American wines for your July 4 party
Just as no Independence Day is complete without watching the fireworks, I’d say no party celebrating this holiday is complete without a selection of light
Good value wines for summer parties
Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial, but widely recognized, kickoff for barbecue season, and it calls for quaffable, good-value wines. Greet the season with a
Geyser Peak is still gushing good value.
The winery named for Geyser Peak may have been born in 1880, but its modern-day story began only in the 1970s, making this great-granddaddy of
Dining in Santa Monica & LA part 2
Rosaline on Melrose Avenue in LA For me, Los Angeles is a large, snake-shaped freeway with off ramps that drop you into disconnected neighborhoods. One
The maven of Zinfandel leaves Ravenswood in good hands
Maven derives from the Yiddish word, meyvn, meaning one who understands … a connoisseur, if you will. In the wine world, there are many such
Holiday Wine Gifts
This is the time of year when retailers create special packages (and sometimes prices) in the high-end gift-giving category. Seemingly they think there’s no price
BV strides forward
Beaulieu Vineyard Winemaker Trevor Durling in Manhattan California’s Mondavi and Gallo wineries might have gotten their early inspiration from Italian roots, but they are, by
Dining in Santa Monica & LA, Part 1
Santa Monica's Organic Farmers Market in January 2018 In the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, this year, I changed the route of my annual
Mi Sueno and the American Dream
“Pull yourself up by your bootstraps” may be an American expression, but often, it’s people like Mexican-born Rolando Herrera who actually live it. It would
California Winery Fire Report
During the past week, readers sent me questions about reports of damage or destruction of certain wineries. I contacted the winemakers or communication directors to