Competitive Wine Blending with Rodney Strong Vineyards

By Catherine | On Nov 28, 2017 | No Comments

Having attended a wine blending class in Charleston in January 2016, I was eager to try my hand, again. On the first official day of the Wine Bloggers Conference, Hilary and I joined the Rodney Strong team for a Meritage blending class. Meritage can be a red or white wine, crafted solely from two or more specific Bordeaux grape varietals….

Sunrise Harvest in Lodi

By Catherine | On Sep 4, 2016 | 3 Comments

On the second day of the 2016 Wine Blogger’s Pre-Conference Excursion in Lodi, my phone alarm began chiming at 5:00 a.m. I am never awake at this hour! But an experience not to be missed lay ahead. Our fearless leaders, Randy Caparoso and Jenny Heitman, loaded us onto our bus and we drove to the vineyards at Michael David Winery…

Loving Lodi

By Catherine | On Aug 21, 2016 | 1 Comment

The 2016 Wine Blogger’s Conference was held in Lodi, CA from August 10-14.  Lodi is located in the Central Valley and has been growing wine grapes for over 150 years.  Fourth and fifth generation wine growers have been joined by newer vintners and the area, which enjoys a Mediterranean climate, produces a wealth of grape varietals. Best known for Old…

Stone Tower Winery

By Catherine | On Jun 30, 2016 | No Comments

A visit with my daughter in May provided the opportunity for another wine tasting excursion to Loudoun County, just south of Leesburg, VA.  She had visited Stone Tower Winery in the past and highly recommended it for both its gorgeous setting and excellent wines.  The drive was beautiful, through rolling hills, farmland, and eventually, vineyards.  Stone Tower is located on…

Ballard Canyon

By Catherine | On May 26, 2016 | No Comments

During the 2014 Wine Blogger’s Conference, I was introduced to Ballard Canyon and the world class Syrah that is produced there. While traveling in California recently, I wanted to return to the area and have another opportunity to taste the Syrahs. Ballard Canyon is one of the newest and smallest AVAs (American Viticultural Area).  It is made up of 7,700…

California’s Glorious Central Coast

By Catherine | On Apr 5, 2016 | No Comments

My daughter, Hilary, and I recently returned from a wonderful week in California.  Ever since the 2014 Wine Blogger’s Conference, I have been wanting to return to the Central Coast and this trip presented the opportunity.  After meeting in Los Angeles and spending a relaxing evening in Marina del Rey, we headed up the coast.  Our first stop was at…

Bordeaux Style Blending at the Grand Bohemian

By Catherine | On Jan 24, 2016 | No Comments

The Grand Bohemian Hotel in Charleston holds red wine blending classes several times each week. Yesterday, on a blustery January Saturday, I attended a class, expertly led by Wine Director and Sommelier Scott Newman. The classes can accommodate up to 12 guests; ours was a group of 7, some locals and some visiting from other states. We were greeted with…

Finger Lakes Finale

By Catherine | On Sep 14, 2015 | 1 Comment

Saturday was the last full day of the conference, another busy day of breakout sessions and tastings.  In addition to immersion in the local region’s wines, there are opportunities to attend seminars and receptions hosted by international producers.  A session entitled “The Spectrum of Dry Riesling” was presented by Wines of Alsace.  After three days of learning about and enjoying…

Finger Lakes Day Two and Its Viticulture

By Catherine | On Aug 24, 2015 | 1 Comment

This is a complex subject to condense down to a blog post.  Nevertheless, let’s give it a try. Regardless of the growing region, there are hybrid grapes and Vitis vinifera. Hybrids are crosses between two grape, or vitis, species and Vitis vinifera are crosses between the same grape species. The Concord and Niagara are examples of well known hybrid grapes…

Introduction to the Finger Lakes

By Catherine | On Aug 19, 2015 | No Comments

The 2015 Wine Blogger’s Conference began on Wednesday, August 12, with a pre-conference excursion. But first, a little geography lesson: About two million years ago, the first of a series of glacial flows began advancing and retreating across what is now New York State. The ice gouged out the land, creating deep trenches and steep inclines. Because of the changes…

Pages:«1234»


Recent posts