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Wine 'term-enology'
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008
I used to be intimidated going to wine bars and wineries where terms and lingo were tossed out left and right. I would nod my head in great lemming form without a clue as to what I was acknowledging. At times I felt as if another language was being spoken. I certainly did not want to ask what something meant and risk the silent "I can't believe you asked that" stares from the "experts" around me. Full story »
Winery of the Month: Clos Pepe Vineyards
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008
A few weeks ago, two members of our Off the Charts wine club and myself decided to go on a wine-tasting road trip through the Santa Ynez, Los Olivos and Santa Maria areas. During the week before our trip, I was trying to plan ahead on my articles and called Wes Hagen, vineyard manager and winemaker at Clos Pepe Vineyards of Santa Rita Hills fame, about a future article. Full story »
Russ Briley's picks of the month
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008
2006 Clos de los Siete, Malbec blend, Argentina (Uco Valley) Best Clos 7 yet; " the '06 shows excellent young aromas of charcoal, black pepper and blackberry. The palate preserves that coffee-driven blackness as it zeroes in on blackberry and cassis flavors. Great value for the money; a blend of malbec, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and syrah." Full story »
Screening includes treats for the palate
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008
When a group of French wine judges inadvertently honored a Napa Valley chardonnay over one crafted by a fellow countryman, it was the cork "pop" heard 'round the wine world Full story »
'Bottle Shock,' a real-life wine tale, bears fruit for writer
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008
Bill Pullman lowers his voice when he confesses he's not really a wine guy. Not his fault. "I lost my sense of smell when I was in my early 20s. So it affects my ability to really determine the nuances. It's like golfing for me, I can only joke at it or cheat," the actor said in a recent call from Chateau Montelena in the northern end of Napa Valley. Full story »
Students invent wine cork replacement
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008
UC Davis students have invented a way to bottle wine that combines the breathability of cork with the reliability and convenience of a screw cap. Full story »
Vino events: Places to go, things to taste
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008
Sept. 3: Grand opening of Nordstrom store at The Oaks shopping center in Thousand Oaks will be celebrated with cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and music by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, 7 p.m. Benefit for the Alliance for the Arts and Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Required tickets: 449-2590. Full story »
Newest generation sees no reason to be intimidated by wine
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008
In his long blue lab coat, a shirt and bow tie, and a pair of wool, chalk-striped blue suit pants that probably belong to his father, Gabriel Clary strikes a slightly improbable figure in the wine department at Corti Brothers in Sacramento. Full story »
Vino events: Places to go, things to taste
Thursday, July 24, 2008
July 25: Cask of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. 29th Anniversary Ale will be tapped for service starting around 5 p.m. at J.J. Brewsky's in Old Town Camarillo. 482-5249.
July 26-27: 15th annual Oxnard Salsa Festival, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Plaza Park at Fifth and C streets. Free parking and admission, http://www.oxnardsalsafestival.com.
July 26: Live wine auction serves as a preamble to A Taste of Camarillo, 5 to 9 p.m. at Adolfo Camarillo Ranch House in Camarillo. 278-6272 or http://www.meadowlarkserviceleague.com.
July 26: Silver Stone Wines poured for tasting from 5 p.m. at The Magical Kitchen in Simi Valley. 527-3000 or http://www.themagicalkitchen.com.
Full story »Dry Creek zin: master Mazzocco Winery
Thursday, July 24, 2008
In January, my wife and I were lucky enough to get selected in a lottery for the Dry Creek Passport Wine Festival. The Sonoma County festival, in the Dry Creek region, is held annually the last weekend of April. A lottery is held to make sure the event is not overcrowded. This year it was limited to about 4,800 people. At the two-day event, 43 wineries participated. Full story »
Enliven your wine wardrobe with new summer whites
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Summer is when people turn to white wines — and these days, that doesn't have to mean chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. Full story »
Time for those summer whites
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Number 72 on Wine Enthusiast's top 100 best buys, scoring 90 points. The magazine said: "The nose on the 06 sings a pretty tune, backed by aromas of white fruits, candle wax and flower blossoms." Full story »
Sale pending for landmark Napa Valley winery
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Chateau Montelena, which shocked the wine world in 1976 when it beat French vintages in a famous Paris tasting, is expected to be sold, officials close to the deal said this week. The buyer? The owner of a Bordeaux estate. Company executives released a joint statement saying talks were in progress between Michel Reybier, owner of Chateau Cos d'Estournel in Bordeaux, and Chateau Montelena founder Jim Barrett for a sale, pending regulatory approval. Full story »
Planning your first food-wine pairing dinner
Thursday, July 24, 2008
My wife and I just had our third annual wine pairing dinner with 10 of our closest friends. I believe it was our best effort, only because we learned so much from our first two and other dinners we have attended. You can build your menu one of two ways. In our first dinner, we planned the meal and then searched for wines that would match the dishes. By our third, we decided on a French theme, picked the wines we wanted to serve and planned the menu around them. Full story »
Grilling? Get out the corkscrew
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Aw, don't go to all the trouble of dragging out the grill, cleaning it, oiling it and spending blistering hours creating your masterpiece of the barbecue arts — and then serve it with beer. Full story »
