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…
Understanding Italy: Super Tuscans
Don’t Tell the Kids… Candy Wine Pairings
Tonight, after all the hustle and bustle of Halloween comes to a close, it’ll be time to get the kids off to bed – then raid their stash! Oh? But what to pair with it all? After all, if you’re gonna raid their stash, you might as well…
Calistoga AVA
Situated in the northernmost reaches of Napa Valley is the sub-appellation of Calistoga. Established in 2010, Calistoga is the home to the highest rate of steep slopes to valley floor of any AVA, meaning warm to hot days, cooler evenings, better drainage from the soils, and subsequently higher…
Chocolate & Wine
Wine and chocolate… It sounds like heaven on Earth, but there are a few things to keep in mind with regards to this delectable combination to fully enjoy your experience. Often times people will auto-pilot red wine with their chocolate, paying no mind to things like the wine’s…
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…
Sideways (14 years later)
Today marks the 14th anniversary of the release of Sideways, a movie that boasts countless nominations and awards, as well as a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie’s success increased the attention and production of California Pinot Noir (a thin-skinned, temperamental grape – much like our protagonist Miles…
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…
Riedel Stemware Tasting Seminar Recap
At the end of last month, our whole staff had the pleasure of attending the Riedel tasting seminar at Dutton-Goldfield Winery in Sebastopol, CA. We enjoyed their Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah out of proper and improper stemware (complete with Lindt chocolates for pairing – more on…
Decoded: Wine Serving Temps
It is well-known and spoken about in the wine community: Americans drink their whites too cold; their reds too warm. While this is a grossly generalized statement, it exists for a reason. For example, when you dine out at a restaurant, the white wines are sitting in a…
