A Free Wine Encyclopedia!We have had some really fun wines the past few months, wines that lend themselves well to food. Many sales personnel use the term “this is a food wine” when trying to cover up some unusual characteristic. Most of them probably don’t understand what a “food wine” really is. It is much more than a… read more »
As in the rest of the wine making world, it seems each region in California takes on its own personality. Certain grapes tend to fair better in certain regions. The Mayacamas mountains for its big Cabernets, the central coast for its rich Pinot noir, the Carneros district for its luscious Chardonnay and Amador County for… read more »
As the French have their noble grapes of the respective regions, so do the Italians. In Bordeaux France, for instance, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Merlot are the noble grapes. In Italy, the three noble vines are Nebbiolo (responsible for Barolo and Barberesco etc.), Sangiovese (responsible for Chianti and Brunello di Montelcino… read more »
Chris Bogle is the fifth generation of Bogies to farm the fertile Sacramento River Delta region of northern California. In 1968, Chris helped his father, Warren, plant their first vineyard. Then, in 1973, they formed Bogle Vineyards. With nearly 650 acres under vine, the winery is virtually self sufficient in fruit. In some cases, however,… read more »
Bill and Ingrid Wheeler, owners of the William Wheeler Winery, met while Bill was posted in South America as a U.S. Foreign Service officer. In 1970 they bought a 175 acre Sonoma County ranch. They planted their first vineyard (Cabernet Sauvignon) during 1973-1974 and harvested their first grapes in 1975 (these they “sold off”). They… read more »
Hardys is Australia’s second largest wine producer. The company dates back to 1953, when Thomas Hardy, just 23 years old, founded Bankside Cellars, three miles from Adelaide in the then “Colony of South Australia”. Exhibiting a pioneering spirit, an excellent head for business and a natural flair for wine making, the energetic young man from… read more »
Paraiso Hot Springs are situated in the Santa Lucia foothills, 40 minutes south of Salinas in Northern California’s Monterey County. While establishing the Soledad Mission, Franciscan padres used the springs’ curative waters for healing purposes. The monks also planted early vineyards there. Two hundred years later (1973), current owner Richard Smith planted modern vineyards, eleven… read more »
The venerable French wine producing firm Moillard was founded in 1850 by Symphorien Moillard. It is now managed by the fourth and fifth generations, and remains a family owned and operated concern. While 60% of Moil-lard’s turnover is achieved in France, its wines are sold internationally in over 30 countries. The elite part of the… read more »
Cline Cellars is owned by a family whose name is a household word. About a century ago, six brothers pooled their resources to put the eldest one through college, a cultural tradition in Italy. The brothers immigrated to California. They took odd jobs, in the mines, for the railroads, even as farm laborers picking fruit… read more »
In the year 1647, on top of a hill that slopes down to the Mediterranean, in what is now the province of Cataluna (Catalonia) in Spain, someone constructed a farmhouse in the likeness of a mediaeval fortress. Two hundred years later, this imposing property became a winery, Las Cavas Jaume Serra. Surrounding the cavas (caves… read more »