Dr. Liz Thach, MW

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|

Chateau Helan Quingxue – Winner of 2011 Decanter International Trophy, Ningxia, China

(Dec. 2013) - The next afternoon we visited Chateau Helan Quingxue which is housed in a more modest structure of red brick and reminded me of a combination of Soviet and Chinese architecture. Inside there is a modern winery with stainless steel tanks, a small barrel room, and a very large visitor’s center. Though not finished yet, this part of the winery is designed to showcase all of the wines of Ningxia so that visitors can taste all of the brands in one location. We were greeted with much enthusiasm by the petite and vivacious winemaker, Zhang Jing. She speaks [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:05:54-07:00January 2, 2014|

Chateau Yuanshi Winery – Luxurious Stone Winery Designed with Local Chinese Desert Architecture, Ningxia

(Dec. 2013) - This winery is massive and very impressive as you approach and see the tall stone walls designed in the traditional Chinese fortress style of the region. It includes pathways paved in native stone and breath-taking art sculptures designed of wood and petrified rock. The owner is a very gracious Chinese woman who has hired a French winemaker from Bordeaux to produce some excellent local cabernet sauvignon. Production is around 150,000 bottles (12,500 cases). The winemaking facility is state of the art, with new stainless steel fermenters, and top of the line basket press. Hundreds of French oak [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:05:55-07:00January 1, 2014|

Yuange Winery – Modern Chinese Architecture With Ice-Covered Pond and Geese, Ningxia

(Dec. 2013) - The first winery we visited was Yaunge, which is owned by a woman with a female winemaker. (NOTE: Many Chinese women seem to be involved in the wine business here, and have the roles of owner, general manager, or winemaker). The architecture is modern Chinese with large brick walls made of native stones and artwork that includes beautiful statues carved from native wood. The winery is is situated on the edge of a pond, which was covered with ice when we visited. A curved bridge allows you to walk across the pond to the vineyards, which were [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:05:55-07:00December 30, 2013|

Photos of Winery Architecture in the Ningxia Wine Region of China

(Dec. 2013) On my second trip to the Ningxia wine region of China, I was able to visit six additional wineries and drive past many others along the new Ningxia wine route. Presently they have 100 different wineries with a lofty goal to reach 1000 in the next decade. What surprised me the most was the different types of architecture used for the wineries. They ranged from traditional and modern Chinese, to French Chateau, Industrial and Urban Ghetto. Quite Fascinating. Following are some photos of these wineries. Chateau Bacchus (Photo by L. Thach) Xixia King Winery (Photo by L. Thach) [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:05:56-07:00December 21, 2013|

A Snapshot of Wineries and Vineyards in the Ningxia Wine Region of China

(Dec. 10, 2013) According to our host, Mr. Cao, Ningxia now has over 100 wineries, with a plan to grow to over 1000 in the next decade. I visited 6 wineries on this trip as part of the conference, in which we lectured on best practices in wine tourism in the morning and visited local wineries in the afternoon. Each of these wineries is described in more detail in other posts. Vineyard Acres in Ningxia Now Equal Approximately 57,500 Acres We were informed that Ningxia now has 300,000 to 400,000 mu of planted vineyards. A mu is the term for [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:05:56-07:00December 21, 2013|

Second Visit to Ningxia Wine Region of China

(Dec. 9, 2013) Though the weather temperature averaged 32 degrees Fahrenheit (F) during the day with lows around 8F at night, my most recent trip to Yinchuan was filled with warm hospitality and many positive experiences. Yinchuan is the capital city of the Ningxia wine region, and a two hour flight West of Beijing. The local government had decided to host a 5-day wine tourism conference and invited me and two other colleagues, Larry from Australia and Damien from France, to speak. I flew from San Francisco to Beijing, and was met at the airport by my good friend, Qin, [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:05:56-07:00December 21, 2013|

SSU Students Love Turley and Miraflores Zinfandels at ZAP Tasting

Rebecca Robinson of Zap with Ray Johnson The SSU WineSense Club was thrilled to have Rebecca Robinson, Executive Director of Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (ZAP), conduct the most recent tasting. Rebecca regaled the students with the history of ZAP and shared fascinating information about the Zinfandel grape. Fun Facts About Zinfandel The grape is originally from Croatia where it is called Crljenak Kaštelanski Also quite famous in the Puglia region of Italy where it is known as Primativo Brought to America in the 1800’s Zinfandel Grapes Planted throughout the Sierra Foothills, Napa, Sonoma, Lodi, Paso Robles, [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:32:18-08:00October 25, 2013|

Schug Winery Kicks Off SSU Wine Sense Club Tasting for Fall 2013

Harrison from Schug Winery By Guest Author Dominique Levenberg. There was excitement in the room for the first Sonoma State University Wine Sense Club meeting of the Fall 2013 semester. Harrison from Schug Carneros Estate Winery was a hit with the 38 students who enjoyed tasting five different wines paired with cheese, meats, and crackers. Favorite Schug Wines The line-up included Schug’s sparkling Pinot, a Chardonnay, two different Pinots from the Sonoma Coast and Carneros appellations, and a Cabernet Sauvignon. At the end of the tasting, everyone voted for their two favorite. The winners were the 2012 Schug Chardonnay [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:32:35-08:00September 19, 2013|

How Many Wineries Are There in the United Kingdom Now?

Though I’ve visited the UK more than 15 times, including a semester abroad at Oxford during my junior year at university, I still haven’t had a chance to visit any of the British wineries. Such a trip is definitely on my bucket list. Believe it or not, there are now 124 wineries in the UK! In the meantime, I was fortunate enough to have Joe Towner, who is assisting in promoting the UK wine industry, contact me about a new information source for wine lovers – a guide to UK wine. It is available at the following link and includes [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:40:50-08:00August 30, 2013|

What are the Major Cool and Warm Climate Grape Varietals?

Cool climate Riesling grapes By Guest Author, Sumun Rahim - Any wine lover who has studied the French concept of "terroir" knows that the same grape varietal can produce vastly different wine depending on what type of soil and in what climate it's grown. Some wines do best in cool, even cold, climates; others are better-suited to warm, sunny weather. Knowing which wines thrive in which climates can help you enjoy local wine more fully when you travel as well as be a guide to help you choose from the selection available at the average wine store. Below is a [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-05T14:30:53-08:00August 29, 2013|

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