Throughout the year I drink wine at dinners, various wine events, festivals, tasting rooms, and have samples submitted for review. In most cases it can be difficult to properly review a wine without bottle submission, however, there are moments when a wine seems to hit all cylinders even with a small pour. These are the wines that immediately say "Hello!" 

Some wine media produces publications with wines that are too scarce or soldout. Their 'Top 100' in my view often becomes much like going to a restaurant and looking at pictures of the food and then going home. 

Wines That ...

Civil unrest for #CabernetDay 

Today is Cabernet day. As I sit in my home currently over 90 degrees and contemplate which bottle to drink for this Summer day, I cannot over come the heat element. Who doesn't love the king of grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon? I dig it, but cannot bear the thought of drinking Cabernet without sitting on a block of ice or at the very least leaning my head inside the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

While many will undoubtedly be sitting poolside basking in the Summer sun sipping Cabernet today in celebration, well, maybe not. So ...

(Recently shared in my wine segment on air (1590 News-Talk) with the Tom & Sandy show)  (Riverbench mentioned on air, but not listed below) 

Visiting wine country in Santa Barbara County and Edna Valley, California, may fulfill wine tasting dreams for any wine fan. One can drive up the sun-filled coast in a convertible or at least lower the windows a bit. Not only is there great diversity in regions and wine, but the Central Coast has some of the most picturesque wineries. While hitting the wine trail can be so much fun, planning the trip can be almost as exciting ...

If you have had the pleasure of drinking wine from the famed Bien Nacido Vineyards in Santa Maria Valley of Santa Barbara County, then you know the fruit coming out is exceptionally special. Winemakers from all over California are lined up just waiting for the chance to obtain some of the States very best fruit. 

When I was a little boy, I often liked the idea of expoloration. My cousin and I would explore in our grandparents basement finding all kinds of fun and interesting discoveries from past decades. I even recall surfacing with a photo of my grandparents with a man, and it was autographed. When I inquired who the man was, I was told it was a night they had dinner with Johhny Cash in the early '60's. It might have been the first time I had heard that name, and it was a very cool discovery.

I don't think I ...

Some of you may be "in the know" that Cimarone just opened the doors of their new tasting room just last month in Los Olivos (Santa Barbara County). As Happy Canyon is the newest AVA to Santa Barbara County, and their are no tasting rooms there, this is a very welcome site. 

Many of the very best Bordeaux varietals that are grown in Santa Barbara come from Happy Canyon. After recieving a recent Sauvignon Blanc sample during the summers last hurrah of heat, I could not wait to taste such a refreshing wine.

I do believe in eating and drinking ...

If you've had the pleasure of touring Santa Barbara's wine country, you likely visited some combination of Santa Maria Valley, Foxen Trail, Los Olivos, Sta Rita Hills, downtown "funk-zone," or Santa Ynez Valley. These fantastic wine trails are posted clearly on most wine maps. Not all of the great spots are included on the maps for mainstream wine travelers to visit, and not all spots are open to the public. Today's Santa Barbara wine business has grown over the years, including new discoveries and AVA's. One of the younger AVA's (2001) in California, and more ...

The movie "Sideways" seems to be a beaten dead horse amongst the wine industry, so much so, it could be called the "S-word."  They say perception is reality and many people's knowledge base sometimes falls on a simple  movie. As exasperated as the discussions might be, the impact has been a lasting one. A well known winemaker called it the "Sideways bump." The Santa Barbara region was heavily blessed with a lot of wine travelers seeking the much talked about Pinot Noir with cash in hand.  While Santa Barbara county may produce some of the best Pinot Noir in ...

It's that time of year when the grapes are being harvested and wine is being produced. It's also a time of celebration of the harvest, to enjoy the outdoors with good food and wine, while we still have great weather.

On October 8th, the Santa Barbara Vintners Association put on the annual Celebration of Harvest, held at Rancho Sisquoc winery, in Santa Maria Valley. There was no shortage of media covering this wine event, and I saw many familar friendly faces. Chris Czar was out with his crew taking footage for a television show, while local photographer Bob ...