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Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Two Shepherds 2023 Natty Pets Sparkling Orange Wine

I spent much of the summer on the road. But with a few days at home finally, I carved out a late afternoon to sit...

03 September, 2025

The Story Behind the Label: Ironstone Vineyards in the Sierra Foothills

Stroll down the wine aisle, and the shelves stretch endlessly with a sea of labels competing for your attention. Sometimes it is the familiar logo...

02 September, 2025

Cabernet Franc Finds Its Champion in Livermore Valley With Steven Kent Winery

In June 2025, the Livermore Valley wine region officially declared Cabernet Franc as its signature grape variety and formed the Cab Franc Guild, an organization...

28 August, 2025

Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Full Tilt Wines 2024 Rosato, Covelo AVA, Mendocino County

When we are in the full heat of the summer, it's time to go Full Tilt. That is, with the Full Tilt Wines 2024 Rosato,...

27 August, 2025

Caiarossa Revisited: From First Encounter to the Heart of the Tuscan Coast

When I first tasted Caiarossa wines in 2016, it was across a table in Los Angeles with French-born winemaker Dominique Génot and a lineup of...

26 August, 2025

Sta. Rita Hills Celebrates Wine & Fire and Honors Norm Yost of Flying Goat Cellars as 2025 Vintner of the Year

Every fall, Sta. Rita Hills in the Santa Ynez Valley hosts one of my favorite wine events: Wine & Fire weekend. It’s a time when...

21 August, 2025

Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Perlegos 2023 Assyrtiko Sparkling Wine, Clements Hills, Lodi

On a recent road trip across California, I picked up a few special bottles along the way. On my way home, I stopped to visit...

20 August, 2025

Montefili: Elegance at Altitude in Chianti Classico

Chianti Classico sits at the very center of one of Italy’s most historic wine regions. Its boundaries were first mapped in the 18th century, and...

19 August, 2025

Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Marchelle Wines Tribute to Travis Proctor 2024 Carbonic Pinot Noir, Harmony Lane Vineyard, Russian River Valley

When I heard “carbonic Pinot Noir,” I was curious. But then I heard the story behind the wine. It’s a wine that honors the legacy,...

13 August, 2025

Celebrating 35 Years of Bernardus: A Legacy of Elegance in Carmel Valley

This year marks 35 years since Bernardus Winery was founded in the rolling hills of Carmel Valley, a vision brought to life by Dutch entrepreneur...

12 August, 2025

Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Idlewild 2023 Timorasso, Las Cimas, Russian River Valley

Timorasso may not be a household name, but it’s a grape with deep roots in Piemonte. Nearly extinct by the 1980s, this ancient variety has...

06 August, 2025

Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Bokisch & Sons M.A.S. 2023 Prieto Picudo, Lodi

Sometimes, you just want más—more flavor, more story, more heart. And I want más of M.A.S. Born from a collaboration between Markus Bokisch and his...

30 July, 2025

Three Towns, One Valley: An Outsider’s Guide to Willamette Wine Country

There are more than 230 wineries in the Willamette Valley, covering 150 miles from Eugene to Portland. Where should you stay? Where should you eat?...

29 July, 2025

Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Acquiesce Christina’s Outlier 2023 Red Wine, Mokelumne River, Lodi AVA

During a visit to Lodi this week, I stopped by Acquiesce and caught up with winemaker Christina Lopez. After tasting the white wines, Christina poured...

23 July, 2025

Celebrating a Century: Tasting the Legacy of Giovanni Manzone

We are midway through 2025. In the vineyards of Piemonte, the grapes are changing colors, and another harvest is on the horizon. For the Manzone...

22 July, 2025

Please The Palate Wine of the Week: La Badia 2024 Chill Ya Jolo Ciliegiolo, Toscana IGT

It is the season for chilling with friends at the beach or pool. So why not chill with a bottle of Chill Ya Jolo! The...

16 July, 2025

The Magic of Fattoria La Maliosa

I have had the pleasure to visit La Maliosa in Maremma, Tuscany, not once, but twice. The first time was in the early summer. At...

15 July, 2025

Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Wild Rejoice Postcard Dreams 2023 Rose of Cinsault, Saureel Vineyards, Sierra Foothills AVA

With a name like Wild Rejoice Postcard Dreams, how could you not be curious?  I was! This isn’t your average rosé, and it certainly isn’t...

09 July, 2025

A Postcard of Collio: A Story of Land, Time, and Intention with Six Vintages of Collavini Broy DOC Collio

My introduction to Collavini came in 2023, during a tasting of five of their white wines. I was immediately struck by the clarity, elegance, and...

08 July, 2025

Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Trail Marker Wine Co. Kid Sister 2022 Zweigelt, Mokelumne Glen Vineyard, Lodi

Some wines need years in the cellar. Other wines invite quiet contemplation as they are swirled in the glass. And then there are wines like...

02 July, 2025