Wine Tasting Events

Article: On Wine, Jazz and Inkblots

Great wine, like instrumental jazz, mines the observer for meaning. A bottle can be shared among friends, as can a night at The Blue Note. Everyone gets the same input. But individual...

Article: John Alban Traps Philippe Guigal in an Elevator and other Tales of HdR

This is the third installment of my conversation with John Alban regarding Hospice du Rhone and the advancement of Rhone variety wines globally over the past...

Article: John Alban on the Evolution of Hospice du Rhone and Surge in Rhone Variety Popularity

This is part two of my interview with John Alban of Alban Vineyards...

Article: John Alban on the First Hospice du Rhone and the State of American Rhone Variety Wine in 1993

Hospice du Rhone is only two weeks away. I’ll once again be leading a small band o...

Article: Drink to Africa's Health

On Sunday, May 6, the Charles Krug-Peter Mondavi Sr. Family Winery will host a benefit wine auction and concert. Proceeds will go to the Foundation...

Article: Looking Forward to Hospice du Rhone 2012

Hospice du Rhone 2012 will take place in Paso Robles, CA on...

Article: Impressions from the 2012 Wine Road Barrel Tasting in Northern Sonoma

The 2012 Wine Road Barrel Tasting in Northern Sonoma took place on the first two weekends of March. More than 140 wineries participated, opening both their doors and...

Article: Premiere Napa Valley 2012 in Photos

Premiere Napa Valley 2012 took place on February 25 at the Culinary Institute of America's Greystone Campus in St....

Article: Highlights from the 2012 Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Artisans Tasting

The 2012

Article: New Wines and Intriguing Blends from ZAP 2012

I attended the 2012 ZAP Grand Tasting on January 28. It was a good event. There were more than 200 wineries on hand, almost all of them pouring multiple wines. The new...

Article: Delicious Bites and Sips from the ZAP Epicuria Food and Wine Pairing Evening

When sommeliers talk about wines that pair well with food, Zinfandel doesn’t usually make the top ten list. Nonetheless, there are many foods for which it’s a great...

Article: Top Picks in 2009 Bordeaux from the Union des Grands Crus Tasting in San Francisco

Today we take a brief detour from California to France. I attended the Union des Grands Crus Tasting of 2009 Bordeaux on Saturday, January...

Article: 2009 Black Sears Estate Zinfandel Howell Mountain

Black Sears is a Howell Mountain vineyard and winery. Its owners, Joyce Black and Jerre Sears purchased...

Article: 15 Wine Events for Friday through Sunday, January 20 - 22, 2012

We've had beautiful weather for months it seems. Now, it's finally getting cold and a trifle damp. That has me feeling crabby. Dungeness crabby to be exact. Wineries appear to be feeling it...

Article: Get Ready for ZAP! 2012, January 26 - 28

ZAP!, the annual festival that celebrates Zinfandel wine, will be painting the town purple January 26 -...

Article: 20+ Wine Events for the Weekend, January 13 - 15, 2012

Now that all the New Year's hoopla is over and the consequent hangovers are past, Northern California wineries are celebrating winter. Those wineries that don't have snow — and most d...

Article: Kick Off the New Year with these Wine Events this Weekend

This weekend is actually a little quiet due to remaining bowl games, lingering fatigue and New Year's resolutions involving abstinence. So, you can ease your way into 2012. Frankly,...

Article: 10 Big Wine Events to Look Forward to in Early 2012

As many people are looking forward to a spending this weekend at home with family and friends, there aren’t a lot of wine events. So, with the New Year just around the corner, this...

Article: Tasted: 13 High-End 2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Wines

I attended the “Best of 2008 California Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting” at KL Wines in Redwood City on...

Article: Experiencing Carnivale du Vin 2011

Carnivale du Vin is an annual event which centers around a chartity auction. The...