to discontinue their Spring and Fall Passport program in favor of a year-round Wine Trail Pass, which allows visitors a lot more flexibility to plan their visits. Instead of just two months out of the year, the Wine Trail Pass, [...]

Sofia Fedotova, co-owner of Lightpost Winery in Morgan Hill, thought it would be great to commemorate their first year with a time capsule. And, of course, a party. “We had a small, wonderful reception with everyone having a great time, sharing stories, nibbling on yummy [...]

The holidays are a chance to make the world smaller as we open hearts and homes to family and friends and, hopefully, to perfect strangers as well. This Thanksgiving, I met cousins from Germany I didn’t even know I had, and unsurprisingly, we bonded over wine. It’s the [...]

Harvest 2019 seemed endless to many. At last, it’s finally over. John Aver of Aver Family Vineyards finally brought in cinsault, mourvedre and petite sirah. Of 2019, he said, “I like the quality of the fruit, and acids and sugars seemed very balanced for the most part, but [...]