Back to Blogging with Utopia’s 2013 Grenache

This bottle of wine has made a few trips around the sun. I first tasted it a few years after its harvest out at the winery’s quaint tasting room overlooking the lower Ribbon Ridge hills. It was hot. Hot enough to want to sit inside for us native north-westerners. Air conditioning was rare, and welcomed….

Ringing in the New Year with Lenne Estate’s Pinot Noir

It’s been a whirl-wind few months being back in Oregon. This fall, we moved two states, finally got into a new apartment, I started a new job, we’ve been searching for wedding venues for next year, and have spent lots of time on Oregon’s highways visiting friends and family. After two months on the go,…

2013 Brandborg Westbrook Vineyard Pinot Noir

On my last trip out to Oregon, I enjoyed a day of wine tasting in the Umpqua Valley while traveling between the coast and central Oregon. It was a heavenly day with bright, warm sunshine, beautiful rolling vineyards, and some amazingly good wine. While I love visiting the tasting rooms and sampling their portfolio of…

Swedish Hills Blue Water’s Chardonnay

While Utah is Zion to some, it’s a wine-lover’s hell. Going on a year and half in this desert oasis, I’ve been on a bit of a wine hiatus and missing it dreadfully. Luckily for me, I have some great friends around the country and few near some great wine. One of my oldest-friends who…

An Austrian Red: Hopler Pannonica Red Blend

Before buying this bottle of wine I must admit that I had never had a red wine from Austria. I didn’t even know what types of red grapes grew in Austria. But that is one of my favorite things about drinking wine; it opens you up to the world and offers you the chance to…

Even More Holiday Cork Crafts to Share with your Family

Fall is the best time to start some craft projects. The weather is cooling down and the rains keep you inside. Don’t get cabin fever this season with these holiday cork crafts!

A Crowd Pleaser: Cline Family Cellar’s Chardonnay

This past weekend, I got together with two of my girlfriends from college to watch our alma mater play football. While we no longer live in the same city, we try to still see each other on occasion. Life has gotten busy. We are aren’t the same college kids as when we met. But no…

A Reason to Reisling: Brooks Wine’s 2012 Yamhill Riesling

A fantastic wine with bold acidity and candied fruit flavors. On the first whiff, Brooks Wine’s 2012 Yamhill Riesling greets you like an expensive perfume with aromas of honeydew, tart peaches, and spring flowers. Then the boutique blossoms further with flavors of jolly rancher green apple and bright citrus. But what I loved most about…

4 Movies About Wine to Watch While You Drink

Some nights you just want to settle in with a glass of wine and good movie. So sit back, relax, and pop some popcorn to watch these four great movies about wine. By the time your bottle is gone and the credits are rolling, you’ll even have learned a little more about the world of…

Fox Farm Vineyards 2011 Pinot Noir

As a tour guide, I spend a lot of time on the road. Long days, active itineraries, and constant interaction quickly take a toll on my energy and nerves. But after two successful summers, I’ve learned to pack a bottle of wine along to relax with and enjoy in my hotel room in the evening…

Toe to Toe with Left Coast Cellars’ 2011 Latitude 45 Pinot Noir

Well balanced and layered, the wine matched me toe to toe after a stressful day at work.

Phelps Creek Vineyards’ 2012 Cuvee Alexandrine Pinot Noir

From first sip, I knew I had tasted something special. Refreshing different, this wine plays on the palate with balanced fruit and earth to the tune of a rich, not-to-be-forgotten Pinot Noir.