Woman fingers with pen writing reminder Pi Day in calendar. Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th around the world.

Happy π Day!

3.14159265359… For those of us who have been out of math class for a while, as a refresher, π (pi – pronounced “pie”) is the mathematical constant that defines the ratio of of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Wait… What does this have to do with wine? Well,…

Red grapes on a vine in vineyard in Maryland, USA

Happy Maryland Wine Month!

The state of Maryland has documented winemaking beginning as far back as 1648, but sadly it wasn’t until almost 300 years later in 1945 when the state had its first winery open. The state of Maryland has 3 recognized AVAs & 4 distinct growing regions: Linganore AVA –…

Understanding Italy: Abruzzo

The Abruzzo wine region resides due south of Marche along the Adriatic Sea on the east coast of Italy.  Home to possibly the most fun grape name to pronounce: Montepulciano.  One more time, Mon-te-pul-ciano!  Just makes you want to talk with your hands as it rolls off your…

Understanding Italy: Marche

Le Marche wine region in Italy.  Located on the central eastern coast of Italy, and home to Cesare Mondavi (Father of Robert and Peter), this is a region sadly somewhat overshadowed on a global stage by its neighbors Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Abruzzo, and Umbria, yet in no short supply…

Understanding Italy: Super Tuscans

Super Tuscans are wines made in Tuscany, outside of the well known Chianti and lesser known Tuscan regions per DOC guidelines.  In the 1970s winemakers wanted to experiment with blending Sangiovese (the main regional variety) with the noble grapes of Bordeaux (and in a few cases Syrah from…

Silhouette of the state of Texas with TX written, overlaid on a wine Texan vineyard background

TX Wine Facts

For Texas Wine Month, we’d like to share some information on the Lone Star state’s wine industry.  Hopefully it will inspire you to check out some wineries on your next trip to the SXSW festival or whatever brings you to the great state of Texas! Texas has 7…

Beautiful midday scene of Red Mountain winegrowing region

Red Mountain AVA

Red Mountain is the smallest AVA in the state of Washington, hovering around 1600 hectares (~4,000 acres), with around 240 hectares cultivated for winemaking purposes. A sub-appellation of the Yakima Valley AVA (which in turn resides within the greater Columbia Valley AVA), Red Mountain’s unique geographical location allows…