Sitting by the Port ‘o the Bay, Part 1

Winter is still holding, we’re reading, staring at our devices, watching TV, waiting for the days to get longer and, maybe, just quietly sipping a little after dinner port to get us through the long dark evenings.Rather rich and supple, stronger than...

New Year’s Ruminations

Here we are. It’s the dead of winter. Short dark days. Won’t see the neighbors until spring. Rainy, cold, and gray.I’m thinking, in the quiet of the evening, that I want to have a glass of something red, smooth, flavorful and satisfying to my mood....

Whoa! The Holidays are Here!

Wow, the holidays have rolled around again! They sneak up on me every year as if I didn’t know they were coming. So, what to do? Have a glass of sparkling wine! Most people would just say Champagne, but I don’t want the French coming after me. You can...

Who Put That Tar In My Wine?

A fair amount of people ask, rather timidly, if we put things mentioned in the tasting notes into the wines to get them to smell or taste like, say, cherries or grapefruit or cinnamon or, (I think the one that got the most incredulous comments) graphite. And, I say,...

Carménère – the Grape Mystére

Many people who come into the winery tell me they have never heard about Carménère, let alone how to say it. Others have heard of it, but don’t know anything about its interesting story. And, they, too, sometimes mutter and choke on the word. So let’s...