Last summer, the husband and I moved away from the Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina after spending eight years watching the cities expand and their food scenes skyrocket off the heat-charts. Seriously, the New York Times is obsessed with the place! So I was excited to head back for the weekend in mid-September—my
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27 September, 2014
Finger Lakes 2013 Riesling Launch–Live! On Twitter and Facebook
Posted in : Riesling, Schloss Biebrech Sekt, White Wine, Wine, Wine Bloggers Conference 2015 on by : The Gourmez Tags: 2013, buitenverwachting rhine, chateau lafayette renaeu, dry, finger lakes, finger lakes wine alliance, glenora wine cellars, hosmer winery, launch, lindeman's bin 75, live, sparkling, sweet, sweidhs hill winery, talk-a-vino, tastingI hope it’s been a pleasant Saturday for you so far, readers. This is just a quick note to let you know that I’ll be participating in the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance’s launch of their 2013 Reislings in a short 3 hours from now, from 7 to 9 PM EST, which is 4 to 6
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26 September, 2014
Oak Farm Vineyards Winery Expansion!
Comments : 6 Posted in : Events, Tasting Rooms in Lodi - CA, Travel Guide for Lodi - CA, Travel Sponsored Stays and Tours, Wine on by : The Gourmez Tags: central california, estate, expansion, fishing, grand opening, lake, lodi, northern california, oak farm, tasting notes, tasting room, to visit, tourism, vineyards, wineryOak Farm Vineyards Winery (23627 Devries Road) is on its way to becoming the first of its kind in the Lodi, CA, appellation: a family-owned estate that offers the full experience of a large-scale destination winery, minus the glitzy hotel and pretension. I took part in a media preview of their new expansion, which will
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20 September, 2014
Sonoma Valley Portworks Petite Sirah Port 2007
Posted in : Bars and Tasting Rooms, Petite Sirah, Port, Tasting Rooms in Sonoma - CA, Travel Guide for Sonoma - CA, Wine on by : The Gourmez Tags: 2007, butterscotch, chocolate, clove, fig, petaluma, portworks, quini, review, sonoma, tasting notes, valley, vinegarSonoma Valley Portworks Petite Sirah Port 2007 Clarksburg, CA During my trip last spring to Petaluma, I picked up this bottle of port in a surge of jubilation that I had found a winery specializing in dessert wines (613 2nd Street in the Foundry Wharf building). Plenty of wineries offer one or a handful of
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18 September, 2014
NakedWines.com Advertising
Comments : 5 Posted in : Announcements on by : The Gourmez Tags: advertising, angels, crowdfunding, disclosure, discounts, exclusive, membership, naked wines, NakedWines.Com, wine club, wine online, winemakersYou may have noticed the little advertisement for $100 in free wine that’s been on the site recently—it’s right about there →. If you click on it and make a purchase or sign up to become an Angel at NakedWines.com, I’ll make a commission. Yep, you can click that one, too. That’s, of course, a big
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9 September, 2014
Mac & Cheese Night #4: Homeroom
Comments : 3 Posted in : Dining in Oakland - CA, Events, Restaurants on by : The Gourmez Tags: best of the bay, crab, dinner, homeroom, mac & cheese, mac & cheese night, macaroni and cheese, oakland, piedmont, Restaurants, reviewMy 4th Mac & Cheese Night took place at the East Bay’s prime mac & cheese destination along 40th Street in Oakland: Homeroom. Nearly every time I’ve mentioned my mac & cheese quest, I’ve been interrupted by an excited new acquaintance asking if I’ve tried Homeroom yet. Finally, FINALLY, I can say yes when asked.
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4 September, 2014
A Tour of Mission San Luis Obispo
Posted in : Travel Guide for San Luis Obispo - CA on by : The Gourmez Tags: california missions, de tolosa, docent tour, father serra, free, garden, history, juniperra serra, mission, museum, saint san luis obispo de tolosa, san luis obispo, slo, tips, tour, travel guide, visitI stayed over in San Luis Obispo for a day after the end of the 2014 Wine Bloggers Conference—I needed the time just to decompress and organize my thoughts before heading all the way back home. And I apparently needed to take a tour of Mission San Luis Obispo for some inspiration. I love discovering
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2 September, 2014
Cimarone Winery
Comments : 4 Posted in : Other Red Blends, Red Wine, Shiraz / Syrah, Tasting Rooms in Los Olivos - CA, Travel Guide for Los Olivos - CA, Wine Bloggers Conference 2014 on by : The Gourmez Tags: 3cv, andrew murray, cilla's blend, cimarone, le clos secret, los olivos, nose, priscilla higgins, reserve syrah, review, roger higgins, santa barbara country, shelley woods, tasting notes, tasting room, wbc14, wine tasting, wineryAt the tail-end of my 2014 Wine Bloggers Conference experience, I stopped in at Cimarone Winery. I’d heard of them through Twitter, as the winery’s social media (@cimarone) did a great job letting us bloggers know they were in nearby Los Olivos and would be offering a special tasting for us if we ever had
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