Woodinville has definitely become a must-visit destination in Washington wine country. Home of the state’s oldest, largest, and most well-known wineries, Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Winery, the Woodinville area is also home to over 90 wineries and tasting rooms, with new ones opening all the time. Woodinville now boasts the second largest concentration of […]

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2007 Michele Chiarlo Nivole Moscato d’Asti (semi-sparkling wine) from the Piedmont […]

Italy says it is #1 in wine production, although it admits it is a close race with France and depends on the vintage. France is #1 in wine exports and historically was #1 in production, too. Spain is #1 in acreage planted to grapes. United States is #1 in wine imports. Today, I’m going to […]

Last week in Texas Wine Country 2009, Part One, I shared with you my initial impressions of Texas wines in 2009 and how much better they are today than in 2002. Now after visiting a total of 23 wineries and tasting a total of 169 wines from 28 wineries, let me give you a summary […]

A few months ago, I saw a list of America’s most popular restaurant wines that was published in a post on the popular wine blog, Vinography: Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay Beringer Vineyards White Zinfandel Cavit Pinot Grigio Italy Sutter Home White Zinfandel Inglenook Chablis Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio Italy Yellow Tail Chardonnay Australia Copperidge Chardonnay […]

Our next excursion on our South Africa trip was a day trip to the wine farms of the Constantia Valley, a suburb of Cape Town. These wine farms are some of the oldest and most historical in the world outside of Europe, several dating back over 300 years. The setting is beautiful and serene with […]

3:30pm Dad (John) and I are here at the Wine Bloggers Conference in Sonoma County, California. We are just about to begin the Live Wine Blogging segment which will feature 14 wines from 14 wineries. We will update this post as we go. 3:36pm 2004 Bonterra The McNab (Mendocino, California): 60% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, […]

As gas prices climb higher and higher and your employer balks at that long-overdue pay raise, have you started looking for wines on sale at reasonable prices? Sure you have, but remember there is a big difference between a cheap wine and a bargain wine. A wine is only a bargain if it’s a good […]

We recently spent a long weekend in the Columbia Valley visiting a number of wineries, some we had visited years ago and others we had not previously visited. The Columbia Valley, established in 1984, is Washington State’s largest AVA (American Viticultural Area). Six other AVAs are located within the borders of the Columbia Valley AVA, […]

“…great Moscato d’Asti wines are made by Michele Chiarlo, whose ‘Nivole’ bottling is one of the best….” –Joseph Bastianich & David Lynch, Vino Italiano Now that June has arrived and summer is upon us, you may be on the lookout for a crisp, refreshing dessert wine. It’s time to leave the heavy desserts and heavy […]