Little did I know that when we convened for the 2016 Vintage Port tasting, another Vintage Port declaration would follow in 2017. I was surprised to find an invitation to attend this year’s preview tasting in my inbox, and I can safely say that the pre-eminent Port producers represented — Symington, Fladgate, and Quinta do
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Quinta De La Rosa Extra Dry Non-Vintage White Port Douro, Portugal ABV 19.5% One of my surprises at last year’s Vintage 2016 Porto Tasting was being handed a tasting glass of Fonseca Extra Dry “Siroco” White Port. Readers, I am unashamed to admit that I did not know white port existed until that moment. As
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The Wine Road is a professional association of over 250 wineries and lodgings based in northern Sonoma County. At 40 years and counting, it’s rather long-lived for a California wine country organization! The Wine Road is also a Taste Award-winning, biweekly podcast from hosts Marcy Gordon and Beth Costa. Beth has been the executive director
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At summer’s onset, I took part in a press trip to Lodi, CA, a wine region I’ve become happily familiar with over the last year. Took part means I tried all the wines and enjoyed all the experiences mentioned in this post courtesy of the Visit Lodi tourism bureau – and I was not compensated
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Six months have passed since last year’s Wine Bloggers Conference in Lodi, but I’ve been wanting to write about one more experience from it ever since – the Wine Blogger Awards Banquet. It’s not the cheesy emceeing of Alan Kropf I want to highlight, though that cracked me up quite a bit. Nor was it
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I don’t know a lot about Washington wine. I’m aware Yakima Valley is a wine destination, because my mother lives in little Tieton to the north of Yakima itself. But my family doesn’t drink, so I’ve only gone tasting out there once. As much as I know I need to visit more wineries local to
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For the second year in a row, I took part in the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance Riesling Launch, a live-tweeting event that invites wine writers and bloggers to check out the newest vintage (2014) of the region’s signature grape varietal together, virtually at least, with the wineries. I received sample bottles of three different rieslings,
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The Mystery At the annual Wine Bloggers Conference (WBC), one late afternoon/early evening is dedicated to an excursion out of the host hotel and into the wine region itself. Where we bloggers go is a mystery; each tour bus heads to a different location for a wine tasting and dinner, and just where we will
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Ipsus Passito di Pantelleria Dessert Wine Marsala, Italy This dessert wine is made with Muscat grapes, which are often used to produce sweet wines and fortified wines. Its color is light amber with rose tinges, and its nose is nectarine with subtle floral qualities including that rose again. It tastes wonderful. Certainly sweet, as expected
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Seigneurs de Bergerac 2011 Bergerac Sec Dordogne Valley, France This wine was part of a value pack from my wine shop up the street. It’s pale yellow. The nose is a well-blended mix of flowers and minerals. Mildly sweet, and tannins play against that sweetness for a nicely balanced body. The lime is perhaps too
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