The coffee finally started kicking in somewhere around the outskirts of Spokane. I had just spent the previous five days on a non-stop tour of wineries in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, then moved on to the Yakima Valley in Washington, followed-read more-
Dancing Coyote gets attention for its unusual California-grown white wines. The Clarksburg area winery produces albarino, gruner veltliner, and chenin blanc. Chenin blanc was big long before chardonnay took over on the west coast but few are producing it today.-read more-
En route to the first Chardonnay Symposium, the city of Santa Maria appeared in all its incarnations. Hosted at Bien Nacido Vineyards’ historic Adobe, the morning began, like most in this winemaking region, wrapped in tangible veils of fog. As-read more-
The Soléna 2009 Pinot Gris is interesting, and stands out for its complexity amongst the many fine Pinot Gris releases in Willamette Valley. Fruit is sourced from 3 different vineyards: Grapes of higher acidity from cooler climate are blended with-read more-
The Palate Press Wine of the Week, August 2 - 5, is:
Judge Vaughn R. Walker, a George H.W. Bush appointee and Chief Judge of the Northern District of California, issued his ruling on Perry v. Schwartenegger, better known as "the Prop 8 case." Arnold Schwarzenegger was the named defendant as Governor-read more-
I don't generally enjoy Pinotage, and this is very good wine. The typical Pinotage burnt rubber is nowhere to be found. Instead, it is a very nice glass of sweet toasty black fruit. Wood is obvious but not overwhelming. Instead,-read more-
I stood 1,200 miles away from home, in a dimly lit ballroom, at a historic hotel in Walla Walla, WA, clutching two bottles of the inaugural vintage of our family’s homemade wine, which until quite recently rested safely in neutral-read more-