Exploring the menu of life.
Up the road from where I live in California is a winery that continues to impress, vintage after vintage: Dry Creek Vineyard. I did a search on my website and I’ve written about them seven times in the past eight years. That’s a lot, considering the number of wineries on this earth I could ... Read More »
The 2010 vintage in Sonoma County was super cool. And I don’t mean it wore awesome shades and sported the latest fashions — but cold like in France’s Bordeaux region. The heat index just didn’t quite get high enough to ripen grapes to the point of super fruitiness with floral ... Read More »
Dry Creek Vineyards also labels this Fumé Blanc, another name for sauvignon blanc, only fancier. In the ’60’s, the Mondavis borrowed the fume (French for “smoked”) moniker from the French Loire Valley sauvignon blanc called Pouilly Fume.
... Read More »This family-owned California winery has been making dry chenin blanc since 1972, sourcing their grapes from the same family-owned vineyard south of Sacramento. They even tell you up front on the label how sweet it is. It isn’t.
... Read More »Also labeled Fume Blanc, it denotes the same grape. More elegant and supple than many of its brethren, this sauvignon blanc refreshingly lacks the grassy, saliva-producing tartness of others. I could drink this smooth, melon and soft citrus sipper all day long. And have. Mouth-filling gulps of kiwi ... Read More »
Velvety and full of roasted black cherries with a touch of oak. 3.5 stars out of 5. Sweetness=1 out of 10 (dry to sweet). $28
... Read More »Chenin Blanc is a grape from the Loire Valley region of France, which is normally made in a sweeter style. California’s Dry Creek labels this bottle “dry” so you’ll know it’s not loaded with sugar. Tart green apple, lemon and wet slate mix and bathe the tongue in some fun.
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I discovered fresh fennel as an adult, after getting over my aversion to anything licorice. I still can’t eat red or black licorice candy but have fallen head over for this anise-scented, bulbous vegetable. I also make salads with it, tossing in whole grain mustard and rice vinegar but this ... Read More »
Mark my words – Chenin Blanc is the new little black dress. Comfortable, sleek, versatile and sophisticated, this white grape from France is making a new entrance to the big world of wine lovers. Thank the younger generation of drinkers who crave the unique, the little-known yet delicious in their ... Read More »
This is a tale of three wine stories — an up-and-coming California wine appellation, a growing business model in the wine biz, and an under-appreciated-yet-slowly-gaining-a-rep grape, Chenin Blanc. This wine review highlights all three in one, 5-minute post. Who says service is dead?
The ... Read More »
Although I taste wines (and often drink!) virtually everyday, most don’t land on the site to bask in the glory of a good wine review. Maybe they’re too expensive for the quality, or taste nothing like the grape listed on the label, or maybe they’re just plain plonk and don’t ... Read More »
With my summer garden beginning its overwhelming crop of zucchini, getting creative with this squash has become a necessity. This once-innocent plant –which started its determined life by sprouting from my compost pile — has decided to take over a large section of the yard. So I’m ... Read More »