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….
Hello my friends. Happy Spring, Easter, Holy Week, Passover—however and whatever you celebrate, I hope you enjoy it with good friends and shenanigans galore. For those celebrating a bit extra this weekend because, well, Easter and Orthodox Easter fall on the infamous 4/20—you’re in luck! My shameless self-promotion this week is a byline brag in Full Pour’s spring release. Where Wine Meets Weed is an exploration in the similarities between the aromas, flavors and structural components of both imbibes, meaning cross-category enjoyment can be possible. Yes, you can be both a wine and weed enthusiast. Read the full article online or download the PDF here.
And continue scrolling through for a lot of other news/newsy items from the last week, as well as fun facts like, alcohol can stay in your hair for 90 days. Yeah.
Silly comments are all my own. ✌️🥂
Hello my friends. Now full disclosure, there’s a lot on the list this week. And my snarky comments get, well, quite snarky. You have been warned.
Also, a bit of shameless self-promo: If you’ve not checked out my latest article on GuildSomm, Vermouth Past & Present, this was a fun one to study explore. I have to give a high-five and shoutout to my girl Kara Newman, spirits writer extraordinare, who hooked me up with some stellar producers who helped me grasp the history and current state of the category as well as Liz Pirnat, spirits educator for the NVWA, who hooked me up with some L1 basics on the topic. Thanks ladies!
I also have to say that, while I always listen to and enjoy the GuildSomm podcast, I was thrilled to hear Chris Tanghe’s intro this week. Glad you liked the piece, Chris!
Oh! One last thing I promise, but be on the lookout on my socials: I recently guest-starred on a podcast myself and will be sharing that about town.
Ok, that’s enough of that. Get to scrolling, clicking, reading and coming up with your own snarky comments. (Or, please, respond to mine! 😜)
Snarky comments are all my own. ✌️🥂