DATE CHANGE - Bubbles & Burgundy!

Due to circumstances beyond our control, we must postpone our planned adventure in France to April, 2024! We're sad, of course, but in the long run, I think April in France is going to be delightful! 

We are also thinking about adding on a short hop over the Channel to southern England to taste some English Sparkling wines! Interested? Lemme know!

Stay tuned for specific dates and details, and follow me on Facebook and Instagram.

Cheers!

Bubbles and Burgundy with the Goddess of Wine!

Exciting news from the Goddess of Wine! Join me in France this Fall!

Have you dreamed of visiting Champagne and Burgundy? Now's your chance! A guided tour, filled with wine and food! 

Click here https://wineloverstravel.com/portfolio/bubbles-burgundy/ for more information, or contact Gail Sherman at Wine Lovers Travel at gail@wineloverstravel.com or (805) 701-7119 to book this once-in-a-lifetime trip!

Lots more information at this site: https://wineloverstravel.com/portfolio/bubbles-burgundy/

Please don't wait! We are going to limit this excursion to a small group of wine-loving souls, so join us today!

Old World vs. New World - A Tasty Comparison!

The Goddess of Wine and JD had some fun at Fossil Wine Bar in Atascadero last night with a group of eager and engaged students of wine. This was an opportunity to compare a few specific grape varieties made in different regions of the world.

Old World wine refers primarily to wine made in Europe but can also include other regions of the Mediterranean basin with long histories of winemaking such as North Africa and the Near East. The phrase is often used in contrast to New World wine which refers primarily to wines from New World wine regions such as the United States, Australia, South America and South Africa. 

Wining through the holidays…

It’s that time of year again. The “holidays”. You throw a party, or you go to a party. For a huge meal. It could be a traditional roast turkey, accompanied by stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Or it could be roast goose or duck, or a Honeybaked ham. Or (shudder) a turducken.

Regardless of what you, your friends and family choose to share, it’s going to be a big meal with a lot of different elements, so you’ll want to choose wines that will enhance and not conflict with the flavors found in your meal. You can play it safe and offer Chardonnay or Pinot Noir with your turkey, but how about trying something different to spice up your feast?

The Goddess of Wine tends to favor wines with good acidity to counter the fatty content of many of the tasty accompaniments to a hopefully moist and well-seasoned turkey. Oh, and I tend to lean more towards red wines, so here are some suggestions, all of which are locally available.

Wining by Proxy...Tasting Terroir at République...

Once again JD fills in for the Goddess of Wine, this time at the Return to Terroir Portfolio tasting at République, the former Campanile.

About this event:
This was stated as “the only comprehensive portfolio tasting of the year to sample producers and regions spanning our entire portfolio.“

About the company:
Return to Terroir, owned by Raphael Knapp

Their Mission:
- To import sustainably produced wines that are the precise expression of their terroir.
- To help preserve the history of native grapes and traditional winemaking regions and methods.
- To educate the trade and consumers by sharing our wines and the stories of our winemakers.

“Raphael visits France and Italy every 3 months in search of wines that are the precise expression of their terroir. Some are organic and/or biodynamic but all are 100% estate produced by (smaller) family-owned wineries. They tend to share similar characteristics: minimal use of oak, a restrained style, and focus on minerality and acidity. We feel lucky to work with all of our producers and to be able to share their hard work, history and traditions with you.”

WORLD OF PINOT NOIR

The American Riviera hosting the World of Pinot Noir
Pinot-philes converge to taste and learn about wines from the world’s most important regions
www.worldofpinotnoir.com

Santa Barbara, Ca. - The 14th annual World of Pinot Noir, a 2-day event celebrating that alluring winegrape, will be held February 28-March 1, 2014 at the Bacara Resort and Spa in Santa Barbara California. The new venue is not only a luxurious feast for the senses, but also recognizes Santa Barbara County’s wine country as a place that introduced many to Pinot Noir, as 2014 will be the tenth anniversary of the iconic movie Sideways. “It's hard to believe it has been a decade since Sideways came out", muses Norm Yost of Flying Goat Cellars and this year's World of Pinot Noir President. "Having our event at the Bacara Resort and recognizing the effect of the movie is exciting! We look forward to welcoming those who join us each year, as well as newcomers to our 14th celebration of Pinot Noir."

Dispatches from the road - Days 2, 3 and 4...

After a decent sleep at the Motel 6 in Buellton (yes, even Goddesses have budgets), JD and I hit the 101 North to San Francisco.  Although there were scattered rain showers, it was a relatively easy drive.  We stopped in San Luis Obispo at the Apple Farm and breakfasted on eggs and sausage and those famous muffins.  Stopped in the gift shop and found ourselves in the middle of conversation about the Renaissance Faires - North and South.  JD and I are old rengeeks, and it's always fun finding like-minded folks.  Still, we left the Apple Farm a bit later than planned.

Driving north on the 101 takes you thru fields of grapevines, amazing ocean views, evergreen-forested mountain passes, and quick views of small farming communities like Gilroy (garlic capital of the world, I think) and Salinas (not so small), before heading into San Jose and the Silicon Valley.

We had a short unexpected stop just south of Salinas.  Cruising along, we noticed a helicopter circling around to hover over the highway.  And land.  On the highway.  Traffic, of course, stopped.  We assumed it was a Medivac helicopter, and were dismayed to see a second whirlybird land on the highway.  After a while, both 'copters took off in the general direction of Hollister, and traffic began to move.  The remains of the accident left no doubt that folks were seriously injured.  We sent good thoughts their way, and made our way cautiously out of the area.