Dr. Liz Thach, MW

Wine Tourism Advantages & Challenges in the Mendoza Area

Dancing at Vendemia Wine Festival in Mendoza As home to more than 400 bodegas (wineries) and with an international airport, Mendoza is a logical place for wine tourists to start. It has the advantages of large well-known wineries such as Catena Zapata, Achaval-Ferrer, Norton, Trapiche and many others. It also has a large number of wine tour companies that can schedule and transport tourists to wineries in the Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo areas near Mendoza, and an hour south to the famous Uco Valley. Plentiful restaurants with excellent food at bargain prices and upscale hotels make Mendoza and the [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T12:59:10-07:00May 23, 2014|

Wine: As Wonderful for your Kidneys as for Your Heart?

Contributed by Jenni Phelps: The fact that wine promotes cardiovascular health has long been espoused by scientists, but exciting news suggests that wine may also be linked to healthier kidneys. A study carried out by Dr. Tapan Mehta and his team at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Centre, in Aurora, has shown that those with healthy kidneys who consumed a moderate amount of wine per day (in the region of 4 ounces) had a 37 per cent lower likelihood of developing chronic kidney disease. Additionally, those who already had kidney disease who drank the same amount per day had a 29 [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:28:43-08:00May 19, 2014|

Snapshot of the Argentina Wine Industry

Wines Regions of Argentina According to the National Institute of Viticulture in Argentina, the country now boasts 894 wineries, with more than 300 exporting wine to the US. The signature red grape is Malbec, which has become a favorite in the States because of its velvety texture and blueberry notes. Torrontes, which produces perfumed and spicy wines, is the signature white grape. Argentina also produces large quantities of excellent cabernet sauvignon, Syrah, tannat, merlot, and chardonnay. Its sparkling wines, which are rarely exported, are refreshing, well priced, and similar in style to Prosecco. There are 8 major wine regions, with [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T12:59:11-07:00May 18, 2014|

Wine Tourism Healthy in Mendoza, Argentina

Vineyards of Mendoza with Andes Mountains Ironically Malbec is not the best pairing with empanadas – the small meat and cheese filled turnovers of Argentina. Instead most locals recommend Torrontes wine as a better match. This is just one of the tips wine tourists learn when they visit the fifth largest wine producing country in the world. Wine tourism in Argentina is on the rise, spurred on by the devalued peso that has recently dropped 30% against the US dollar. This makes visiting Argentina attractive not only to Americans, but to many Brazilians as well who find excellent deals on [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T12:59:11-07:00May 18, 2014|

My First Wine Experience in the Gardens of Ferrari Carano

Gardens of Ferrari Carano Contributed by Araceli Campos - I wasn’t introduced to wine until I immigrated to the United States. I was born and raised in Michoacán Mexico until I was 10 years old. Mexico is not known for producing much wine, though they do make it in the Baja Peninsula. Therefore, I had never seen a bottle of wine before – even though my dad worked in the vineyards of California. It wasn’t until I arrived in the US that I started seeing wine on the shelves in grocery stores, at special events, and holiday gatherings [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:29:04-08:00May 5, 2014|

Three Fun Facts to Pair Dessert and Wine

Wine Pairing Guide Contributed by Bryan Vu - Pairing wine with dessert isn’t always easy, and often the task can seem daunting. However Shari's Berries has put together a handy little guide to make pairing desserts with wines a little bit easier. The task of choosing a matching wine for dessert can be daunting for a person if they don't really know where to start. The chart helps to demystify the process: http://www.berries.com/blog/dessert-alcohol-pairing-guide 3 Important Fact When Pairing Dessert and Wine How did these pairings come about? The key to a great pairing is not necessarily how similar [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:29:26-08:00April 29, 2014|

The Joys of Dessert Wine – 3 Great Choices for Under $20

Contributed by Nicole Nowlen - There is a scene that appears frequently in movies, books, or even just the homes of wine connoisseurs we know and love. You can picture it, the imbiber curled up in a chair with a blanket and a pleasant book, perhaps even the ubiquitous cat purring on their lap. Upon their nose is perched a pair of reading glasses, brought out only for these moments of quiet consumption of literature. Perched on the table next to them is a somewhat diminutive wine-glass filled with a rich, almost viscous liquid. At moments spaced by the beat [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:29:55-08:00April 22, 2014|

Positive News on the Health Benefits of Wine

Sparkling Wine & Salad Contributed by Jenna Phelps - Although Millennials rarely drink wine for its health benefits, it’s reassuring to know that drinking wine in moderation promotes physical and mental wellness. Indeed, an article recently published in the scientific journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings highlights that a daily drink of alcohol for men and women, ideally red wine, reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. This is good news, as cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the US. However, the researchers point out that this moderate dosage is the key to good health, as excessive intakes of alcohol [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:30:14-08:00April 14, 2014|

My Favorite Tasting Room Series: Stephen & Walker’s, Healdsburg, CA

Stephen and Walker Tasting Room (By Guest Author Emily Mobley) As soon as I walked into Stephen & Walker’s Wine Tasting Room located in Healdsburg, I knew I was going to have a good time. Enticed with excitement and enjoying the atmosphere of summer, I could not wait to have my first sip of “real” wine. I had recently turned 21, and wine was still a mystery to me. What was so special about it? “Real” wine was everything I didn’t know and was looking forward to experiencing. It was August and my neighbors invited me to go wine tasting [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-05T14:18:04-08:00February 20, 2014|

My Favorite Tasting Room Series – Del Dotto Vineyards

Tasting in the Caves of Del Dotto Winery (By Guest Author Lauryn Mitrovich) My favorite tasting experience occurred in Napa Valley. It was my boyfriend’s birthday, and his parents rented us a fabulous limo to drive to several wineries. The one that really stood out to all of us was Del Dotto Vineyards. We arrived at the cave and barrel tasting location for Del Dotto and were greeted by our guide Brandon. Brandon had taken the parents on a tour before and they had an amazing time so they specifically asked for him again. Obviously, something stuck out [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-05T14:18:04-08:00January 30, 2014|

My Favorite Tasting Room Series – Testarossa Winery

Testarossa Winery (By Guest Author Nicholas Giampaoli) Growing up in the city of San Jose, I was not very familiar with wineries. I always figured that wine came from Sonoma and Napa County. After coming to Sonoma State and becoming more familiar with wine country, when I visited home I wanted to check out some local wineries. I had no idea they even existed in the south bay until I did a web search. During my web search I came across Testarossa Winery. It turned out that the winery is very historic and is considered the fourth oldest [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-05T14:18:04-08:00January 23, 2014|

Chateau Bacchus – The Fairytale Wine Estate of Ningxia, China

Sunset at Chateau Bacchus (Dec. 2013) - Chateau Bacchus was a great winery to visit in that everything about it was “over the top.” It was extravagant, from the red carpet they rolled out to greet us, to the status of Bacchus standing proudly in the courtyard, and the fancy King Louis 16th décor dripping with chandeliers, gold leaf and rococo furnishings. Red Carpet Treatment at Chateau Bacchus The winemaker gave us a tour of the winery with its marble floors, and showed us the new membrane filter machine. Everything was state of the art and impressive. Chateau Bacchus has [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:05:53-07:00January 16, 2014|

My Favorite Tasting Room Series – Pride Vineyards in Napa and Sonoma

Tasting at Pride Vineyards (By Guest Author Daniel Walsh) It was the middle of January in 2012 with open skies and a beautiful coastal breeze in the air. Two coworkers and myself had made an appointment a month prior to visit Pride Vineyards and Winery on Spring Mountain. The tasting room was located on the estate, sitting atop the mountain, which is split between the Sonoma/Napa county lines. Upon arrival, we entered the tasting room and were greeted with a glass of their estate viognier and the Hospitality Manager, Mike Campbell, who lead us on a tour of [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:32:01-08:00January 14, 2014|

Xixia King Winery – Largest in Ningxia, China

Standing in Front of Xixia King Winery (Dec. 2013) We visited Xixia King Winery on a sunny winter afternoon, and I was very impressed with all of the large signs and entry gates signaling the approach of the huge Chinese style visitor’s center, which is named Chateau Yuachan. Xixia King is the oldest winery in Ningxia having been established in 1982. They are also the largest, farming over 100,000 mu (1/3 of the vineyards in Ningxia) and, have extensive housing for their workers. It was originally a cooperative and has 14 farms. Today is it owned by the regional government, [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:05:54-07:00January 9, 2014|

Chateau Lanyi – Winery of Rocks and Music, Ningxia, China

(Dec. 2013) - In the afternoon we visited Chateau Lanyi (also spelled Lanny), which has as its symbol the native grey-blue rock of the region. The tasting room is fittingly designed in a Chinese style with a long low building and wide porch with posts. There is also a restaurant, game room, and beautifully decorated hotel rooms on site. The front of the property has a small pond, picnic tables with Chinese roofs, and a table grape vineyard in addition to the wine grape vineyard where tourists can walk in arbors under hanging grapes in the summer. The winery is [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:05:54-07:00January 7, 2014|

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