With another summer sliding to a close I sit here thinking about the coming months. I have much to be excited about. Labor Day weekend is just around the corner and we always have a big picnic for family and friends, this year’s event will be extra special with my niece from Wisconsin visiting. Labor Day weekend here in North America also ushers in the start of September and the beginning of autumn; our Fall Season, which starts on September 21st. If you keep up with our writings, you know that next to summer, fall is my favorite time of year.  I love the weather, cool crisp air, the smells, colors and just being able to sit outside by my fireplace and enjoy it without all the heat and humidity. This is a time for me when the summer chores... »View More

Added Sunday, August 22, 2010 in Wine Babble Add a Comment

Stuck in the house?  Looking for something to do?  I was just thinking recently about things to do in the winter months that are different, yet fun.  A neat idea popped into my head relating to wine.  I decided that when I watched the movie Sideways, I felt as though I had to drink Pinot Noir (definitely not Merlot) as that is the wine to drink in that movie.  I recall the next time I decided to watch I made sure I cracked a nice Pinot before hitting play on the DVD player.  At first I thought I could do that again as I haven’t watched Sideways in a while, but then I remembered that I also own the movie Bottle Shock.  As you know Bottle Shock is the story of how California wines made their mark in the famous Paris tastings and one California... »View More

Added Thursday, January 21, 2010 in Wine Babble Add a Comment

Another year is passed and a new one has just begun. As much as I love the Christmas season the changing of the calendar year does very little for me. I enjoyed dinner with my family New Years Eve and again on New Year’s Day. It was great and I am always up for a good time and happy for the time spent with my kids, their wives and of course, the newest generation, my granddaughter. But really moving from one year to the next is just another day in my mind. Yes, there are some yearend tasks to perform such as tax preparation and making sure all of the prior year paperwork is in order, changing calendars and so on. There are also many who will make big New Year’s resolutions vowing to be different and all of that, but how often do they really... »View More

Added Saturday, January 2, 2010 in Wine Babble Add a Comment

Have you ever taken a sip of a really outstanding wine that you have thoroughly enjoyed and get a mouthful of sediment? I call them bugs because that is what it reminds me of, but they aren’t really bugs, they are Tartaric Crystals which form over time and are actually not harmful at all. It is just so strange to drink a solid when you are expecting a liquid. It does make you want to spit the wine out; which is just instinct when you think something strange is happening and you are about to swallow a foreign object. I don’t know exactly what causes the crystals to form and have never really researched it much; however, I am no longer grossed out by it. I am starting to find the crystals somewhat fascinating in a strange way as far... »View More

Added Monday, November 30, 2009 in Wine Babble Add a Comment

To all of our loyal visitors we wish you a very happy Thanksgiving! You are what keeps our little site going and we are thankful for that! We also would like to give a heartfelt thank you to all of our soldiers who are away from home and their families this Thanksgiving. We greatly appreciate your sacrifice and pray for your safe return. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  »View More

Added Wednesday, November 25, 2009 in Wine Babble Add a Comment

The month of November is a big month for me, it signals the wind down of another year and the unofficial start of our holiday season. The hectic pace of getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas seems to make time fly by with shopping, parties and gatherings. It is a time when there is much excitement, fun and of course some stress. During these times wine plays an even bigger part in our everyday life. What Thanksgiving Day dinner would be complete without wine and I find it a lot of fun to pick the wines I will serve. I like to select a pre-dinner wine and take great care in selecting a wine to serve with dinner, something that will complement the flavors of the traditional turkey dinner. Some special Ports and dessert wines are always... »View More

Added Monday, November 16, 2009 in Wine Babble Add a Comment

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is almost here?  Once Thanksgiving is here more holidays flow quickly behind and the next thing you know, it is New Years Eve.  All of these upcoming holidays are a time for celebration, family, friends, and wine.  I have started to think about our Thanksgiving Day menu and what food as well as the wine I want to serve.  I will most certainly serve some chilled wines in the white and Rose family.  I have a few bottles of Raymond Burr Chardonnay set aside for the occasion as Chardonnay is always a safe bet and a favorite of some of our guests.  I am also trying to decide if I want to select a Rose in addition to a Sauvignon Blanc, which is a must on the menu.  A nice Sauvignon Blanc that is crisp, clean... »View More

Added Monday, November 9, 2009 in Wine Babble Add a Comment

Often as I enjoy one of my favorite bottles of wine, I stop and think about everything that goes into the making of that wine. If you think about the complete process, right from the start it is almost mind boggling that so many good wines make it to the market. Starting with the purchase and maintenance of property that will support the growth of grapes, you then need to worry about the growth period from early spring to fall harvest where weather could wreak havoc on the grapes at anytime, especially in the more volatile growing regions. Outside of the weather, there are diseases, funguses, and pests, just to name a few that can also destroy or significantly diminish your crop. This came to mind while watching the news last week about a big... »View More

Added Sunday, October 18, 2009 in Wine Babble Add a Comment

I am in the process of reading the book; The House of Mondavi, the rise and fall of an American wine Dynasty by Julia Flynn Siler.  The book was first published in June 2007 and is a fascinating look deep inside the Napa Valley’s well known Mondavi family.  I have not yet finished the book, but already I have learned so much that I did not know.  For example, most people know the name Robert Mondavi, hailed by some as the father or founder of Napa Valley as we know it today.  While, Robert was clearly the most outspoken Mondavi there is a whole family tree of Mondavi’s dating back to the early 1900’s.  It begins with Cesare and Rosa Mondavi, Peter and Robert Mondavi’s parents.  Cesare an immigrant that imparted his wise business... »View More

Added Tuesday, September 22, 2009 in Wine Babble Add a Comment

Getting back to work after a week in Napa Valley is certainly challenging. You go from the serene, beautiful, relaxing wine country back to the hectic pace of everyday life. Not to mention there is no afternoon wine tasting at my office, but I find one of the hardest things to do is not run down stairs into your wine cellar and sample all the treasures you have shipped home. Maybe it is an attempt to recreate vacation, I’m not sure. It may be a bit of recreation on our part, but also because we ship what we cannot buy at home so there is some intrigue to make sure none of our purchases were what you would call an “impulse or moment” purchase. You know you are having a great time, but somehow the wine doesn’t taste nearly as good when... »View More

Added Tuesday, July 28, 2009 in Wine Babble Add a Comment