If you’re wondering if I meant that post title to be a pun, wonder no longer— The pun works on so many levels, I couldn’t resist! Of course, your appreciation of my cleverness may be enhanced if you have some background information on Scotto Cellars, a fifth-generation, Lodi-based winemaking family that has climbed out of
Read more

Scotto Cellars is a family-owned winemaking company based in California with vineyards in Amador County, Lodi, and Napa Valley. I received sample bottles of two wines in their Heavyweight line: the petite sirah and the cabernet sauvignon, both sourced from the greater Central Valley. Obligatory disclaimer: Sample means these wines were free to me, but
Read more

Obligatory disclaimer: These wines were free samples for my review. Sera Fina Cellars, founded in 2010, is an Amador County winery owned by Paul Scotto, the chief winemaker behind the Scotto family’s growing portfolio of wines and ciders (my previous reviews). Sera Fina Cellars focuses on Italian and Rhône winemaking styles and varietals. I tasted
Read more

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of being introduced to Peter Wood, president of the Hucksters advertising agency and his new wine brand, USA Cabernet, made in partnership with Lodi’s Scotto Cellars. Obligatory disclaimer: By introduced, I mean that the dinner and wine I enjoyed with Peter and a few fellow wine bloggers
Read more

Last June, I dove a little beyond the wine of the Lodi region to experience what else makes this city of 65,000 people into a prime weekend vacation destination for Bay Area residents. My trip was free and sponsored by Visit Lodi, Lodi’s wine and tourism bureau ← that’s my obligatory disclaimer, lest you think
Read more

A few months back, I received a unique shipment of wine samples from the Scotto Cellars portfolio. Disclaimer: Samples means these wines were free for me to review. This fifth-generation winemaking family based in Lodi, California, has impressed me with their range of offerings, from the Scotto Family Cellars’ delicious, soft 2013 Malbec to the
Read more

Occasionally, as a blogger who does reviews, I can get a little behind. Especially as I’m also just a month and a half out from the release of my first book, and a wee bit harried making sure everything’s in place for that. So with a backlog of wines to sample and review—to the point
Read more

This was my third year attending the Wines Bloggers Conference (WBC), and I feel like I’m getting the hang of the endless wine sampling challenge that it is — three to four days full of it, if you add an excursion! I’m still forgetting hair ties to assist with the spitting, though. Maybe I need
Read more

  Hello friends! If you are not interested in the wine side of the Gourmez, then this post is not for you. But if you are, and especially if you’re headed to Lodi for the annual Wine Bloggers Conference (WBC) next week, WBC16, read on! This will be my third WBC. So far, it’s been
Read more

Extremely Rare Rare Red 2012 Black Blend Central CA I can’t lie, I think the name of this wine is hilariously death metal. Throw a few more adjectives in there, and it’d also be its own thesaurus. Although I’ve reviewed wines from the Scotto Cellars portfolio before, I have to admit to apprehension at that
Read more