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
Read more

My past and current home, California, is full of beautiful sights all over the state – and some beautiful food to go with them. Sometimes, I’ve been a tourist in my own home state, as I lived on the East Coast for a decade. Other times, I’ve just headed out of the Bay for a
Read more

Last week, I posted Part 1 of this two-part series on the most memorable wines from the 2016 Wine Bloggers Conference (WBC), based in Lodi. I also participated in the Livermore Valley pre-excursion, so those wines crop up here. And they crop up on Instagram, where I first posted this picture from our Concannon dinner:
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

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

Two weekends ago, I checked out Urban Vines, an annual Oakland wine festival that highlights African American winemakers, a markedly underrepresented group. Its theme is “A Toast to Diversity,” and the event was founded by Sip & Swirl, an event planning company that specializes in urban-based wine, food, and travel. It’s also held in Chicago.
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

Jacqueline Bahue Cabernet Franc 2013 Sonoma County, CA The nose gives off an impression of scents. It’s an invitation to explore their potential. And on exploration, this is a beautifully integrated glass of wine. Elegant, a gracious hostess in pearls whose complex inner beauty lies just beneath her skin. My current love affair with cabernet
Read more

I’m counting California, Oregon, and Washington as West Coast for this list. If you’re looking for elsewhere in the USA other than the East Coast, click here. Jump to the restaurants I’ve reviewed in California, Washington, and Oregon by city: Alameda, CA Albany, CA Arroyo Grande, CA Berkeley, CA Castro Valley, CA Concord, CA Danville,
Read more

My food writing garnered a bit of attention in the Research Triangle area, and I’ve had the honor of participating in a few award-winning blogs. Compiled here are those accolades and media mentions: Winter 2017, Guest, ” Wente & Concannon Vineyards Tasting,” Wine Antics Live, Livestream. Summer 2016, Panelist, “Wine Samples,” Wine Bloggers Conference 16,
Read more