It is with the deepest honor that I share some incredible news. Thirteen years ago, Mike and I decided to start a winery. The heart and soul of that dream was our first Weimaraner, Draco. Since I was deemed the official “Head of Social Media,” I dove in headfirst—consuming every YouTube video and book I…
The wine industry is in trouble. Yes, it’s a rollercoaster; what goes up must come down and vice versa. But right now, we are sitting in the lull. We are all strapped into that fiberglass shell of a seat, listening to the agonizing clink-clink-clink of the chain lift working to get us to the top…
Sparkling wine is like a celebration in the bottle. The sound of the pop corking, bubbles rising to the top of my glass and the sensation of the effervescence on my nose put a smile on my face every time. There is truly something special about sparkling wines, but all sparkling is not created equal….
As of 2025, according to winefolly.com, the United States has over 11,000 wineries with California holding the number one state spot with more than 4,700. Paso Robles accounts for about 300 of those and downtown has twenty nine within a four block radius. Paving the Way Hannah Weinberger is the first recognized woman winemaker in…
It seems like only yesterday, that I was asking a college friend “What the heck is a blog?” As she explained it to me, I was baffled. I bought the “Blogging for Dummies” book (remember those? Do they still exist?) and read it and decided to start a blog. I started writing on Blogger; a…
After a month of restraint and resolution, what better way to bid farewell to Dry January and welcome February than by pouring yourself a glass of Syrah? With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Syrah offers the perfect balance of warmth, spice, and velvetiness. Its bold flavors and intense depth make it an ideal companion…
Oh Merlot! The step-child of the wine world. The grape that could have been if it weren’t for a stupid line in a movie that also may be the MOST misunderstood line in any movie ever. But thankfully, Merlot seems to be on the rise again. Let’s celebrate it this Thursday, International Merlot Day. The…
One of my goals in wine education is to make it less snooty. Wine should not only be enjoyed by a few, rather it should be enjoyed by the masses. There is a constant line in the sand that separates oenophile aficionados and the wine neophyte. I wish this line wasn’t there, but it is…
Burgundian History Chardonnay’s birthplace is Burgundy, France. When the western half of the Roman Empire collapsed, Germanic people crossed the Rhine and established their dominancy at Worms in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The area is situated on the Upper Rhine about 60 km (40 mi) south-southwest of Frankfurt am Main. Worms is one of the oldest cities of northern Europe. Over the next…
I recently came across a conversation in the Wine Scholar Guild’s community section titled “Is it time to ditch wine scores?” The discussion was created by Justin Martindale, MW. He brought up the dialogue about wine score inflation. This is not an old topic. In fact, back in 2013 Wine Spectator, James Laub wrote “Anyone who…
