Dr. Liz Thach, MW

A Visit to the Legendary Littorai Winery on the Wild Sonoma Coast

For years I have heard tales of the exquisite taste of Littorai wine, and on a few special occasions, I was actually able to taste a bottle at a wine dinner or tasting event. Known for pinot noir made in a very natural style with lower alcohol levels and a clear reflection of coastal vineyards, the wines are probably one of the closest expressions in California to a pinot noir from Burgundy. Therefore, when the chance arose to visit the small by-appointment-winery, I jumped at the opportunity. Convincing two friends, Charlie and Lupe, to join me, wasn’t difficult, so we [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:20:49-07:00July 25, 2020|

Make a Prosecco Cocktail to Celebrate National Prosecco Week

Hurray! It is National Prosecco Week – a perfect reason to run to the store and buy a bottle or more of Prosecco. As you probably know, true Prosecco is only made in Northern Italy from the Glera grape. It is light, fruity and bubbly – a perfect drink before dinner, or many other occasions. When you shop for Prosecco make sure to look for the Prosecco DOC symbol to insure you are buying a true Prosecco approved by the Consorzio di Tutela – the Italian organization that monitors production. So Many Prosecco Cocktail Recipes The other great thing about [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-30T21:12:56-08:00July 23, 2020|

Favorite Winery Experience at Quatro Quatros in Baja, Mexico

(Contributed by Melanie Sanchez) My favorite winery experienced happened at Quatro Quatros Winery in Ensenada, Mexico. “Quatro Quantros” means “four fours” in English, and refers to the 144 acres on which this winery is located. It also includes a hotel with 19 cabanas, spa and restaurant. What is very exciting about this winery is its location on a hill overlooking the ocean. Also, it is only 80 miles south of San Diego, so you can cross the border and visit for the day. Ocean View, Vineyards, and Cabanas at Cuatro Cuatros Winery My family and I drove down from San [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-06T21:04:10-08:00July 22, 2020|

When Your Trip to Paris is Cancelled….. Consider Jordan Winery

My friend Lupe and I were scheduled to fly to Paris on July 1 and return on the 15th, but alas, like most travel this year, the trip was cancelled due to COVID. Though we were happy to do our part and stay home to keep ourselves and others safe, we thought longingly of the lost chance to linger at a Paris café, drinking wine and enjoying delicious French food. Then enter Jordan Winery and their new “Paris on the Terrace” lunch and wine-tasting. When we heard of this opportunity, we immediately reserved a table for their 11am to 1pm [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:20:49-07:00July 14, 2020|

Bartholomew Estate Winery: Home to History and Hiking

In my new goal to visit at least one new Napa/Sonoma winery each week to support them in reopening during the COVID19 crisis, I booked an appointment to visit Bartholomew Estate in the hills outside the town of Sonoma. Though I had always meant to visit someday, this seemed to be a great time to do so. The winery is known not only for its elegant wines, but also for being one of the oldest in the state of California. Many people are also attracted to the estate for its numerous hiking trails that wind across the 375 acre property. [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:20:52-07:00July 5, 2020|

A Culinary Tour of Hanoi, Vietnam

In July of 2015 we embarked on a two week culinary tour of Vietnam. The first three days were spent in Hanoi and Halong Bay, which is a short drive from Hanoi. Of all of the places we visited in Vietnam, Hanoi seemed the most colorful and authentic to me, with bustling streets filled with people selling colorful fruit, vegetables and flowers, as well as many bicycles and motor bikes. We stayed in the Tirant Hotel in the heart of downtown, so we awoke to the bustle of street life right under our windows. Lady selling fruit in the streets [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-22T21:52:37-08:00July 3, 2020|

How a Winery Nearly Destroyed By Wildfires and Ravaged by COVID Still Manages to Enchant Visitors

(Contributed by Avery Shive) I’ll never forget my first visit to Soda Rock Winery, located in Sonoma County outside the town of Healdsburg. My mother, two sisters and I had planned a glamorous girls weekend visiting top tier wineries in California Wine Country towards the end of November 2019. Our goal was to have fun, but to also support the wineries by visiting after the devastating fires that swept Sonoma County in October. Avery and her sisters at Soda Rock Winery after Wildfires Wildfires Rage Over Soda Rock Winery When we heard about the affect the fires had on Soda [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-30T21:33:33-08:00June 30, 2020|

Napa Valley Winemaker Conquers Coombsville AVA

In my quest to support local wineries during the COVID19 pandemic and demonstrate the safety procedures they are using, I reached out to one of my former students, Marbue Marke, who has been making wine in California for more than 20 years now. He has an impeccable winemaking background, with a B.S. from UC-Davis in winemaking, an MBA from Sonoma State University, and winemaking stents at Jordan, Gallo, Benziger, Cosentino, and Caldwell Vineyard in Napa Valley. Several years ago, he started his own successful firm called Marbue Consulting (Marbue.com), and now crafts wines for several small prestigious brands in Napa [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:20:52-07:00June 24, 2020|

A Place in Napa Where They Make Wine the Old-Fashioned Way: Charter Oak

I have lived for 20 years now in Napa/Sonoma wine country and still have not been able to visit the more than 1000 wineries that are located in this world famous wine region. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic still raging across the nation, I have decided to venture out to the wineries that are open and try to support them as a local tourist. I am not the only one doing this, as many of the tasting rooms are now booked weeks in advance by locals. Due to the pandemic, you must make an appointment to visit, and the tasting [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:20:52-07:00June 22, 2020|

The Amazing Wreath Vines of Santorini, Greece

On my trip to Greece, I was very excited to learn that we would be visiting one of the “wreath vine” vineyards of Santorini, because they are reputed to be some of the oldest grapevines on earth, with roots dating to over 400 years old. The climate of this island is dry and windy, forcing the vines to hug the earth in one of the most unique trellis systems in the world – called the “Kouloura.” With this the vines are pruned in the shape of a wreath, so that the grape bunches inside the wreath are protected from the [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-22T21:53:47-08:00June 8, 2020|

Vin Piscine – The New Exciting Trend of Swimming Pool Wine

I first encountered “Vin Piscine” last year in South Africa on a very hot January day in Johannesberg. Being the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons of South Africa are opposite of North America, and I had spent the hot and humid day on a tour of the city. By the evening, I was ready for a cool glass of chenin blanc wine, but was surprised when the small outdoor café where I went for dinner brought me a bucket of ice, tongs, and my wine in a large balloon glass. Looking around the café, I saw other people with similar glasses [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-30T21:41:27-08:00June 7, 2020|

Virtual Wine Tours on the Rise

Though we all enjoy traveling to the wine regions of the world, there are times that physical travel is not possible. Some of this may be due to work or health conflicts, but increasingly there are other issues that cause wine regions to close temporarily. Examples include the COVID pandemic, earthquakes in New Zealand, Chile and Napa; terrorist attacks in France, Spain and Germany, and wildfires and mudslides in California. Given these changing conditions, some wineries have started offering innovative virtual wine tours. 360 Virtual Vineyard Tour (Modified Photo Credit: Pxfuel.com) Three Types of Virtual Wine Tours With [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-22T21:54:12-08:00June 6, 2020|

Hike, Picnic and Taste Wine at La Crema Winery’s New Outdoor Tasting Experience

As wineries slowly start re-opening in California, many are getting creative in the types of experiences they offer, because currently most tastings must be outdoors and include food. With this in mind, La Crema Winery took advantage of their beautiful Saralee’s Vineyard property to offer walking tours and picnics in the relaxing gardens surrounded by rolling vineyards. Guests must make a reservation online in advance. When they arrive, they are provided with a map of suggested walking trails to explore the vineyards and take in the beautiful vistas of the Russian River Valley. Upon conclusion of the walking [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-30T21:44:29-08:00June 4, 2020|

Wine Tasting in Paris and Falling in Love with Champagne

(Contributed by K. Lewis) - My favorite tasting experience I have ever had was during the Summer of 2017 in Paris, France. I went on this trip with my mom and aunt, and after exploring the city throughout the weekend, we ended our trip with a wonderful Champagne tasting on a small boat sailing down the Seine River. The tasting consisted of three different Champagnes. I knew I really liked wine at the time, but this was one of the first times I remember gaining an understanding of the fact that different types of sparkling wine actually taste very distinctive [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-30T21:44:56-08:00June 2, 2020|

Innovative Winery Launches Nature Hikes and Wine-Tasting Picnics with Social Distancing

American wineries have shown much innovation in reaching out to wine consumers via virtual tastings, tours, and other online methods due to the closing of tasting rooms with COVID19. However, one winery has found a very unusual means of connecting with consumers again by scheduling educational nature hikes in Sonoma County. Hiking at Jordan Winery, Sonoma County, California This weekend, Jordan Winery is set to become the first winery to reopen in Napa and Sonoma, using the Sonoma County park/trail reopening health order (effective on May 13) as its path. These educational nature hike packages for two include [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-30T21:51:37-08:00May 19, 2020|

Previous 7 8 9 101112 13 14 15 Next