When you have been a wine enthusiast as long as I have, you tend to accumulate a cellar full of well-intentioned, yet utterly mundane wine-related gifts. I have a drawer full of corkscrews of every design, enough sets of glass charms to host a gathering of several dozen friends, and have been gifted a copy…… More
My Willamette Valley Wine Essentials book contains a chapter called, “Top 10 Wine Myths, Busted!” Myth #1 is “All wine improves with age.” This really had to be #1 on my list of wine myths, because it is the #1 question I hear from tasting room visitors: “How long should I keep this wine?” I…… More
The busy winery tasting room visiting season in the Willamette Valley is upon us! Whether you are a tasting room visitor from the neighborhood or from across the country, here are my Top 10 tips for your visit. #1. Be sure to eat a good meal before venturing out, as it really helps to have…… More
I love popcorn. Like, really, really love popcorn. From stove-top to movie theater to air-popped to microwave to over an open campfire. And an open bag of Smartfood has no chance of survival in my house. Sometimes (ok, probably more frequently than sometimes) my dinner consists of popcorn paired with wine. Here are my top…… More
To me, the most beautiful and intriguing aspect of the Oregon wine industry lies in the small scale of production, and the number of winemakers who choose to remain small and do their own thing. Free Spirit winemakers! As of 2011, Oregon has over 420 wineries. And yet the average Oregon winery produces less than…… More
Many, if not most, of the people I know who work in the wine industry have had an “ah-ha!” moment. That is the moment when wine becomes something more than just a beverage. When you feel that first sense of wonder and amazement; that first desire to find out what and why this is. And…… More
Greetings! Recently, I was trolling on Facebook and came across the app that gathers the top ten words you have used in status updates in the past year. The title of this post contains my top four words, in order. Made me think that perhaps I have something to say about wine. So here I…… More