Most Sonoma Pinot’s I have at this point are so full of cherry I almost don’t like them. Not the Kutch ones. It’s much more elegant and layered, great acid to balance. When people say it’s a California Pinot done in the Burgundian style, they should use this as a touchstone. Jamie Kutch, the guy … Continue reading
Best wine today? It was out of a barrel. Phillipe Melka, sick sick sick winemaker and my new favorite person, gave me a taste of his still-aging Sauvignon Blanc. I didn’t even have to taste it though – the insane tangerine honeysuckle scent could’ve been more than enough. I told him he should make perfume … Continue reading
A day late but… Le Reve: learn and love. Domaine Carneros makes some amazing sparkling wine, and this one’s the best. It’s a Blanc de Blancs (all Chardonnay) and so elegant and delicious!!! We tasted a bunch of their others – all good as usual, though my new fave is the Blanc de Noirs which … Continue reading
Just had fantastic tour and tasting with Jessica Palmaz. Cool to see the family operations with our family. Amazing gravity-driven facilities in the mountain, cross between Austin Powers and Willy Wonka. Annnnd the wine did not suck…. At all. Also love that they made a non-alcoholic Muscat for the four-year-old nephew! Totally what we would … Continue reading
This is how we kicked off the morning. My dad with his eyes closed, me with a shadow on my teeth, and the awesomest huge bottle of bub at Domaine Carneros. Welcome to grapefriend land… The guys go, “Oh, this is your Michael Strahan picture.” I’ll sacrifice my beauty shot to be compared to a … Continue reading
Poetry. Normally you’d hear a wine name like this and either groan or think it’s cheesy. Not once you drink this one. Cliff Lede’s Poetry is made from the best grapes they have, and we were lucky enough to taste some today. As everyone tasted it around the table, you could see each set of … Continue reading
You drink a lot when you’re in Napa. You go to wineries, you drink at lunch and dinner, and basically you just taste everything put in your hand, which happens often. So we tasted a lot on our first day. A bunch of Cabernets, sure (it’s Napa), but my favorite was surprisingly Cakebread’s 2010 Anderson … Continue reading
What’s the best way to end your day of winery visits? More wine – and cornhole. We got some good wines to taste at Paraduxx – my faves were the rosé and the Z Blend – pretty great with the charcuterie and Mimolette cheese. The we topped it off with a killer game of cornhole. … Continue reading
Happy first night in Napa with one of my favorite Pinot Noir producers, even if they’re in Sonoma… My absolute fave is the Manchester Ridge Vineyard one, but this was very tangy and cranberry, and had great acid for food pairing. Plus, it was my parents’ 50th anniversary! Was great to celebrate with some good … Continue reading
So last night was Game 1 in the ALCS, but let’s take a step back to each of their victory celebrations prior to making it to this leg. If their bubbly celebration choices are any indication, I think we may have clear winner. This is how the Yankees celebrated: pouring out some Beau Joie champagne … Continue reading
