THE BLOG

02
May

How Long Does Unopened Wine Last in Phoenix?

Posted by / Wine 101

Like many things about wine, the answer can be simple and complex at the same time.

First of all, all wine does not need to be aged, but some wines will indeed “mature” and become better over time. Eventually all wine will go beyond the “mature” date, and it will go over the hill faster and uncontrollably, if not properly stored. Warmer temperatures accelerate the aging process. That may sound good if you want to drink it sooner, but if it is aged gracefully and slowly the way it was meant to, it will allow it to develop more complexity, soften harsh tannins, and develop “bottle bouquet”. Continue Reading..

12
Mar

Wine Tasting at Mumm Winery

Posted by / Wine Tasting

After visiting Mumm Winery in Napa, I left feeling as though I had the real Napa experience. Whatever the experience in Napa is supposed to be, Mumm captures it perfectly. It was simply everything I imagined a great wine tasting experience should be.Continue Reading..

16
Jul

Food, Wine, and Friendship

Posted by / Wine Stories

There’s something unique about the way wine brings people together. My best personal experience of this occurred over a year when a few friends and I decided to have dinners every week. It sounded like a great way to make sure we stayed connected. So we started getting together once a week, enjoying great food and conversation. Naturally, I was the one in charge of bringing the wine.Continue Reading..

16
Jun

Wineries in Tucson, Arizona

Posted by / Wine Travels

Tucson, Arizona may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about wine. So it may come as a surprise to know that there are a number of wineries down south. If you happen to be headed down there this summer and are on the lookout for something to do, here are a list of wineries in Tucson to visit.Continue Reading..

01
Jun

3 Sonoma Wineries to Visit This Summer

Posted by / Wine Travels

Sonoma County is a wonderful place to visit and enjoy wine tasting. It has an extremely large collection of microclimates, making it one of the most diverse and special winegrowing regions in the world. Sonoma County was named the best U.S. wine destination and second in the world by TripAdvisor in October 2012.

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25
May

Napa Family Style

Posted by / Wine Stories

There is perhaps no other business that people enter into solely because they love the place, the people and the product so much that they want to change their lives for it. That the romance of wine. It’s what draws people to it. The mountains and valleys of Napa are dotted with family-owned wineries, and those families have poured their hearts into their work. The results are among the best wines in the world. They are hidden gems waiting to be discovered.

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12
May

The “Fashionable” Summer Wine

Posted by / Wine 101

I was fortunate to recently attend an Albarino wine tasting and food pairing event at the Little Goat restaurant in the West loop of Chicago. The Little Goat is one of Stephanie Izard’s (winner of Bravo’s Top Chef) two restaurants. The event was hosted by Tastemaker and Sommelier Jill Zimorski. Jill is the Wine Director and Sommelier for 3-star Michelin restaurant Alinea, based in Chicago.

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19
Apr

The Rising Importance of Wines From Sicily

Posted by / Wine 101

There are a number of things that make Sicily such a unique place in the world.

1) it has been a strategic crossroads of the western world for 2,500 years;

2) there is evidence that that Mycenaean traders cultivated grapes in the Aeolian Islands as early as 1,500 B.C. and that wine has been embedded in the Sicilian culture since that time

3) nowhere else in the world have Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, French, Germans, Spanish, Italians and the British left their own unique impressions on the culture and the landContinue Reading..

12
Apr

How I Met Two of My Favorite Wines

Posted by / Wine Stories

I’m often asked what my favorite wine is. That is kind of like asking a mother who her favorite child is. Wrong, on so many levels. In all honestly, I probably haven’t even tasted it yet. But I do have some wines that I go back to over and over again. Each vintage is a bit different due to climate variation, but delicious nonetheless.Continue Reading..

31
Mar

What’s Your Favorite Wine?

Posted by / Wine Stories

Since I create wine tasting experiences, I spend a good deal of time around two of my favorite things: wine and wine-lovers! So often people ask me, “What’s your favorite wine?”. And nearly every time, I stumble over my words and mutter something along the lines of “it depends…” followed by a string of vague and indistinguishable words. I really struggle to answer for a number of reasons.

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