A Free Wine Encyclopedia!Vouvray is situated on the north bank of the Loire river just 6 miles north of the town Tours (If you ever find yourself in Tours, be sure to lunch at the Hotel de Bordeaux. The food is exquisite). Vouvray is considered the best appellation in the Loire Valley. The 3,950 acres that constitute the… read more »
What do you get when you cross an entrepreneur and a negociant? Vanino Wine Cellars. Steve Vagnino (drop the g for pronunciation) decided while in a hospital bed in 1985 that he was going into the wine business. What is interesting is that Steve is a native of St. Louis, Missouri and when he found… read more »
Natchitoches, Louisiana, founded in 1714, is a quaint, historic town, planted on the scenic, majestic Cane River. It is a town with a sense of true Southern Comfort. The film, “Steel Magnolia” was shot here. Martha Maynard, our charming office manager, is from Natchitoches, and when you call our W.O.M. office, your ears will cuddle-up… read more »
If you want history, try to read the label on this bottle. Some correlation! But here is the current story of this winery. Proprietor Dr. Douglas Cartwright has actually been growing grapes for many years on his spacious ranch in Northern Sonoma County, having planted 34 acres there in 1964. Prior to the 1984 harvest… read more »
“Madam,” the ancient proverb says… “That one rich drop of honey sweet, As an alluring luscious treat, Is known to tempt more flies by far, Than a whole tun of vinegar.” St. Francis de Sales 1821 You guessed right. Honey is our subject this month. The quote was a favorite of King Henry IV, and… read more »
Caché means “hidden” in French… and I guess it is as good a name as any for this winery. It is located on a remote dirt road west of Davis, California. A great place to be! University of California-Davis has the best enology department in the country. The cellars were established in 1978, by Charles… read more »
A new California winery with an old name appeared on the horizon in 1986. This is not the giant Sebastiani Vineyards in Sonoma of jug wine fame! (and some occasional premium wines worth considering). This is Sam J., the grandson of the founder, who has struck out for himself. Sam was raised with wine. He… read more »
A new California winery with an old name appeared on the horizon in 1986. This is not the giant Sebastiani Vineyards in Sonoma of jug wine fame! (and some occasional premium wines worth considering). This is Sam J., the grandson of the founder, who has struck out for himself. Sam was raised with wine. He… read more »
This zinfandel comes from a zinfandel specialist. He is one of very few California winemakers who prefer to produce only one kind of wine. In the case of Harold Duffer, his love is zinfandel. But he has more loves than that: he loves his winery in Plymouth, California enough to commute 487 miles, about twice… read more »
It is a little unsettling to write this column for the holidays, as I must think ahead when I know I am not emotionally ready for the holidays. That always begins after Thanksgiving. My benchmark is Halloween, when I begin thinking of Thanksgiving. The way merchandising is going these days, I fear Halloween will soon… read more »