California’s Wineries Are Adapting To The Coronavirus

Written by Allison Levine on March 24, 2020

Lifestyle Wine

We are no longer able to go to winery tasting rooms but we can still buy wine from all of our favorite wineries. Not only do they ship wine but many are offering discounts on shipping and other incentives as I wrote about in a story for California Winery Advisor and you can read here.

Life as we know it is on hold. We now have a “new normal” in which we are relegated to our homes for the unforeseeable future. As of March 16th, all customer-facing wineries, breweries, bars, nightclubs in California have been closed to the public. The point is to help flatten the curve of the coronavirus spreading throughout the United States. We are home for the foreseeable future to protect ourselves and those around us.

Click here for reliable information on the coronavirus.

While we cannot travel to wineries and visit them right now. We can still buy their wines and support our local businesses who also need our help in this challenging time. Wineries in California are able to ship directly to consumer homes in most states around the country. With the closing of tasting rooms, many wineries are offering special deals on shipping and more.

Here is a list of the wineries included in this story:

SANTA BARBARA WINE COUNTRY

Lumen
Solminer
Tercero Wines
Imagine Wines
Brewer-Clifton
Nielson Wines
Cambria Estate

PASO ROBLES

Barr Estate Winery
Bianchi Winery
My Favorite Neighbor
Brochelle Vineyards
Copia Vineyards and Winery
Eberle Winery
Fermentations
Four Lanterns Winery
Fulldraw Vineyard
Grey Wolf Cellars & Barton Family Wines
Hearst Ranch Winery
Indigene Cellars
J Dusi Wines
Jack Creek Cellars
Locatelli Winery
Lone Madrone
Midnight Cellars
Opolo Vineyards
Sextant Wines
Still Waters Vineyards
TH Estate Wines
Tooth & Nail Winery
Villa San-Juliette
Vino Vargas

SONOMA COUNTY

Two Shepherds Winery
Pedroncelli Winery
Donelan Family Wines
Flaunt Wine Company
Benovia Winery
Alexander Valley Vineyards
Copain Wines
Matanzas Creek Winery
Capture Wines
La Crema Wines
Kendall-Jackson

NAPA VALLEY

Grounded Wine Co.
Galerie Wines
Terra Valentine

SANTA CLARA VALLEY

Jason Stephens Winery

LIVERMORE VALLEY

McKahn Family Cellars

For a full description of these offerings, read the original story on California Winery Advisor.

Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Arnot-Roberts Ribolla Gialla, Vare Vineyard, Napa Valley 2017

Written by Allison Levine on July 3, 2019

Wine

A bright white wine with citrus, peach and apple notes and firm acidity, Ribolla Gialla is a white wine grape variety found in the northeastern Italian province of Fruili, as well as in neighboring Slovenia. A small amount can also be found in Napa Valley in the Vare Vineyard. This is where Arnot-Roberts gets the Ribolla Gialla for the Arnot-Roberts Ribolla Gialla, Vare Vineyard, Napa Valley 2017, the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

Arnot-Roberts was founded in 2001 by two childhood friends. This is the same year George Vare planted the Ribiolla Gialla in Napa. A fan of the Friuli region, Vare smuggled some cuttings of Ribolla Gialla from the vines of iconic winemaker Josko Gravner. He planted them in his vineyard in Oak Knoll in Napa Valley.

The Arnot-Roberts Ribolla Gialla, Vare Vineyard, Napa Valley 2017 is a cloudy pale yellow color. It has an elegant nose of pear, green apple, white flowers, spices and minerality. On the palate, the wine has a great mouthfeel with racy acidity and a saline finish.

The Arnot-Roberts Ribolla Gialla, Vare Vineyard, Napa Valley 2017 is available at specialty wine retailers around the country for approximately $50 per bottle. This is a delicious and special wine that will wow any crowd. I shared my bottle with a group of wine judges after judging 200 wines and everyone agreed it was exceptional.

Titus Vineyards in St. Helena Celebrates 50 Years

Written by Allison Levine on April 4, 2019

Wine

When I first met Eric Titus and Titus Vineyards, I was a sales rep selling his wine. Flash forward 14 years, and now I am a writer. Instead of driving around Los Angeles trying to sell his wine, we sat down so that he could share the story of his family and Titus Vineyards, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. I shared the story in my column in the Napa Valley Register and now share it here.

Early in my wine career, I worked as a sales representative for Chambers and Chambers Wine Merchants. With a fantastic portfolio of wines primarily from California and France at the time, I was introduced to many wineries and would spend days working with the different owners and winemakers.

One was Eric Titus of Titus Vineyards. It was 2005 when we spent the day together driving around Los Angeles, selling his wine.

Titus Vineyards has grown a lot over the last 14 years. When I was selling the wine, it was a young brand. But, as we sat down together recently to taste through current and library releases, I learned that not only has Titus Vineyards grown, they are also celebrating their 50th anniversary this year.