Whenever I receive a wine club shipment, it feels a lot like my birthday or Christmas. I was thrilled to see a new wine in our November shipment from Pine Ridge Winery. Included in each club shipment is a small booklet filled with the latest news and a greeting from the winemaker Michael Beaulac. It typically has vineyard updates,…
Our 28th Wedding anniversary was May 17th. We would be again celebrating in the valley and planned to stay in Sonoma for an extended weekend, which included a visit to Verite, my favorite in Chalk Hill. We tried to pack light, but of course had a few bottles to take home so we spent a…
We are having one of the coldest and longest temps in two decades. There is a possibility we could break one hundred year records. There was no way Chris and I were leaving the house so we decided to make a really nice dinner. She decided to prepare us a rack of lamb with creamy…
Petite Verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. It ripens later than the other varieties in Bordeaux and is often too late, so it fell out of favor in its home region. When it does ripen, it is added in small amounts to add tannin, color and flavor…
Our long time friend Pete came into town for a sales event with his employer. The meetings were held Thursday through Saturday and he was leaving for home on Sunday. He came in a day early so he could hang out with Chris and I. We had dinner at one of our local favorite go-to…
I think the movie Sideways gave Merlot a bad rap. The first red wine Chris and I both fell in love with was a Merlot from Australia. The winery was called Hope Estate and the 2005 vintage was exceptional! We would buy a case at a time from our friends’ store in Champlin, MN. As…
Chris was going to grill a nice steak and lobster tail with diced potatoes and onions. We have an abundance of fresh basil, so a nice caprese salad was on the menu as well. Since Chris was making an excellent dinner it was my job to pair a nice red wine! I wandered down to…
Well Spring is (almost) here. Technically it was Wednesday of this week, but if you live in the Midwest (Minnesota), today feels like a January day! It’s in the mid twenties with a strong west wind. With the windchill feels like zero degrees outside and on Monday we woke to an -11 degree below zero…
Chris has been preparing for the Alexandra House “Hope Gala” for many weeks as a fund raiser volunteer. During our recent trips to Napa, she was able to obtain some really nice tastings at pure Cru, Cosentino Winery, Robert Biale, Pine Ridge, Kunde Family Estate and Beringer Wineries for the “Napa Fun” vacation that will…
There are a couple of American Viticultural Areas (AVA) that I feel produce some excellent Cabernet Sauvignons. A few that comes to mind are Stags Leap, Howell Mountain, Diamond Mountain and Oakville. I am not saying the other AVA’s do not produce great Cabernet Sauvignons, I’m just saying the ones above are some of…
I love working in the yard on Sunday… That is if it is nice out. Our Summers in Minnesota can be really hot and humid. Last week we had a few days in the 80’s and I think the humidity was in the upper 60’s. Its pretty bad when you wake up in the morning…
Happy Friday. It’s hard to believe it is Memorial Weekend! It feels like it was just Easter last week. I hope you all pay tribute to all of our veterans. If you see a veteran on the street, store or airport, make sure you thank them. Many have lost their lives for our freedom. Its…
