My visit to France was orchestrated through Quintessential Wines and Georges Duboeuf Wines. Every bit of it had to do with meeting owners and/or winemakers for each place visited, in formal or informal settings, and sometimes both. All were located in the Beaujolais region of France, starting in the north and then moving southward. Time […]

My theme is TERROIR. The 1,686 words are missing here that I wrote, at one point. Terroir ~ The Most Complex Segment of Wine. This blog posting is more of a pictorial representation. The link to my story is a bit long, yet all of these images play a very important role in Terroir, according […]

How's everyone in wine country doing? Nothing But A Musing Here If ever I was musing… My wine blog… it's taken a hit this year from my usual self. I don't even know how I feel anymore. There's so much more going on in my personal life; the death of my mother-in-law, a child of […]

It's been since June 3, 2020, that I've been able to actually journal about wines I've been enjoying. I've never stopped notetaking, it's just that Covid, Black Lives Matter, and now the election have just taken over, while the world continues to really swirl around. Lots of personal passions and challenges; this also included some […]...

With Wings on his feet, Episode 6 leads you quickly from past Episodes of Kerry Damskey, a global brave and daring winemaker, to now Three Corners being explained as ONE VISION | ONE WINEMAKER | THREE TERROIRS: ISRAEL CALIFORNIA COSTA RICA   Episode 6 – Kerry Damskey & Three Corners Wine Episode 6 is a […]

With Fodor's Travel Guides, we can explore world regions from the eyes, ears, and penmanship of regional writers. Many of our own decisions are based on the reviews in print and online, about these fabulous and global places of interest. USA Europe Africa and Middle East Asia Australia and The Pacific Canada Caribbean Mexico and […]

What Varietal is That? A Beginners Guide to the Most Important Grape Varieties, written by Darby Higgs, is a great little reference book… something you take with you on trips into wine land places, to keep check of seeing the grape leaves, clusters, and vines, while reading about them and taking notes right then and […]

Where does one begin, once the story ends? After Corkscrew and Brut Force, I wondered where it would go next. The answer is Firing Blancs. Other wine novels by Peter Stafford-Bow are Corkscrew and Brut Force, which are based in the United Kingdom. Firing Blancs, on the other hand, is based on the other side […]

It's been a while since I've shared information about other wine writers. There certainly has been a cadre of new people, I just haven't been as aggressive as I was when I first started my blog, spending weekends and then scheduling for the week, as I did, starting in 2005. It was pre small and […]

EDITORIAL: How many of you are left in wine country as non-believers in the power of masks? I haven't had writers' block, unless you call being tired of typing more words as some kind of block. I've been writing this thing since 2005, and how many ways can anyone explain Chardonnay? With my total verbiage, […]

Let's just say, I have stories I can tell and some I can't. It would rock the wine world with disclosures. So, yes, from a personal perspective it exists. I have a blended marriage, I married the love and light of my life, who also happens to be Puerto Rican. Our love is quite private, […]

This is the fourth annual wine label competition for the Georges Duboeuf winery, in Beaujolais, France. It's wonderful that winner Maeve Croghan is currently living and working in the Mendocino, California area, where she teaches and exhibits… She's almost a neighbor to my Geyserville location, which means I'll get to visit with her in the [&...

New Air meets old air, in this charming house under some renovations. There's a sense of renewed spirit passing through. Old houses can hold such historical charm and a lingering culture of the times that each family has lived there, along the way. Around the homes are treasures of the past, with elements of metal, […]

Pinot, Pinot, Pinot; we're all pretty turned onto this one, right? After "Sideways, we all wanted to taste Santa Barbara Pinots, right? The following 2016 Lucas & Lewellen Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County, now defines Pinot in Santa Babara for me. Smooth, silky, and as delicate as violet flower petals. LOUIS LUCAS TENDS THE […]...

Kerry Damskey talked about his first adventure into Costa Rica in Episode 4, with his new partner and friend Niv Benyehuda. Together they create Nana. SIDEBAR FROM NIV'S WEBSITE: Niv, married to Costa Rican artist, Karen Retana Benyehuda, and father of Lee, Ben, and Dean grew up on the gentle shores of the warm Mediterranean […]

[Photo of Valrie Rousselle from Rendez Vous Magazine] 38 Wine Related Movies ~ Time on your hands or need to stay connected? Covid 19 Survival A GOOD YEAR Starting at the top, I don't have to watch A Good Year. It's a personal favorite. I believe I've already watched it at least 20 times. It's […]

Very interesting E-Mail from Vinum Hadrianum: the exact wine the Roman Emperors drank With my team at Vinum Hadrianum, we produce wines concerning tradition, trying to revive the legendary Vinum Hadrianum, one of the seven renowned crus of the Roman Empire, from Atri, Abruzzo. SIDEBAR: Atri is the setting of the poemThe Bell of Atriby […]

[PHOTOS: gratis Clos Hirissou] The greatest joy of starting PS I Love You, the advocacy group for Petite Sirah, has been the people I've met along the way. People from all over the world have contacted me about Petite, and this is the most recent communication, during the last 18 years of relationships. This one […]

SUBTITLE: Wine Blogs Then (2005) and Wine Blogs Now (2020) ~ 15-year perspective THEN In 2004, as a wine publicist, I had heard rumblings about an Alder Yarrow. It seems he had a wine blog called Vinography. I had heard about Web 2.0, and this guy was doing it. Hum, I'll have to check this […]

A piece of my heart was deliberately left in Chianti Country, during a visit to Tuscany, with the Bluest Sky Import Group. A life-altering education, every time I've headed out to "be there," smell the terroir, feel the earth, see the vines, taste the wines, and ask questions (even if some sound like I just […]

It's not always easy, and may even be more challenging, once we all get back to work… if the work is even there. I can give you that. Knowing how to play the "A-type Woman Brings Around the A-Type Man" isn't always a cakewalk, either. A lot of it has to do with the emotional […]

Heads up if you don't know the laws about giving away "free" wine. I can hardly believe how many wine companies are trying to keep their businesses afloat with enticements, now, given the pandemic, and free wine seems to be one of the top motivations. I learned the laws a long time ago, because my […]

Lucas & Lewellen sustainably crafted is just so fine is not an overstatement, it's what I've experienced and happy to write about it. First, I got the wine. Next, I tasted it, and found it to be really lovely. The elements of femininity really shined through. Then I discovered Lucas & Lewellen has a female […]

[PHOTO: Kerry Damskey's image of the Costa Rica property.] Kerry Damskey is the proprietor of Terriors, Inc., which couldn't be a more appropriate name for what he's doing. From his Website declaration: With over 30 years experience, Kerry Damskey has created the first fully integrated and holistic wine consulting team in the wine business, applyin...

I don't usually report on real estate in the wine industry. I've just watched – for nearly 30 years – so many wineries changing hands, fading into the sunset, changing the name due to notoriety, the failings of venture capitalism, no legacy planning, etc.. It really is the game of Monopoly, with each county having […]

[All images in this blog posting are the property of Bruno Paillard. Please do not copy..] If you've missed the latest harvest results for Champagne this year, I'm going to share it with you. Having been in France this past August, I can only imagine the struggles that they felt (extreme heat and grapes of […]

During this year, I wanted to give our Diaz Communications Innovator of the Year Award to someone very deserving, which has now happened. Before I could even announce it, though, a press release came out with Rebecca Hopkins‘ name as being a finalist in another Innovator of the Year Award. Beck, as she likes to […]

During this year, I wanted to give our Diaz Communications Innovator of the Year Award to someone very deserving, which has now happened. Before I could even announce it, though, a press release came out with Rebecca Hopkins' name as being a finalist in another Innovator of the Year Award. Beck, as she likes to […]

Hoping to make this an annual event, Emily Martin has announces her first "Pinots & Plaid." I know my tartan, do you? I also know a few things about Pinot, and I can combine that with a kilt any day of the week. I'm a happy Scottish camper, with DNA from the MacQuarrie Clan! MacQuarrie […]

WINE BOOKS Some wine books you can't put down. They're exciting novels that are edgy, a bit naughty at times, and sucking you in ~ every second ~ for "more." High voltage… Then there are other wine books that are slowly savored, in sound bites. Remember the days of getting ready for a book report? […]

Yes, I could say this for any wine growing region in the world. I'm just going after the two most talked about, to get your attention. Now, down to business. For anyone who changed the terminology from global warming to climate change, I believe the process slowed down more than a bit. Now, thanks to […]

On December 29, 1992, I came up the 101 freeway (from SFO) with my husband, two of my three children (the oldest was in her final year at Bowdoin College, so she stayed put), three cats, and one dog. All that was left was for the moving truck to catch up, with all of our […]

Sonoma County has officially been named 2019 Wine Region of the Year by Wine Enthusiast for the magazines 20th annual Wine Star Awards. So, what does that mean to the region? Everything… Everything they've ever done, by everybody, in every way. The western world is at least trying to catch up with eastern philosophies as […]

STORY ABOUT THIS INCREDIBLE LABEL I work in one of the most balanced industries in the world, and one of the most ancient: wine. The more I know, the more I know I don't know. (That's a balance, right?) This wine business began with balance ~ The balance of science and art. If wine isn't […]

This has been a long time coming, as I got Sipping Away, 30 Years of Unique Wine Experiences, by David Klein, just before I traveled to France. I took the book with me and read in flight. I was headed to Beaujolais, and all of a sudden I was reading about it… that the winemakers […]

When visiting a winery, to capture its heart and soul – as is my custom – it's helpful if I know very little about it, going into the discoveries. I don't want to rewrite anything, except actual factuals… And then, what I see it in nuances: what I feel from its aura, what touches my […]

Beaujolais Introduction Some of you may have heard of Beaujolais, France, while others of you may not. For those who haven't, Beaujolais is a wine growing region in eastern France. This photo was taken at La Madone Chapel in Fleurie, looking down on the Fleurie commune. The only red grape grown in Beaujolais is the […]

Sonoma County Vinters are finding their groove, and their auction lots continue to expand and better more exciting for consumers. All of these lots are to benefit Sonoma Countys largest charitable fundraiser. I'm going to just print their press release, since it's so succinct. Santa Rosa, CA (Aug 28, 2019) Today, the Sonoma County […]...

When I began working with Suisun Valley, some 14 years ago, I was taken to one section of a vineyard, where Napa Valley crosses over into Suisun Valley. I was shown the northern part of the road (Napa Valley side) and was told the grapes from the same contiguous vineyard were selling for $3,000 a […]

When I first came to California, I had solid PR credentials. With 11 years in WBLM radio broadcasting as their publicist, I knew all about radio broadcasting and not only creating, but also keeping their public file. What I didn't have was the slightest knowledge about wine. Still, I was ready to take it on. […]

PHOTO: Taken in the Beaujolais region of France, at the Georges Duboeuf's Chateau, in Romaneche-Thorins, France. Georges Duboeuf is the highly regarded founder of Les Vins Georges Duboeuf. These are all of my own images from my trip to Beaujolais, with the exception of Wine Folly's map. Beaujolais 101 ~ A TOP TEN Primer Pronounced: […]...

PREFACE: THE HEART OF THE DEAL ~ THE WINERY: info is coming from the company's own statements I can't make up their history Nor am I to try THE SCIENCE OF THE DEAL ~ WINEMAKING THE SOUL OF THE DEAL ~ SAMPLE Imported by LLS (Leonardo LoCascio Selections), a member of The Winebow Group) Creative […]

Once upon a time, I was an artist. Making very intricate jewelry. When it came time to sell it, I fell short of being able to say, "Isn't that just beautiful! It would look so GREAT on you." I just couldn't do it. "Buy it or not, it's your decision; it will find a home." […]

Who: PS I Love You What: Masters of Petite: Petite Sirah Panel, Tasting, & Walk-Around Reception When: Sunday, July 14, on Bastille Day, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Where: Copia, Napa Valley Why: Celebrating our French Love Child Petite Sirah's Heritage While the carefree days of Dark & Delicious are now but a drifting memory, there's […]...

Connecting Art to Wine, Before Even Tasting the Wine   I've wine samples to taste; a lot of samples to taste. Life just backs up the volume, as I work on balancing every to-do. At my present age, my grandmother… and then my mother… were taking long naps during the day. I'm not sure what's […]

We read titles like, "Spring into Summer with Great White Wines." We do eat differently in differing seasons, but do our wine choices really vary, very much? When it's time to think about wine choices, I don't know about you but I think "food," and then I think "wine," and vice versa – wine and […]...

Perhaps a bit late to the party, but an issue that's still near and dear to my heart, having worked and walked in Mondavi's To-Kalon Vineyard. During that time, I was aware that we, at Robert Mondavi, were sharing that vineyard land with other wine companies, too, under contracts. When I heard that Constellation brands […]

I had just received an Email from the CBD Awareness project, as they're scouring for CBD advocates. I've had an earlier thought about this issue on my blog. I'm on record. Then, I found myself in a discussion with a legend winery owner, and decided to share what I think. This vintner was truly frightened, […]

This one reminds me of Willamette Valley's Oak Knoll Winery. Being the exclusive partner of Portland's popular Rose Parade, as regards wine, Oak Knoll Winery conducts an annual, label design contest. The inspiration, actualization, anticipation, and gratification for everyone in the process takes on a life of its own, until announced. It's a lot si...

Another Platform Helping Wine Brands Get to Far Away Places Tier3 Global: Your Go-to-Market Platform Now you can distribute wine to all 50 states, legally, if you can't already… From a query to my E-Mail account: Now producers of all sizes have an additional way to get their brands to market and sell them through […]