Napa Valley is considered by many to be one of the top wine destinations in the United States. For true connoisseurs of fermented grape beverages, the idea of living in the area may be a dream come true. After finding a house in the area and purchasing home insurance, California-transplants can experience the true Napa Valley.

Napa Valley is more than just a popular tourist spot. It is the host of a rich culture well known in California. Instead of boasting the typical sun and surf the Golden State is known for, Napa has a flavor all its own. More than just grapes are grown in the fields. The area is filled with a variety of agricultural farms. Popular crops include mustard, beans, peas and wildflowers which are often used to improve the soil between vine plantings.
Read the rest of this entry »

There are “flavor wheel” for chocolate, beef or dairy products. Developed in the mid eighties with Prof. Ann Noble of a group of California wine experts with a aroma wheel – also known as aroma circle – for wine.

It rests upon the olfactory properties of Californian wines, which were obtained under the local climate conditions from the typical California wines. In the “old world” but all other varieties often grow under much cooler conditions than in hot California. Not infrequently, the American Winery lacked the right words to describe the characteristics of local wines.
Read the rest of this entry »

California is the area of the United States located in the western hills of Sonoma County, most notably the Napa Valley and is a perfect microclimate for growing grapes.
Were the first Spanish missionaries who arrived in California, who led the first vines in order to get wine to celebrate the Eucharist.

Until the 70′s the quality of the strains of this state was not very remarkable, but from then until now, there has been an important industry commitment to quality and makes a great effort to produce the best wines.
Read the rest of this entry »

California And Italian Wine Club Explains Wine Bottle Shapes

In 1821 the H. Ricketts & Co. Glassworks patented the glass bottle molding machine and the rest is history. The shapes developed in Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Alsace, Spain, and Portugal were standardized and continue to be the norm. Wine clubs assist enthusiasts to identify bottle content without reading the label by including bottle varieties in their wine of the month club selections.
Read the rest of this entry »

Varietal:Blend
Appellation:California, Mendocino, Yorkville Highlands
Style:Red
Price:$28
WOW Rating:92

“The blend is more Merlot based this vintage, though it traditionally starts out at 50% each of Cabernet and Merlot,” explains founder Edward Wallo. “It changes totally from year to year. Blending is the funnest thing each year.” A sniff reveals dark, earthy fruit aromas. The first sip offers blackberry, dusty plum, a bit of cedar, vanilla, jam and a long mineral finish. “We are one of the twelve original vineyards to be certified organic, since 1986,” says Wallo.
Read the rest of this entry »

Varietal:Cabernet Franc
Appellation:California, Mendocino, Yorkville Highlands
Style:Red
Price:$19
WOW Rating:91

The nose reveals a nice array of red fruit aromas. A sip offers flavors of complex fruit, earth, cocoa powder and great length. “We are one of the twelve original vineyards to be certified organic, since 1986,” says founder Edward Wallo. For more information, or to arrange a visit to this winery (located about 100 miles north of San Francisco), go to www.yorkville-cellars.com. The vineyard is located in southern Mendocino County between Anderson Valley to the west and Alexander Valley to the east.
Read the rest of this entry »

Varietal:Blend
Appellation:California, Mendocino, Yorkville Highlands
Style:Dry White
Price:$19
WOW Rating:92

There are aromas of fig with a touch of citrus and complex minerals. This wine was a Wine Spectator “Top 100 Wines of the Year” in 1995 and deserves watching. The name is inspired by the dowry of Eleanor of Aquitaine, that being the western part of France which included Bordeaux. “We are one of the twelve original vineyards to be certified organic, since 1986,” says founder Edward Wallo. For more information or to arrange a visit to this winery (located about 100 miles north of San Francisco), go to www.yorkville-cellars.com. The vineyard is located in southern Mendocino County between Anderson Valley to the west and Alexander Valley to the east.
Read the rest of this entry »

My first encounter with Zinfandel was back in the early 1980s, on holiday in Hawaii. I chose the wine from the restaurant wine list because the name was so unusual, I didn’t know whether Zinfandel referred to the grape, the name of the wine or the grower. Since this was early in the 1980s what came to the table was a salmon pink off-dry wine which was an ideal accompaniment to the seafood on offer. And at the risk of putting off readers so soon in the story, I enjoyed this wine and thought no more about it.
Read the rest of this entry »

Some wine-lovers thrive on seeking out small wineries, with small production of very fine wines. So, here’s one for that list. The winery is Collier Falls Vineyards, located on West Dry Creek Road at the northern end of Dry Creek Valley near Healdsburg in Sonoma, California. Its winery carries the Dry Creek Valley appellation. The first Collier Falls wine, the 1997 Zinfandel (100% estate grapes) was released in spring, 1999. There were only 500 cases, so a good bit of it is already gone. Those who collect numbers will be impressed by the 90 points the wine was given by the Wine Spectator, and the two stars (out of a possible three) granted the wine by Connoisseur’s Guide.
Read the rest of this entry »

The history of wine dates back to the Old Testament (Genesis 9:20) when said by Noah. In ancient Greece, wine was taken with water (take it without mixing was frowned upon); Teocrito described as venerable wines when they turned 4 years old. At that time it was stored in drums, containers made of goat fur amphorae waterproofed with oils and oily rags, so the air was in contact with the wine at all times. The Romans deomstraron better care, better wine through Falernianos wines a year of introducing aging containers. Although anyway not arrive until maturation when introduced wine bottle with cork.
Read the rest of this entry »