Rhone Rangers, a non-profit organization, is dedicated to promoting American Rhone-style wines, supporting the winemakers who choose to put a New World spin on Old World wine, and — of course — educating the public about the unique and versatile wines produced from all of this research and labour. During the 2016 Rhone Rangers Seminar and Grande Tasting in San Francisco, I had the privilege to learn directly from local, West Coast winemakers who work to move beyond common “Syrah-stereotypes.”
Local artists, unique products, festive food, and of course craft beer and fine wine — this is what San Francisco is known for. And what better place to celebrate all things SF than on trendy Union Street in the upscale Pacific Heights district? That’s exactly what hundreds of Bay Area folks did this past weekend at the 40th Annual Union Street Festival.
Overcast clouds and a bit of rain didn’t stop the Bay Area from some big bites at Fremont’s Burger & Brew Fest last Saturday.
Fremont’s city hub closed it’s street to celebrate local cuisines and California craft brews. For $35, guests were allotted 10 5-ounce tasting pours — that’s 50 ounces of brewski! — and with reps presenting anywhere between 2 to 8 beers each, there was definitely something to please every palate.
The Breweries: Das Brew / Hanger 24 / Speakeasy / Mendocino Brewing Company / Golden Road Brewing / Stone Brewing Co. / Peak Organic / Goose Island / Elysian / 10 Barrel Brewing Co. / Deschutes Brewery / Shock Top / BudLight / Joe IPA
Now, I’m not going to lie to you, I’m a bit of a light weight when it comes to beers. But, like I said, with so many options at the Brew Fest, I knew I was bound to find something to appease my picky tastebuds….
Welcome back. I bring to you another round up of this week’s interesting wine-news find. There’s a lot—a lot. So take your time, enjoy, and remember:
Hello my people. This will be the last post for a few weeks, as I’ll be traveling off and on the first two weeks of August. First stop, Paso Robles for our annual media conference; then, Healdsburg to help out with the Murphy Goode Really Goode Job scholarship program where I’ll get to help select the next interns for 2023. In the middle of all that I’ll also be speaking at this year’s Wine Writer’s Symposium about “The Art of the Interview.”
And, another professional announcement: As of this week, I’ve been honored to add California Wine Reviewer to my role as Senior Editor for Wine Enthusiast. This will encompass Lodi, Mendocino County, Lake County, Central Valley, Sierra Foothills, as well as California appellated wines. My colleague Jim Gordon will step into reviewing wines from Napa and Sonoma; Matt Kettman continues to tackle the Central Coast and Southern California wine scenes.
Oh and my birthday is on Tuesday.
That’s all. Cheers!
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