Maybe those are the Four Graces. I’m not quite up on my religious mythology, but I do know that The Four Graces Winery in the Willamette Valley region of Oregon shares the winemaking talents of Laurent Montalieu with Solena Estate. You can read more about that HERE and HERE, but to refresh your memory, Laurent hails from [...]
Posts under ‘Regions’
Water water everywhere, and lots to drink!
It’s day 2 of the Wine Bloggers Conference, and we’re off on the little yellow school buses to explore some of the Walla Walla terroir. Fortunately for us Bay Area folks,who aren’t used to the heat, it was a warm but pleasant day for walking around the vineyards and our bus was off and ready [...]
I’m gone! To Ore-gon…
Being a California girl, while I have spent some time diving up the coast and meandering through Ashland, I have not spent a lot of time in Oregon. I have spent even less time examining the finer points of Oregon wines, specifically Oregon Pinot. Those of you who have known my taste buds know that I [...]
High on a hill
There’s a lonely goat herd, yodeleeellooooheeho! Or in this case, there are some horses, some cows and a whole lot of scrub brush. Up on top of Atlas Peak, VinRoc creates micro crafted small lot Cabernet Sauvignon. Above the fog line, overlooking the Foss Valley, where open pastures and oak trees haven’t been overtaken by [...]
G is for Pinot Blanc!
Graff Family 2007, from the Chalone appelation to be precise. Graff Familiy is from Sonoma, but these grape hail from teh Chalone region in Monterey County. The Chalone AVA has some of the oldest producing vines in California wine country, and is composed of limestone, granite and clay. The wide diurnal temperature swings are great for Chardonnay and other white wines [...]
Rhône – The Next Generation
Where no WineBrat has gone before…I am the first one to admit that I am uneducated about most wines outside my sphere of influence; yes I drink them, yes I occasionally enjoy them, but I don’t know much about them. When I was invited to attend Hospice du Rhône this year as a media guest, [...]
Put a cork in it!
+ It’s amazing what can happen in the social networking arena. Take, for example, a recent tasting I went to hosted by the Penisula Wine Enthusiasts. As an avid MeetUp member, I know that these organized social gatherings can be a great way to meet new people who are like minded. This group goes [...]
E is for Elk!
Somewhere along the way of my Alphabet Challenge, I lost my path and started speaking in tongues, which made my order slightly questionable. Well, I’m back, from outer space, and am restarting with the letter E. E is for Elk Cove Pinot Noir, from the Willamette Valley appellation in Oregon. Now, i am new to [...]
We didn’t go for the almonds but…
Jordan Winery is a hidden gem in Alexander Valley. Up a winding driveway, through the woods, and yes – even over a creek, you meander up to the upper vineyard of the winery, where the French inspired chateau winery sits. It was founded in 1972, coincidentally the same year both I and our host john [...]
Arrested Development
After our adventure barrel tasting at Cartograph, we were lucky enough (ok fine, Alan knows people) to be treated to a very special private tasting at Arista Winery. I’ve been to Arista before, and have always enjoyed their Pinot Noirs, but this was realy a treat a we were able to taste 7 older vintages [...]
