Napa Food and Vine

Zooming with Smith-Madrone Winery and Vineyards

Zoom Tasting with Stu Smith

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to enjoy a Zoom tasting with wine writer colleagues from all over the country and Stu Smith, founder of Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery.  To say that I was excited about the invitation would be understating it a little. I have met Stu many times during wine events and each time I walk away with just a little more…

Hess Cabernet Sauvignon

Disclaimer: The Hess Cabernet Sauvignon that we review here  was provided as samples.

Rosé may be the wine of summer, but this is also the season of outdoor grilling. With red meat, Cabernet is a better pairing choice. After last week’s Hess Rosé we tried a couple of Cabernet Sauvignon from that winery with grilled tri-tip. 

Tri-Tip was not a cut of meat with which I was…

Good Fucking Wine

Disclaimer: The bottle of Good Fucking Wine reviewed here is a sample provided to the blog.

I like to think that I am above prejudices, but the Good Fucking wine showed me that is not the case. My initial reaction when Amber told me that a bottle with this name was on its way was to ask if it was Australian. The name seemed such an Aussie thing to do. My assumption was wrong.…

  Hess Select Rosé

Disclaimer: The Hess Select Rosé in this article was given to us as a sample.

After months at home, Amber and I had a weekend away. We stayed in Gualalaon the Mendocino Coast. A relaxing few days listening to the ocean waves crash whilst we sat on a sun-drenched balcony. We observed social distancing and wore masks when we left our room. It was reassuring to see that everyone…

Faire La Fête Crémant de Limoux

Faire La Fête Crémant de Limoux

Disclaimer: The Faire La Fête Crémant de Limoux was provided to us as a review sample.

We wrote about Crémantlast year. In that case it was about a wine from Alsace. Today we move South to the foothills of the Pyrenees and the Limoux area. Limoux is part of the Languedoc region. It was here in 1531 that fermentation in bottle to make a sparkling wine was first…

Cadle Family Rosé of Sangiovese

  Cadle Family Rosé of Sangiovese

In the US summer traditionally starts with Memorial Day. This year, the temperature soared into the 90s as the long weekend arrived; hitting triple figures by Tuesday. With long days of sunshine upon us, our thoughts turned to Rosé.

Amber lists Sangiovese as her favourite grape, so starting the season with this varietal was an easy choice. We purchased the bottle…

Flora Springs Ghost Winery Malbec

Flora Springs Winery

Disclaimer: The Flora Springs Ghost Winery Malbec is a sample provided to us for review.

Founded in 1978, Flora Springs is a Napa winery. Its name references the mother of two of the founders and the natural springs on the property.

Earlier in 2020, the owners of Bordeaux’s Château Smith Haut Lafitte bought the original estate. The Flora Springs brand and 275 acres of Napa…

Bijou Cocktail

In Britain the word “Bijou” is oft used by estate agents. When a property is described as bijou, it means it is small and cramped. The use of the foreign word sounds so much better than the English alternatives. With this meaning of the word in mind, I found it an odd name for a cocktail. However, the word originally refers to a small gemstone. From that meaning, it is easy to see…

  Chilean Carménère

Disclaimer: The three bottles of Chilean Carménère reviewed here were provided as samples.

Almost without fail, fairy stories start with the phrase “Once Upon A Time”. With the same frequency, tales of grape varieties include mention of Phylloxera. So it is with the focus of today’s article: Carménère. It originated in Bordeaux as a blending grape; playing much the same role…

Lula Cellars, Anderson Valley Wine

  Lula Cellars

Back in October, we stopped into Lula Cellars in Anderson Valley on our way to Mendocino. David decided to visit because, during his search for wineries in the area, he noticed the overwhelmingly positive customer reviews. His thinking was that any tiny winery with that many fantastic reviews has to be worth a visit. We wanted to know what everyone was raving about, considering we…

NewAir 15” Premium Built-in Dual Zone 9 Bottle and 48 Can Wine and Beverage Fridge

Wine Fridge

Disclaimer: The manufacturer New Air provided the NewAir 15” Premium Built-in Dual Zone 9 Bottle and 48 Can Wine and Beverage Fridge reviewed in this article.

Amber and I drink more red wine than white. Thus our trio of wine fridges are set to keep the bottles at 60F (15.6C). This is an ideal temperature for red, but too warm for most white and rosé wine. The domestic fridge goes too…

Belden Barns Grape Stomp

  Belden Barns Grape Stomp

Belden Barns is a farm and vineyard on Sonoma Mountain, between Santa Rosa and Glen Ellen. We were invited to  their annual grape stomp. It was a clear warm day as we drove up the windy road from Glen Ellen to the farm. What a gorgeous property and a true hidden gem of a place. 

Stuck in the Mud

Arriving, we ran into a little snafu before we were able to enjoy the…

Ricossa Antica Casa Piemonte Barbera 2015

Disclaimer: The bottle of Ricossa Barbera reviewed here was a sample.

Piedmont

Piedmont, Piemonte in Italian, is a region in the North-West of the country. Nestling against the Alps, it borders France and Switzerland. The main city, Turin, is home to the Juventus football team and the Italian automotive giant, FIAT.

The region’s most famous wines are Barolo, Barbaresco, and the sparkling Asti…

  Coronation Chicken and Chenin Blanc

Disclaimer: The Conte de la Terre Chenin Blanc was a free sample from Scout and Cellar.

Coronation Chicken is a classic English dish. Invented by Rosemary Hume and Constance Spry, both of whom trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. It was served at the banquet for the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth  II in 1953. In the decades since, the dish became a…

Duckhorn and Decoy Merlot

  Duckhorn and Decoy Merlot

Disclaimer: The Duckhorn and Decoy Merlot bottles reviewed here were samples

Merlot Month continues with two related bottles. Duckhorn is a well-regarded winery in Napa Valley. Decoy is their value brand; selling wine in grocery stores for around $20.

We have not visited Duckhorn, although we have been to their sister property, Paraduxx. We wrote about our experiencea…

Vezer 2013 Jude (Merlot)

The 2013 Jude continues our Merlot Month series. It is a wine from one of our local wineries. When I say local, I mean that their tasting room is less than a five mile drive from our home. Were we crows, the distance to Vezer is just a mile. 

Suisun Valley is most noted for Petite Sirah. Jude shows us the AVA can make great wine from other varieties. In a chat with Frank…

Merlot Month in Mendocino

Merlot Month in Mendocino

October is Merlot Month. It is also the month of our wedding anniversary. It was this latter event that took us to the coastal town of Mendocino. The former event was why we packed five bottles of Merlot.

Mendocino is in Mendocino County. Despite the name, it is not the county seat. That honour belongs to the city of Ukiah. We had visited Gualala, a coastal town on the…