Author: stacy.louise

Gregory Graham 2015 Windrem Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

A few months ago I did a story for the paper featuring the under-appreciated Lake County. For much of its grape-growing history, this not-so-little wine region simply sold off its produce to its well-known neighbors, Napa and Sonoma Counties. But just within the last few years, there’s been somewhat of a boom in Lake County boutique wineries. The land here is more affordable — as are the grapes; the terroir and climate markedly different; and the people — well you’ll have to visit yourself to experience just how open and inviting they are to the few tourists who, admittedly, just seem to drive through on their way to Clear Lake camping.

One such pop-up is Gregory Graham, who’s probably best known for his years as head winemaker for Rombauer. Though he calls his decision to establish his vineyard and winery in Lake County “a lark” (indeed, he was one of the many who only visited Lake County on his way toward somewhere else), he now enjoys the land’s volcanic, rocky soils and Mediterranean-dry climate. Perfect conditions for growing one of the county’s heritage grapes, Sauvignon Blanc.

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Black Friday Wine Gift Guide

Whether the day after Thanksgiving is your favorite time to shop or you prefer to hold off until cyber Monday — or maybe you’re more like me and hold off until the very last second — it never hurts to have a shortlist of some wine-centric gifts to give your wine-loving friends. These are just a few items tried and tested by yours truly that I’m truly thankful to have in my life. I’ve got everything from stocking stuffers to big ticket items that wine-lovering novices and pros will appreciate. Take a look, shop around, and have a very happy holiday season!

Merry Christmas Wine Mates!

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A Week of Wine Thanksgiving: WBC17 Bloggers

This year marks my first year at the annual Wine Bloggers Conference (WBC17). What I was looking forward to was learning more about the blogosphere, how to improve my writing skills, and — of course — meeting with the people I chat with almost on a daily base — either on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook (in some cases all three) in real life. But what I wasn’t prepared for was how fast we’d become real life friends and how, just within the span of a long weekend, we’d all form lifelong relationships bonded by our mutual love and respect for the world of wine.

I’m not saying there weren’t some crazy antics behind the scenes — but when it comes right down to it, each participant seemed to have their own professional niche in the wine world. And because I don’t yet have a space for a blog roll on my site (this will definitely be in Phase 2, as it were, as I continue to build), I wanted to dedicate a post to a few other bloggers — both writers and podcasters — whose websites I think are worth subscribing to.

Just a few of the fun friends I made this year

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A Week of Wine Thanksgiving: Jordan Winery

For this year’s Thanksgiving week, I want to dedicate a few posts to those in the wine industry for whom I am grateful. During my time at this year’s Wine Blogger’s Conference (WBC17), I had the opportunity to spend some time with one of my favorite winery’s, Jordan Winery, located on Alexander Valley Road, just north of downtown Healdsburg. What I love about this winery is not just their amazing wines (indeed, their focused Cabernet Sauvignon is some of the most balanced I’ve experienced), but the true sense of welcome every time I walk through the winery’s doors or participate in one of their events.

“We like to say we do three things here at Jordan Winery: Cabernet, Chardonnay, and Hospitality.” –John Jordan

Jordan Winery Estate; photo courtesy of Jordan Winery

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A Week of Wine Thanksgiving: In Memory of Patricia Green

While attending this year’s Wine Blogger’s Conference in Santa Rosa, California, I was alerted to the passing of Patricia Green, co-founder and winemaker of Patricia Green Cellars. Though I never had the pleasure of meeting Patty in person — in fact, I’ve yet to visit the winery either — she absolutely impacted my wine life. In fact, I dare say, she is the woman who gifted me my love of wine. So I dedicate this post to Patricia Green — her life, her legacy, and the influence she had on me as both a wine lover and wine writer.

Patricia Green Cellars Estate entrance; photo courtesy of Patricia Green Cellars

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