Hills and Valleys-Pt. 4-Vista Hills Vineyard

September 18, 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

{This is part 4 in a series of our visit to the Willamette Valley last summer.} It can be challenging to visit wineries with a big group. It can be challenging to visit with children. It can be challenging to visit with aging parents (mine, at least.) So, what to do when you check all […]

Hills and Valleys-Part 3-ROCO Winery

August 27, 2018.Reading time 12 minutes.

This series covers highlights from my visit to the Willamette Valley last summer. See the previous posts for travel tips and tastings. My first educational introduction to Willamette Valley wines came when Rollin Soles held a tasting at the Red Room in Austin. He poured a few Pinot Noir to compare and share about the […]

Hills and Valleys-Part 2-Willamette Valley

July 6, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

{This is part two in a series documenting our trip to the Willamette Valley last year. The previous post highlights the coast and McMinnville, Elizabeth Chambers.} The house we rented was located in Sherwood, an immaculate equestrian property fully stocked for a large group and entertaining. When we arrived in early August of 2017, the […]

Hills and Valleys-Oregon-Part 1

July 5, 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

We gathered in the golden hills to celebrate a golden anniversary. Fifty years of commitment and compromise. Fifty years of trials and triumphs. Fifty years of love. We chose the Willamette Valley because we wanted a place with beautiful views, temperate climate, and a comfortable home to gather. After my experience at Pinot in the […]

Sparkling Monday Wines-Domaine Bousquet

June 11, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

{These wines were received as media samples, no other compensation. Thoughts, opinions are my own.} While Argentina’s Mendoza region may not be synonymous with sparkling wine, their bubbles should be on your list of wines to explore. I recently sampled two sparklers which far outshine their price point. Produced in the Charmat method, priced around […]

A Thrilling Ride-Sidecar-G-Force

March 21, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

{This wine was provided as a media sample, no other compensation. Thoughts, opinions are my own.} Speed, gravity, acceleration. If you’ve ever been a passenger in a vehicle that takes the curve with gusto, you’ve had a taste of G-force. It requires you to both hold on tight and let go. There is a push/pull […]

Delayed Plans-Wines of Alsace

January 8, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

Wines were provided as media samples. I received no other compensation, thoughts and opinions are my own. I had plans for these wines. They arrived when the temperatures were not conducive to the cuisine, but I was patient. I had plans for these wines. I’d taste them all together, a three course meal with friends, […]

“No, not ‘Red Rum,’ Red WINE!”

October 30, 2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

Can you imagine the terror? You are just settled in with a bowl of popcorn and a few fun-size and you ask your son to get you the bottle of red wine from the kitchen. There is a long pause. A cackle. He comes around the corner, glazed eyes carrying a bottle you don’t recognize. […]

One Day-New Zealand Wines

June 2, 2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

There are destinations in this world that I have longed to see for decades. “One day,” I have always said. One day I will have the time. One day I will have the money. One day. And nothing shows me more clearly how one day morphs into years, into decades than our children. My children […]