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. Another two weeks gone. This time because I spent the week of the 10th traveling all around the Bay Area. First out to Livermore (my secret spot for amazing wines!) to cover an event at the beautiful Wente Estate for Tasting Panel. Then jet-set up to Santa Rosa to speak at this year’s Wine Industry Sales Symposium. All while continuing to teach my classes as well as write my stories.
So, of course the news piled up a wee bit. And, sorry NOT sorry that I’ve got bit of a rant about the majority of these headlines: I feel like the wine industry is just trying SO hard. It feels like when an uncool parent/aunt/uncle/older sibling is like trying to wear what the cool kids are wearing or start using phrases that are way outside their lingo. Can we all just relax a wee bit? Nothing is more of a turn-off then when someone is forcing their agenda.
Obviously I’m not against wine—or any alcohol for that matter—but, as I mentioned in my last newsletter, we just need to be ok with the -ish part of drinks culture. Whether that means going off the sauce for any length of time; having areas of lives where abv-based drinks are not welcome; or including our non-drinks-oriented friends and families. Further, we need to be ok with alt-categories. Weed is not the enemy. Seltzers are not the enemies. Juice, soda, coffee, gum—not the enemy. As folks keep pointing out, wine has been a part of human culture for eons. Even if regulations state we have to slap health warnings or nutrition facts on it, I wager that wine won’t be going anywhere. If anything, folks will start to consume more thoughtfully, engage with the category rather than chug it—which will continue to set wine apart from other beverages. I also wager that the brands and businesses that find a way to comply will only find favor in the modern market.
But those are just my two pennies. For whatever two pieces of copper are worth nowadays…
Mini-rant over, but beware that my snide remarks get pretty, um, snide-y alongside these first eight articles.
Silly comments, random thoughts, snide remarks…all my own. ✌️🥂
Hello, my friends. Not that anyone’s keeping track super hard core, but I did take a week off from my regular check-ins here. I spent the week of April 28 in Mast of Wine Stage 2 course days. Those of you that follow me on social media (mainly Instagram) may have seen me in Stories mode talking through a wee bit of my experience there. On the last reel, I did reveal that I am actually deferring the exam this year and have made the decision to take a step back and take a deep breath from the program—at least in the short term. We’ll see what the future holds. I won’t go into it here, but those of you who know me know how to reach me if you want a chat.
That being said, there’s two week’s worth of wine related news below. Hopefully some of it is still new to you, or maybe it’ll dredge up an old article you opened a tab to read but ended up forgetting about. So, as always, please enjoy the show!
Silly comments, random thoughts, snide remarks…all my own. ✌️🥂