Category Archives: California

California’s Castello di Amorosa: Sangiovese and More

Posted on July 7, 2021 by don

Napa Valley tourists may be attracted to the Castello di Amorosa by the faux 13th century Tuscan castle with moat, torture chamber, and several hundred feet of elaborately carved underground wine caves.  A much better reason, in our opinion, is … Continue reading →

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Clarice 2019 Pinot Noirs from the Santa Lucia Highlands

Posted on July 3, 2021 by mike

Adam Lee continues on a roll with his Clarice wines.  The 2019 vintage produced somewhat riper and earthier wines than previously, but all three are first-rate and tasting great.  As in our review of the 2018 vintage, we found it … Continue reading →

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Blue Rock Vineyard:  New Releases from Sonoma County

Posted on June 4, 2021 by mike

Blue Rock Vineyard  is a small artisanal winery in Alexander Valley that produces high quality  hand-crafted Bordeaux-inspired wines.  The owner of the winery is Kenny Kahn, a passionate vigneron who is one of a small group of producers in Alexander … Continue reading →

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Paso Robles’ Adelaida Vineyards: History (and Delicious Wine) in a Glass

Posted on May 20, 2021 by don

Owned and operated by the Van Steenwyk family since 1994, Adelaida Vineyards is located in the Santa Lucia Mountains just 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean.  The winery and vineyard are in the Adelaida district of the Paso Robles AVA … Continue reading →

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Flowers Winery: New Releases from the Exquisite Terroir of the West Sonoma Coast

Posted on May 3, 2021 by don

Walt and Joan Flowers are among the pioneers of the West Sonoma Coast.  In 1990 when they planted their first vineyard, most winemakers regarded their location near the Pacific as too cold for growing grapes. Time has shown the Flowers … Continue reading →

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Latest Releases from The Farm Winery in Paso Robles

Posted on April 21, 2021 by don

  The Farm Winery is one of a growing number of boutique wineries in the Paso Robles AVA that are producing limited quantities of outstanding, hand-crafted wines.  The winery is owned and operated by old friends and Stanford Business School … Continue reading →

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DAOU Vineyards: The Pursuit of Excellence

Posted on March 26, 2021 by don

Daniel Daou and family have created one of California’s leading wineries for the production of Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends.  The story is by now well known—born in Lebanon, raised in France, educated at UC San Diego, founded a highly … Continue reading →

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Dutton Goldfield Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Excellent 2018 Vintage

Posted on February 12, 2021 by don

Northern California’s 2018 vintage was typical of vintages two decades ago. Summer temperatures were moderate, and harvest was 2-3 weeks later than recent years with long, slow maturation.  As a result, the 2018 vintage wines are phenolically ripe and superbly … Continue reading →

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Paul Lato Wines: Artisanal Winemaking at its Best

Posted on February 3, 2021 by don

Paul Lato is one of Santa Barbara’s finest artisanal winemakers.  Since 2002, he has been crafting outstanding wines from grapes sourced from some of the finest vineyards in Santa Barbara County.  To his good fortune, Paul was discovered early in … Continue reading →

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The Organic Wines of BARRA of Mendocino

Posted on February 3, 2021 by don

The son of grape growing, Italian immigrants from the Piedmont, Charlie Barra purchased 175 acres of vineyard land in Redwood Valley at the headwaters of the Russian River in the rolling foothills of Mendocino County [see map below] in 1955.  … Continue reading →

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