Saturday was a very busy day featuring a diverse array of workshops and sessions. My friends, Mary and Lorie, and I decided to divide and conquer in order to get as much as possible out of the content being offered. My sessions included a blogging workshop that was very helpful and a fascinating session entitled ‘The Neuroscience of Wine Tasting’…

Friday got off to a fast start with an Argentine Food and Wine pairing brunch at 10:00 a.m. I wasn’t hungry and I wasn’t ready to drink, but neither of those factors were relevant. My favorite pairing was a Beef Empanada with Raisin Balsamic, Kalamata Olives, and Red Pepper Puree with Bodega Catena Zapata Alta Malbec 2009. The spice and…

Day Two and we were headed to Salem with our fantastic tour guide, Irene. Our first stop was Willamette Valley Heritage Center which includes the site of  a woolen mill established in the 1889. Peter Booth, the Executive Director, took us on a fascinating tour providing  a good understanding of the history of the mill and how it functioned as…

Wednesday and day one of the 2012 Wine Bloggers Conference. Several pre-conference excursions were offered and I chose the Salem option. Our first stop was the Evergreen Aviation Museum – they decided (wisely!) that we should see more than wineries!! It is an impressive campus containing an aviation museum, space museum, IMAX theater, and water park. One could easily spend…

Last night I enjoyed dinner with my dear friends, Andrea and John, at their home.  I took a bottle of Alexana 2007 Revana Vineyard Pinot Noir for us to drink with dinner.  We enjoyed a sparkling Vouvray with caviar canapes while John, who is quite the chef, completed dinner preparations. The first course was a fabulous dish of fresh asparagus in carbonara…

Charleston celebrated the Charleston Wine and Food Festival this weekend.  The weather did not cooperate Saturday, but the Festival was able to make rapid adjustments to ensure that events weren’t adversely affected.  Two years ago, I attended this event and was glad that I selected it, again, this year.  There were fewer wineries this year and more emphasis on food, and many of…

A friend and I made a return visit to McCrady’s for dinner last night and it was another extraordinary, well paced feast for the eyes and palate.  Pictured is the fish course I chose, lupina, with fresh sorrel sauce, fingerling potatoes, and sun chokes.  I took a bottle of Ken Wright 2008 Savoya Vineyard Pinot Noir to drink with dinner.  Like Ken’s Meredith Mitchell Vineyard Pinot that was enjoyed with family…

My Total Wine store located at 1820 Ashley River Road puts on great wine classes.  There is usually one class per month on Saturdays from 3-5 with popular classes repeating on Thursdaysof the same week from 6:30-8:30. For any of you with a Total Wine in the area, the classes and special events are well worth checking out. Yesterday’s subject region was the Pacific Northwest featuring wines…

I’ve been home for close to two weeks – how can that be?  I miss the winery and the friends I made while visiting.  The 2011 harvest started in earnest mere days after my departure and I hope to be able to get some updates on how it is progressing. In summary of what I observed and learned during my visit, I now understand what…

Today is Saturday and our first order of business is a trip out to Shea Vineyard to sample.  Shea is an enormous 140 acre vineyard with acreage leased by a number of wine makers.  Ken leases 6 acres.  The grapes just aren’t ready.  They need some sun and the birds are an increasing threat.  Ken’s vineyard managers were out sampling the other vineyards and…