Dr. Liz Thach, MW

Five Day Master of Wine Tour of Washington Wine Regions

One of the greatest advantages to being a member of the Institute of Masters of Wine is the opportunity to visit the great wine regions of the world with fellow MW’s. This May I was honored to be invited to participate in a 5-day wine tour of Washington State. Altogether 42 MWs from around the world flew to Seattle to learn about and sample the great wines of Washington. Washington State Vineyards Along the Columbia River. Photo Credit: Washingtonwine.org Our trip was hosted by Washington State Wines, and I would have to say that this was one of [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:21:40-07:00June 13, 2017|

Which Top US Wine was Preferred by Chinese Master Class?

(May 2017) Recently I was asked to teach a Master class in Shanghai, China entitled “Top Wines of America.” It was scheduled from 7 to 9pm at the Hyatt Regency, and all 34 seats in the class were filled with young Chinese wine professionals. Most were working in the industry as wine retailers, marketers, or educators. There were also a few importers and winemakers in the class. Participants in Top US Wine Master Class in Shanghai, China The hosts of the Wine100 Competition organized the master class and arranged for the wines to be available for the event. [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T12:36:28-08:00June 1, 2017|

Three Days of Wine Judging in Shanghai China

(May 2017) This past week I flew to Shanghai to participate in the Wine 100 Competition. In its 6th year, the competition includes both Chinese and international wines. This year there were over 900 entries, up from the original 50 entries submitted the first year of the competition. Organized by David Jiang, a retired McKinsey executive who loves wine, the competition is designed to help Chinese consumers to find quality wine in their market. Each year he brings in several MWs and MSs to round out the cadre of top sommeliers and wine experts in China. All together there were [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:06:28-07:00May 28, 2017|

Attending the Hospices de Beaune Auction and La Paulee

(November 2016) During the third week of November, Burgundy breaks into a non-stop party mood as visitors from around the world flock to the small town of Beaune to participate in a 4 day wine-tasting feast. This is all centered on the oldest wine auction in the world – the Hospices de Beaune Auction where the proceeds go to medical charities. The Hospices de Beaune in Burgundy, France I was fortunate enough to receive an invitation to attend the auction as a member of the press. See article I published HERE, and was very impressed with the magnificence [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:12:59-07:00May 24, 2017|

3 Days in Burgundy

Originally published in the Huffington Post as A New Reason to Visit Burgundy. After several days in Paris, when you begin to long for the beauty of the French countryside, head south to Burgundy. In addition to legendary wine and gourmet food, there is a new reason to visit – the recent UNESCO classification of the ancient vineyards laid out by the monks, called “climats”. This is unique because the climats and tiny wine villages that link them are considered to be a “living cultural landscape.” Visitors can experience this by walking through the vineyards, tasting the wines, and visiting [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:12:59-07:00May 23, 2017|

Which Top American Wine Was Preferred by Chinese Master Class?

(May 19, 2017) Last evening I taught a Master class in Shanghai, China entitled “Top Wines of America.” It was scheduled from 7 to 9pm at the Hyatt Regency, and all 34 seats in the class were filled with young Chinese wine professionals. Most were working in the industry as wine retailers, marketers, or educators. There were also a few importers and winemakers in the class. Master Class on Top American Wines in Shanghai China The hosts of the Wine100 Competition organized the master class and arranged for the wines to be available for the event. They requested [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T19:54:02-08:00May 20, 2017|

Working Harvest in Burgundy

Originally published in the Huffington Post as How Harvest in Burgundy is Different. (Fall 2016) Even with ten years of harvest experience under my belt from stints in Napa, Australia, and my own small vineyard in Sonoma, I was still not prepared for how different harvest time is in Burgundy. While working there this past autumn, I encountered some very unique differences, with Polish pickers, pick-up truck parties, and hovering helicopters, as just a few of the unusual occurrences. WORKERS HARVESTING GRAPES IN BURGUNDY. PHOTO CREDIT: L. THACH Since I moved to Burgundy at the beginning of September, it was [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:12:59-07:00May 19, 2017|

How to go Winetasting in Burgundy – 6 Tips for Wine Tourists

Due to its long history as a top growing wine region for chardonnay and pinot noir, Burgundy is obviously a place where many tourists want to go winetasting. However, unlike many New World wine locations, such as Napa and Sonoma, it is not always possible to drop by a winery to taste wine without an appointment. There are some exceptions, with more domains opening cellar door operations in the past several years, but in general, it is necessary to do some advance planning. Wine Tasting at Chateau Mersault According to the Burgundy Wine Board (BIVB), there are 3890 [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:12:59-07:00May 1, 2017|

Hiking and Yoga in the Vineyards of Burgundy: My Favorite Trails in Vosne Romanee

(Autumn 2016) Probably one of the best things about living in the tiny village of Vosne Romanee in Burgundy was the opportunity to hike through the famous vineyards. Instead of going to the gym, as I would have in California, I took time each day to do some yoga in my small rental house (gite) and hike through the vineyards just outside my door. Sometimes, I also did yoga poses in the vineyards, and took the time to meditate in such beautiful surroundings. Roading Leading to Romanee Conti Vineyard and Hillside Trails Leaving my house, I would turn [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:13:00-07:00April 26, 2017|

Visiting the Unique Cellars of Philippe LeClerc in Gevrey-Chambertin

(Sept. 2016) Hidden off a narrow road in the tiny wine village of Gevrey-Chambertin is the entrance to a Burgundian winery called Domaine Philippe LeClerc. Located in a 13th century building with yellow limestone walls covered with flowing baskets of colorful flowers, the domain is not only the home to some very excellent pinot noir wines, but also houses a cellar crammed with antique winemaking equipment and a bizarre collection of taxidermy animals. Entrance to Philippe LeClerc Winery in Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy I visited here twice with relatives during my three months in Burgundy, and both times we were [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:13:00-07:00April 18, 2017|

Toasting Trione Winery at Over 100 Years in Sonoma County

(Contributed by Jane Hofmiester) Trione Winery was the most recent guest winery in the SSU Winesense Club educational series. Boasting over 100 years in Sonoma County, the Trione family are true pioneers in the region. The Old Stone Building at Trione Winery About Trione Winery Beginning as farmers and grape growers, the Trione's own over 700 acres of vineyards in the Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, and Sonoma Coast AVAs. They finally started making wine in 2005, and opened a winery tasting room for the public in 2008. Operated by brothers Mark and Vic Trione, along with Mark’s [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T19:54:25-08:00April 11, 2017|

Three Months in Burgundy

(Autumn 2016) The opportunity to live in France for three months was a dream come true – part of a bucket list item I’ve had for years as something I would do “someday”. However someday came much sooner than expected after a doctor told me I only had one year left to live. Five days later another doctor told me it was a misdiagnosis, but during those five days – which were some of the longest of my life – my husband and I had deep talks about how we would spend that last year together. Beautiful Vineyards of [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:13:00-07:00April 9, 2017|

Russian River Vineyards – A Winery with an 1890 Historic Farmhouse Restaurant and Organic Food Garden

(Contributed by Jennifer Schiff) Is it a restaurant, a farm, a tasting lounge, an historic site, or a winery? Well actually Russian River Vineyards encompasses all five of these functions. Established in the 1960s in the heart of the 10,000 acre Russian River AVA, Russian River Vineyards has grown to be one of the premier organic and sustainably farmed grape-growing properties in California. 1890 Historic Farmhouse at Russian River Vineyards This past week a group of Sonoma State University Millennials was fortunate enough to attend an educational session and tasting at the SSU Wine Sense Club Meeting, with [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T19:54:48-08:00April 1, 2017|

Amazing Wine Selection on Oahu, Hawaii at ABC Island Country Markets

(Jan. 2017) As Californians we usually take advantage of inexpensive airplane flights to Hawaii at least once every other year for a relaxing vacation. Only a 4.5 hour flight from San Francisco, you can fly direct to Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island, and enjoy the year-round warm weather. However as wine lovers living in the Napa/Sonoma region, we usually bring our own wine – packing 6 to 8 bottles in the special wine airline case my husband gave me for my birthday several years ago. This is because the wine selection in the islands is usually sparse and [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:22:31-07:00March 26, 2017|

Learning About Champagne Riddling at Field Trip to Domaine Carneros

Old wooden riddling racks were set-up around the second floor room of Domaine Carneros, overlooking the winery below. CEO, Eileen Crane, handed everyone a glowing flute of Domaine Carneros Ultra Brut to enjoy as she explained how the riddling process works. "The traditional method was to turn each bottle in the riddling rack by a set amount each day until all of the yeast from the second fermentation in bottle fell to the top lip of the bottle. In this way, it could be frozen and then easily ejected." There were oohhs and aahhs from the thirty SSU wine business [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T19:55:11-08:00March 22, 2017|

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