WINE

Every March, I head up to the coast to Santa Barbara for World of Pinot Noir. For anyone who loves Pinot Noir, this is THE event. There are Pinot Noirs from around the world, each expressing the place where they are from. And, a seminar led by Elaine Brown focused on discovering some of these places which I wrote about in California Winery Advisor and am sharing here. Pinot Noir is a wine that inspires many wine lovers. It is a grape that has cultivated a massive following. It is a wine that is pale in color with aromas of cherry, cranberry, raspberry, mushroom, tobacco, cola, licorice, clove and vanilla. It garners praise from around the world and some of the most highly prized wines in the world are Pinot Noirs.
02 May, 2019
Who doesn't love Champagne!?! I know I do. There are so many brands out there.....well-known ones and lesser-known ones. It is always fun to try new brands and recently, while at Pebble Peach Food & Wine, I was introduced to a new brand - Champagne Legras & Haas, which I wrote about in the Napa Valley Register and share here.

As a lover of Champagne, and all sparkling wines for that matter, I can never pass up a glass of bubbles. So, as I wandered around the opening night party at Pebble Beach Food & Wine, I found myself stopping at every table that was pouring Champagne.

30 April, 2019
Chef and Author of the Fire of Peru, Ricardo Zarate is on fire! Considered the "godfather of Peruvian cuisine", he is spreading the flavors and excitement of Peruvian food across Los Angeles. His restaurant Rosaline in West Hollywood showcases classic Peruvian dishes and his new place, Los Balcones in Studio City, explores Mestizo cuisine, Peruvian dishes blended with Spanish and Asian flavors. Los Balcones is located on the corner of Moorpark, just east of Tujunga. It sits in the space that was previously Girasol. Los Balcones has kept some of the decor, including the magnificent ceiling that looks like an etched flower. After sitting down in the covered patio looking out onto Moorpark Avenue, our first order of business was to select our drinks. We ordered the "special" cocktail that was described as inspired by Zarate's book, The First of Peru, and was made with mezacal and an orange juice ice cube. The serving of the cocktail was the first hint of what we were in for - lots of flavor, a little heat and some of the most colorful dishes you may have ever seen.
25 April, 2019
I love meeting winemakers and hearing their stories of how they fell onto the path of becoming a winemaker. Every person has a different journey as to what drew them into the wine industry. When I sat down with Megan McGrath Gates, winemaker at Lucas & Lewellen in the Santa Ynez Valley, she shared her story with me, which started with a childhood dream. But, even with a dream, she never imagined she would end up making wine. And yet she has. Megan's childhood dreams have become her reality as I wrote about recently in the Napa Valley Register and am sharing here.

When Megan McGrath Gates was a little girl, she would listen to the stories of her grandparents. A ninth-generation Californian, Gates was raised in Riverside. But, her ancestors were ranchers and she is a direct descendant of the historic Olivas family in Ventura, California.

Despite her ancestors, Gates was a typical suburban kid. Her dad is a lawyer and her mom is a teacher. She is one of six children and has a twin sister. With all of the romantic stories about her family, she dreamed about being a rancher and living a bucolic life.

18 April, 2019
Living on the west side of Los Angeles, I find myself regularly heading downtown and even further east to try new restaurants. But the west side is also worthy of exploration and one of those places is Margot, a rooftop restaurant located at The Platform project in Culver City. A friend invited me to dinner and selected Margot. I had not heard of it and had only been to The Platform once before. With all of the construction in the area, it had not been on my radar. But, now it is and I have already been a few times. 
11 April, 2019
If you like to find the unknown winery, the small production winery or just meet new winemakers, then the Garagiste Festival is for you. Throughout the year, Garagiste Festival takes place in Paso Robles, Solvang, Los Angeles and now Sonoma. For the second time, Garagiste Festival returns to Sonoma on April 13th and I wrote about what you might and why you might want to go in my recent column in the Napa Valley Register which you can read here. Everyone knows the riddle: “How do you make a small fortune in the wine industry? Start with a large one.”
The dream to own a winery and make wine can seem like a fantasy. Land costs in Napa and Sonoma are prohibitive when a vineyard in Napa will cost anywhere from $120,000 to more than $370,000 per acre and a vineyard in Sonoma can cost $70,000 to more than $150,000 per acre.
Even if you do not own a vineyard, buying quality fruit in Napa and Sonoma can be costly. In 2016, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon averaged $6,829 per ton and Sonoma Pinot Noir averaged $3,678 per ton. But, despite these costs, there are small winemakers out there who are striving to make the best wines possible, even without a venture capitalist behind them.
09 April, 2019
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