Monthly Archive: January 2010
Mark has no desire to have Temecula’s biggest winery. His focus is to have a lovely, quaint spot when friends can gather and enjoy good wine and good times. The wine club will offer lots of events, from cooking classes to get togethers. He envisions it as more of a family than a wine club.
The IFWTWA “Conference At Sea” was an opportunity for a group of writers to not only enjoy a cruise on the Caribbean, but also to see the inner workings of a cruise ship. As a wine writer, I was curious to see the challenges faced by a Cellar Master whose job includes making sure that [...]
All this time you’ve probably been wondering – where’s the wine? At Beacon Point in St. Thomas, we found Guava Berry Wine. I’ll tell you about that stop later in the story. We docked at Charlotte Amalie at about 8:00 Wednesday morning, splitting up into three groups. One group chose the Skyride, a seven minute [...]
It was warm and we walked for about three hours, but we took in some splendid sights and Poppo was a patient and knowledgeable guide and proud of his island’s history and heritage. We wound our way up cobblestone streets and then climbed a grassy hill where we were rewarded with a cooling sea breeze.
We were blessed to have winemaker par excellece Don Reha sailing with us. Don is the Executive Winemaker at both Thornton and Orfila Wineries and he presided over the first of several wine tastings scheduled for the week. We tasted Thornton’s non-vintage Brut Reserve Methode Champenoise Sparkling Wine, Sans Oak Chardonnay, Cabernet-Merlot and finally the incredible Estate Syrah, accompanied by a selection of fruit and cheeses.
For starters, I don’t think you’ll find a better pourer anywhere than Jamie Schmutzer. Her passion for wine shines through in everything she does. If you’re lucky enough to have her pour for you and you’re not smiling when you’re done, check yourself into the hospital. Clearly there’s something wrong with you.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Steve and Valerie Andrews from Oak Mountain & Temecula Creek. They were some of the first winery folk we met way before we started WINEormous. They are genuine, no-pretense people and Steve’s wines continue to get better with each new vintage. Kimberly and Buzz Olsen at Tesoro have
