It is a very special year for Sandeman. This year celebrates the 225th anniversary of this company’s existence. The company has released a very distinctive one-of-a-kind Tawny Porto known as Cask 33 in honor of this anniversary. One finds a single-cask limited edition Tawny Porto featuring wines of up to 70 years. The cask represents
Santa Barbara Wine Country is one of California’s hidden secrets. If you live in Los Angeles, it is an easy picturesque drive. Sometimes I feel like highway 101 is just pulling my car towards the Central Coast on its own. As I make the turn from the coast, drive through the tunnel and ascend into
What is in a wine label like First Crush? A wine label can draw you in making an impression visually that could inspire you to purchase a bottle of wine. It can tell a story that the winery or winemaker wants to share. In most cases, it is a symbol that makes you recognized that
Ever since discovering the wines of El Dorado County, I have been drawn to the region. One winery that came up on the radar after a media tour in 2013 is Illuminare Winery. What struck me about Illuminare’s red wine was its rich balance, elegance, and consistency. There is an opulent quality to every varietal
The name of a winery is not just a form of branding, but it can have significant meaning in describing the philosophy of each wine producer. Such is the case with David and William Vondrasek, owners/winemakers of Artisan Uprising. They are artisans in their own right, and like many small boutique wineries, they are rising
Thinking about the best sparkling wines to enjoy on Valentine’s Day, I remember my luncheon at Il Grano where I sampled Cava from Pere Ventura. These sparkling wines are ideally suited to toast the day with your loved one. Meeting the charismatic Pere Ventura Vendrell makes one understand why these wines are so befitting to
A love of his native land was what brought Leonardo Baccarelli to purchase the property that is now Roccafiore Winery in Todi, a town in the province of Perugia, situated in Umbria. The wines from this region are outstanding, and the wines from this winery are a true testament of what can be produced in
A vineyard is like a puzzle. Each block represents one of the pieces, and those, in turn, form a pattern that becomes the plot plan of the vineyard. There is a mystique behind the vineyard and every vine until each vintage comes to full fruition. In the case of Newton Vineyard, the puzzle has many
For a wine writer, discovering an absolutely superb wine is like finding nirvana. Add in the ingredients of a consistent portfolio of wine, an outstanding winemaker, and a magnificent and architecturally pleasing setting for a winery. Such was the case when I had the opportunity to visit with Mark Beringer at Artesa Winery located in
This article is intended for those over fifty who must endure the preparations required for a colonoscopy. Those under age fifty, medical guidance is advised. I originally wrote this humorous description of the colonoscopy preps when I had to cleanse my body prior to surgery in 2013. I am sharing it with you now