Tag Archives: Wine of the Week

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Personal Service at Eric Ross Winery

by jamesknight8 months ago in Wine of the Week.0 Comments

It’s just as well that Dennis Mitchell isn’t behind the bar when I drop by this afternoon, because I’m empty-handed. The low-key, affable Mitchell, who manages the tasting room with wife Diane, won’t ask for a bottle of homemade wine from everyone who walks in the door, but if I’ve recently corked a new vintage, I’d do better to stay {…}

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Carol Shelton 2006 Maple Vineyard Zinfandel

by jamesknight9 months ago in Wine, Wine of the Week.0 Comments

Exhortations to pair Zinfandel with barbecued meats are as commonplace as offers of surplus zucchinis in August. And about as welcome, to my mind. Zinfandel is a great wine, and my first vinous love, to be sure, and its spicy, juicy and brash flavors do compliment the flavors of an all-American summer cookout. It’s just that in the heat of {…}

The label for the La Follette 2008 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.

La Follette 2008 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

by jamesknight1 year ago in Wine of the Week.3 Comments

Last seen under the bicycle-themed Tandem label, the La Follette 2008 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir comes from the same vineyard and is made by very same Greg La Follette. The illustration he’s chosen for his new, eponymous label is more than whimsical, it tells the story of the house philosophy: Waving his wand over the vineyard, albeit while stooped reverently {…}

Freestone 2008 Chardonnay

by jamesknight1 year ago in Wine of the Week.0 Comments

I have a friend who hates goat cheese. No matter how fresh, subtle and “ungoaty” it is to my senses, it’s always “goaty-goat, smelly old goat!” to this super-smeller. With similar passion, many people profess a dislike of Chardonnay, the nation’s most popular wine. Last week, we took at look at a Chardonnay that simply takes the “goat” out of {…}

Sonoma Vacation – Complex, Oaky… 92 points

by timz3 years ago in Insiders Guide.0 Comments

Ever read the stuff they print on the back of a wine bottle? The bad stuff tends to fall into two types: 1) “Dancing about architecture…” where the writer attempts to convey the experience of tasting the wine in words. These descriptions sound like this: “A delightful bouquet reminscent of kumquats, anise and sambal complements the medium body and hirsute lower extremities of {…}

Move over Slumdog Millionaire – Sonoma's Mushal Wins Awards, too!

by tina3 years ago in Insiders Guide.5 Comments

Slumdog Millionaire isn’t the only winner to come out of India recently. Sonoma County’s own Mushal Winery & Vineyards won a bronze medal for its Merlot out of more than 4,700 entries at the San Francisco Chronicle’s wine competition earlier this year. Medaling at the largest American wine competition was even more surprising because the wine that won, a 2006 {…}

Wine, food, and music in Sonoma County this weekend

by Beth3 years ago in Insiders Guide.0 Comments

No reason to stay home this weekend, unless you just want to.  Spring is definitely in the air, with our clocks moved forward and buds bursting into bloom everywhere you look. Beautiful sunny days beckon us to venture outdoors. Come uncorked There is plenty to do around Sonoma Country this weekend.  Wine Road’s popular Barrel Tasting Weekend extends to yet {…}

Lance Armstrong, Sonoma County – A Perfect Pairing

by tina3 years ago in Insiders Guide.1 Comment

We can safely say that I’m not a sporty girl. While I do ride my bicycle occasionally, I get winded after a couple of miles on a straight, flat surface. That’s not to say I won’t get a vicarious thrill when I watch the Tour of California, which comes through Sonoma County on Sunday. Santa Rosa is hosting the finish {…}

Paradise Ridge Winery Appeals to the Senses

by Jenntern3 years ago in Insiders Guide.0 Comments

Several wineries feature art exhibits, but none quite like Paradise Ridge’s outdoor sculpture garden, Marjike’s Grove. The sculpture garden can be found about half-way up the road to the winery’s tasting room, famed for its incredible views of the Santa Rosa valley. The theme and art selection changes annually as determined by the winery owner, Walter Byck. The sculptures are {…}

J'ai faim – for French Food

by tina3 years ago in Insiders Guide.0 Comments

I’m reading “Julie and Julia,” a mouth-watering delight. The book describes French meals made by author Julie Powell as she spent a year cooking her way through Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol. 1. The crazy Julie and Julia project discusses food, wine and life in New York. It’s a curl-up-on-a-rainy-day kind of book. It also gave {…}