No chateau required

The Garagiste Wine Festival – the term plays on French slang for people who makes wine in their garage – is a gathering of the best wines you’ve never heard of – yet. A hit in Southern California, where the L.A. Times called the exuberant... Continue

New, improved, glorious Gloria Ferrer

[caption id="attachment_54107" align="aligncenter" width="420"] Pedro Ferrer, CEO of Freixenet, the parent company of Gloria Ferrer, and his wife, Begonia, enjoy a sip of bubbly on the new patio (Sarah Stierch, CC BY 4.0)[/caption] In January, Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards announced that they would close their... Continue

Ledson wins big at the Critics Challenge + under $25 winners

The annual Critics Challenge International Wine Competition has announced its 2015 winners. The competition features esteemed oenophiles serving as judges, such as the Bay Area's own Leslie Sbrocco and the legendary Mary Ewing-Mulligan (she co-write Wine for Dummies and is the first woman to be certified as... Continue

Sonoma Valley wins at LA International Wine Spirits Awards

Sonoma Valley wine lovers have more to be proud of as the award winners for the 2015 Los Angeles International Wine Spirits Awards are named. Sonoma Valley won big with Pinot Noir and Sparkling Wine this year. Here are Sonoma Valley local wineries that won... Continue

Benziger & Imagery sold to the Wine Group for $70-80 mill

Another Sonoma County winery has been sold to a wine industry behemoth. According to North Bay Business Journal, Benziger Family Winery and Imagery Winery have been sold, for an estimated $70-80 million, to the Wine Group. The Wine Group is based in Livermore. They make... Continue

BYOB: Olive & Vine launches Cellar Nights

[caption id="attachment_47948" align="aligncenter" width="420"] BYOB - Cellar Night starts at Olive & Vine[/caption] Starting this Thursday, Olive & Vine is offering free corkage on wines that guests bring with them to dinner. The restaurant is encouraging guests to bring vintage Sonoma wines, specifically those that are... Continue

From Sonoma to Indy: Foyt Wine Vault

[caption id="attachment_51940" align="aligncenter" width="420"] Legendary racecar driver A.J. Foyt cuts the ribbon at the opening of the Foyt Wine Vault in Speedway, Indiana (Sarah Stierch, CC BY 4.0)[/caption] The world's most famous race, the Indianapolis 500, took place on Memorial Day weekend. Hundreds of thousands... Continue

New chapter for 150-year-old Madrone Road winery

Tony Stewart, owner of Madrone Vineyards Estate, welcomes guests Tuesday to the re-opening of what had been Valley of the Moon Winery. Originally planted in 1863, the Glen Ellen facility was one of the first wineries in California. The 60-acre property has 41 acres of... Continue

New grant program will fund sustainable winegrowing

Sonoma County Winegrowers (SCW) have launched a new grantmaking program to support county-wide sustainable wine growing efforts. SCW has set aside $100,000 and will be funding 250 vouchers, valued at $400 each, to offset sustainability certifications. In order to participate, growers have to have completed... Continue

Oysters, brisket, & pinot, oh mi!

This past weekend over a hundred Pinot Gris and Noir fans gathered at Kenwood's Landmark Vineyards for their annual Spring Festival. This is the start of their Best of California event series, which showcases Bay Area food and Landmark's wine every other month during spring and summer.... Continue