Dr. Liz Thach, MW

Wine Tasting at Chateau Chenonceau and Chablisenne

The Loire River We spent the night in the small town of Amboise with its ancient castle, pedestrian walkways, rose covered houses, and colorful cafes all nestled along side the Loire River. The next day we drove the short distance to Chateau Chenonceau, the famous castle that spans the River Cher and was the home of both Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici. We had 1.5 hours to tour the castle and magnificent gardens, and though it was raining a bit, it was still an enchanted place. Chateau Chenonceau At 10:30 we all met in the wine cellar for [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:12:30-07:00January 1, 2015|

Antique Chenin Blanc Vines in the Loire Valley at Plou & Fils Winery

80 year old chenin blanc vine (Monday, May 19, 2014) Our next stop was a small family winery called Plou & Fils that was located in the Amboise AOC. Started in 1508, the vineyard and winery had been passed down the generations to the current general manager and enologist, Matua. He was tall, energetic, in his early 30’s, and with a great sense of humor. He beckoned for all 31 of us to follow him up a small dirt trail to the top of a hill where their vineyards were situated. As we were walking towards an amazing vineyard of ancient gnarled vines, [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:12:30-07:00December 31, 2014|

Visit to Chambord Castle and Caves de Vouvray

Chambord Castle in Loire Valley (Monday, May 19, 2014) We departed Paris promptly at 8am and arrived at the castle of Chambord around 10:15. Everyone was awestruck at the grandeur of the “hunting palace of the kings” with more than 400 rooms. After touring Chambord, we drove a short 15 minutes to the town of Blois where we had time for lunch and witnessing the amazing mechanical dragons that emerge from the Hudini building on the square of the Chateau. Next we drove about 40 minutes to the charming village of Vouvray where we had an appointment for a tour and [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:12:30-07:00December 30, 2014|

Snapshot of Loire Valley Wine Statistics

Castle in the Loire Valley The Loire Valley is about a 1.5 hour drive south of Paris and stretches 800 km (approx. 500 miles) from the east in Sancerre to the Atlantic Ocean. It is the longest wine region in France. With a continental climate, the vineyards are greatly influenced by the effect of the Loire River and the Atlantic. They have a special soil called “tufa”, which is a type of soft yellow limestone. Many of the castles and caves of Loire are made from this stone, and it can be found in many vineyards along with some clay [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:12:30-07:00December 25, 2014|

Eiffel Tower, Paris Farmer’s Market, Walking Restaurant Tour and Dinner in Montmarte

Saturday we were each given a metro pass for the day. The first stop was the viewpoint overlooking the Eiffel Tower – an inspirational way to start the day. Next we went to a small farmer’s market and flea market in the Marais District. This was followed by a walking tour of wineshops and 3 restaurants. The afternoon was devoted to free time, but we met again in the evening to take the metro to Sacre Coeur – the lovely white church on the hill tops of Paris. The view was amazing. Our celebration dinner was held at La Cremaillere [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:12:31-07:00December 23, 2014|

A Lazy Sunday in Paris – Visits to the L’Organerie and Relaxing in Parks and Cafes

Sunday was a free day, so some people slept in, whereas others jumped in the metro early to arrive downtown before all of the crowds. It was a perfect sunny day with blue skies, and all Paris seemed to be enjoying the balmy May day. Janeen and I took the metro to l’Organerie in order to see Monet's famous lily pond paintings. When we arrived around 10 in the morning, a wonderful French band was playing in the plaza in front of the gates. We decided to stop and dance a bit before heading into the museum. I enjoyed the [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:12:31-07:00December 23, 2014|

Holiday Wines with Freemark Abbey

SSU Winesense Board for Holiday Wine Tasting with Freemark Abbey Contributed by Erica Schreckenghaust - For our final meeting of the semester we had the pleasure of welcoming Kate Hansen from Freemark Abbey. She was kind enough to share 6 fabulous wines to help us celebrate the holiday season and forget final exam stress for a couple of hours. Unique History of Freemark Abbey Freemark Abbey has a history of standing out from the rest, as it was the first winery built by a woman in the United States in 1886, by Josephine Tychson. The unique name was [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:24:25-08:00December 23, 2014|

Ian Cauble, MS Returns to SSU with Brandon Carneiro to Share SommSelect

SommSelect Founders, Brandon, Tyler, and Ian Cauble, MS Contributed by Erica Schreckenghaust - The WineSense Club had the honor of welcoming back the dynamic duo behind SommSelect; Ian Cauble and Brandon Carneiro. They first met in 1999 at Sonoma State University and were part of the students who created the WineSense Club in 2000. Ian studied Business and Spanish, while Brandon studied Economics. Years late they reconnected in Las Vegas where Brandon was a fine wine salesman and Ian was attempting to become a Master Sommelier, which is depicted in the documentary, SOMM. Brandon and Ian decided to [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:24:46-08:00December 21, 2014|

SSU Winesense Salutes Duckhorn Vineyards and Larson Family Wineries

Contributed by Erica Schreckenghaust – Forty lucky SSU students were treated to exceptional wines by Duckhorn Vineyards and Larson Family wineries this month. Organized as part of the WineSense Club educational tasting seminars, the students were excited to learn about the history of these two family wineries, both established in the 1970’s. Duckhorn Vineyards, Napa Valley Duckhorn was founded by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn in 1976 and has become one of the premier producers of Bordeaux varietal wines. Duckhorn is known for pioneering Merlot as a premium varietal, as well as their acclaimed Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. They strive [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:25:10-08:00November 13, 2014|

Dewey Markham Guides SSU Millennials in a Bordeaux Wine Tasting

Dewey Markum with Bordeaux Wines Contributed by Erica Schreckenghaust - This past Thursday, the Wine Sense club had the honor of being lead through a wine tasting of many famous Bordeaux wines by author and wine scholar, Dewey Markham. Dewey is a man of many passions and exemplifies the idea of chasing your dreams, as his dreams have led him in ventures all over the world. Dewey Markham’s Wine Journey Dewey was born and raised in New York, and later attended New York University. He discovered a love for cooking and enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America. [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:25:31-08:00October 22, 2014|

SSU Students Agree that Gloria Ferrer 2006 Royal Cuvee is Fit for Royalty

Contributed by Erica Schreckenghaust - The SSU WineSense Club was honored to have Gloria Ferrer Winery host the tasting this past week. A total of 47 students came to taste seven of their fantastic wines. Ryan, hospitality rep for the winery, described the history of the estate and the winemaking process. We began with four sparkling wines including the Sonoma Brut, Blanc de Noir, Royal Cuvee and Extra Brut. The favorite sparkling wine of the night was the 2006 Royal Cuvee, which is a blend of 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay, from the Carneros region. It received 93 points in [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:25:55-08:00October 6, 2014|

Tasting Wine History – Chateau Montelena and Seghesio Featured at SSU WineSense Club

Contributed by Erica Schreckenghaust - There was a great sense of excitement for our second Wine Sense Club meeting of the year, featuring Seghesio Family Vineyards and Chateau Montelena Winery. Fifty-two Millennial SSU students attended, and some had to be turned away because the room was at capacity for this taste of wine history. Seghesio Family Winery Seghesio, established in 1895, in the Alexander Valley, is considered to be one of the historic wineries of Sonoma County. Hospitality manager, Beau, offered a variety of wines including a 2011 Sangiovese, 2012 Barbera and three different Zinfandels. The students voted on their [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:27:38-08:00September 15, 2014|

Tasting Champagne at Krug in Reims, France

After lunch in Reims at a small sidewalk cafe where I had a fresh green salad with huge slabs of foie gras, we went to the House of Krug, which is located on the outskirts of the downtown area. Though not an official tasting room, we were received with warm cordiality by Julie and Mylene, both in charge of Hospitality and Public Relations. Our delegation was divided into two smaller groups and we were escorted through the cellars where we saw the barrels in which Krug ferments the base wine before transferring to stainless steel tanks to finish. Next the [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:12:31-07:00September 5, 2014|

Visiting the Champagne Region – the CIVC and Domaine Gatinois

Today was a fairytale day filled with multiple glasses of exquisite Champagne. Our bus departed Paris at 7am and we arrive in Epernay for a visit and tasting at the CIVC. It was extremely informative, and we learned of the huge trademark protection issues the Champagne brand battles around the world. This concluded with a delicious glass of 2004 Moet & Chandon. Next we walked down the street for the mandatory photo with Dom Perignon’s statue before driving to Ay. This small village is world-renown for it’s Grand Cru status and perfumed pinot noir. We were honored to meet with [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:12:31-07:00September 5, 2014|

Back in Paris – Visiting the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral

How exciting to be back in France again! This time for a two-week wine tour with 28 of my wine business students from Sonoma State University. Our non-stop Air France flight from San Francisco touched down in Paris right on schedule at 11:40am, and we were able to clear passport control, find our luggage and pass through customs with no problems. Francy, our tour guide, was waiting to greet us, and ushered us onto a large comfortable tour bus. It was a clear blue-sky day, and even though the temperature was only 63 F, the bright sunlight made it feel [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:12:32-07:00September 5, 2014|

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