In May of 2019, I attended a wonderful tasting at The Wine House in Los Angeles.  Stolpman Vineyards was there in full force showcasing some of their world class syrahs.  I purchased four bottles that included the 2011-2014 vintages of Hecho Por Ruben, made by their vineyard manager, Ruben Solorzano.  Tom and Virginia Stolpman purchased their vineyard in 1990 and…

Sonja Magdevski, owner and wine maker at Casa Dumetz Wines, held a special event for wine club members, a barrel tasting of some of her 2018 vintage wines. Sonja began her adventure into commercial wine making in 2008, with a focus on Rhone varietals.  She bottles under three labels: Casa Dumetz, Clementine Carter, and The Feminist Party. Sonja does not…

One of the most serendipitous occurrences during our first day in Santa Barbara County was meeting Hilliard Bruce’s new production manager, Sonja Magdevski.  She also makes wine for her own label, Casa Dumetz.  Sonja was busy that Saturday, decked out in rose colored rain boots, managing various tanks of wine.  I called “hello” to her and she was happy to…

Last weekend, my daughter and trusty tasting partner, Hilary, and I headed off for a little getaway to Santa Barbara County for some wine tasting. The day was partly cloudy and the clouds added dimension and interesting lighting as we drove along the Pacific and into the Santa Ynez foothills. Even though California hasn’t seen much rain this season, there…