Over the years I have become a fan of Semillon wines. Some folks have never heard of the wine, let alone tasted it. It is the third most grown wine in France. In France, Semillon is an important blending grape. In Bordeaux, the Semillon grape…
Terroir: A Look at Three Favorites

Last week we took a look at what terroir is, how it affects the taste of wine and the different types. In this week’s blog, we will discuss some of the differences in terroir between my three favorite wine regions: Napa Valley, California, and Burgundy and Bordeaux, France…
Bordeaux, Burgundy, climate, Left Bank, Napa, Right Bank, soil, terroirCalifornia Wines: Napa and Sonoma Counties

Napa and Sonoma County in California long ago established themselves as the premier wine-making regions in the United States. The winemaking history goes back to the early 1700s when missionaries from Spain planted vines in the region which they had brought with them to create vineyards so they could make wine. They needed a source of wine to make sure they had …
California wines, Napa, Napa Valley, places to visit, SonomaCovid-19 Impact on Napa Valley

Several weeks back I posted a blog article titled “The Wine Industry is Changing.” The article did not paint a rosy picture of the wine industry then or in the future. Along comes the coronavirus pandemic and things have gotten worse. Before I get into the current Napa Valley situation let me share a couple of interesting facts with you…
coronavirus, Covid-19, DTC, economic impact, NapaSyrah Wine

In this week’s blog I want to introduce you to the seventh most grown grape throughout the globe. Syrah (si-ra) is also known as Shiraz in Australia and is a dark-skinned grape that is used primarily to produce red wine. It is used as a single varietal and as a blend…
2011 Big Boy Syrah, Eric Kent, Napa, red wine, Sonoma County, Syrah