Dr. Liz Thach, MW

South African Wine Dinner at the Cullinan Hotel

(Sept. 22) – The evening I arrived in Capetown we were invited to a wine tasting hosted by the Cape Wine Masters. Conveniently it was held in the Cullinan Hotel, so our group of around twenty MW’s just had to take the elevator to the mezzanine level where the tasting of 62 wines from across South Africa was set up. The regions included: Paarl, Elim, Klein Karoo, Robertson, Hemel & Aarde, Durbanville, and Swartland. My favorite wines of the evening included: - South African sparkling wines, especially the Monroe 2007 Cap Classique and Simonsig 2007 Blanc de Blanc - All [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:18:27-07:00October 5, 2012|

The Source & Extinction of “Burnt Rubber” Taste in South African Wines

Last week I had the opportunity to attend CapeWine and visit five major wine growing regions in South Africa. During the course of my eight day visit, I realized that the vast majority of the more than 300 South African wines I tasted did not include the telltale “burnt rubber” note that I used to rely upon to identify “South Africa” in a blind MW tasting. Some people also refer to this taste as “eraser or band aid,” but it is a unique note that has plagued South African wines for many years now – especially in reds and primarily [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:38:57-08:00October 4, 2012|

Arriving in Capetown, South Africa – One of the Most Beautiful Cities on Earth

(Sept 20 -22, 2012) – I’ve had many people over the years tell me how beautiful Capetown, South Africa is, but it wasn’t until the airplane was approaching the city that I could see the dramatic landscape. Steep mountains that reminded me of Yosemite surrounded the town and swept down to the ocean that was sparkling blue and caressed by white sandy beaches that could have come from Hawaii. As it was September, their springtime, everything was green, and you could see grass and trees on lower hillsides where no buildings are allowed to mar the beauty of the scenery. [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:18:27-07:00October 3, 2012|

Balletto and DeLoach Wineries Celebrate the Pinot Noir Harvest with SSU Millennials

Forty-four Millennials showed up to Thursday evening’s SSU Wine Club tasting called “Pinot Party.” Not only did the students get to taste pinot noir wines from both Balletto and DeLoach wineries, but they were also treated to fresh Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris grapes from the vineyard. Favorite wines of the evening were the 2011 Balletto Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($29), which has notes of dark cherry cola, violets, earth and rhubard, and the 2009 DeLoach Green Valley Pinot Noir ($45). According to the winemaker notes, this latter wine is very aromatic, with touches of raspberries, black cherries, rhubarb, [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:39:18-08:00October 1, 2012|

Kenwood and Valley of the Moon Winemakers Entertain SSU Millennials with Varietal Showdown

Another sold out crowd showed up this past week at the SSU Wine Club meeting to listen to veteran winemakers, Patrick Henderson of Kenwood Wine Estates and Greg Winter of Valley of the Moon. In addition to honoring the “end of summer,” the tasting featured a fascinating “varietal show down” of how two wines made of the same grape varietal can taste completely different based on appellation and/or winemaking techniques. Valley of the Moon’s Greg Winter started with out with an unoaked chardonnay and then compared it to an oaked wine. He explained that consumers liked different styles, and so [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:39:45-08:00September 19, 2012|

Benziger Winery Provides “How to Taste” Seminar to SSU Millennials

Kathy Benziger from Benziger Family Winery kicked off the first SSU Wine Club meeting of the semester by hosting a “How to Taste Wine” seminar. It was a packed house with 50 students, and some disappointed ones who had to be turned away from the door because there were no seats left. Kathy did an incredible job of telling the story of Benziger with its inspiring organic, biodynamic and sustainably grown wines. According to Kathy, “Every wine in our portfolio carries a third party certification of green farming practices history.” Favorite Wines of the Evening The favorite wines of the [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:40:16-08:00September 18, 2012|

Visit to Chateau Helan Qingxue and Daylong Organic Vineyards, China

Sept. 1, 2012 – After a buffet breakfast at the hotel we boarded the van for a day of visits to vineyards and wineries located near the foothills of Helan Mountains, about a thirty minute drive from Yinchuan. Unfortunately we woke up to drizzly rain that day, instead of the humid heat of the previous days. Therefore we spent much of the tour huddled under umbrellas and trying to avoid the mud in vineyards. The first stop was the Decanter award winning Chateau Helan Qingxue where winemaker Zhang Jing greeted us very warmly. She is a small, bubbly Chinese lady [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:03:54-07:00September 12, 2012|

Chateau Changyu Moser XV and the Sand Lake of Ningxia, China

Sept. 1, 2012 – On the way to Chateau Changyu Moser XV we passed the famous Western Xia Tombs which look like small stone pyramids and built around 1000 AD. They are part of the unique tourism sites to visit around Yinchuan, including pagodas, beautiful mosques, and the last section of the Great Wall which ends in Ningxia. Chateau Changyu Moser XV will soon become another of the main tourist sites to visit in the region when it opens in October of 2012. It is a beautiful French chateau built on grand standards (see photos) where tourists will be able [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:03:54-07:00September 12, 2012|

Ningxia Wine Auction and Banquet, China

August 31, 2012 – That evening we dressed for the formal banquet dinner and wine auction that was held at another hotel. Over 300 people attended, and once again we were seated at the main table, but this time it was long and rectagnal with 12 different courses served, including this lovely dish of prawns. We were were served the Best of Class White and Red wines, so I was very happy to drink the Xixia King Chardonnay NV and the Jiabeilan Grand Reserve 2009. The media were in attendance with more cameras flashing and video cameras rolling. The winning [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:03:57-07:00September 12, 2012|

Historic Tasting of 39 Ningxia Wines , China

August 31, 2012 – The next morning I awoke very excited because this was the day we were scheduled to do a blind tasting of Ningxia wines. Jancis Robinson, MW had flown in from the UK the evening before and I sat with her at dinner. I have met Jancis on three other occasions and had lunch with her in Napa, and have always found her very friendly and down-to earth. As she was exhausted from her trip, she declined going to the violin concert the evening before, but met us at 8am to walk over to the wine-tasting room [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:03:57-07:00September 10, 2012|

Visiting Silver Heights Winery in Ningxia China with Winemaker Emma Gao

August 31, 2012 - After lunch we boarded the van to drive about ten minutes down narrow dirt roads past poverty stricken shacks to arrive at Silver Heights Winery. Once through the modest gates, we saw a large garden and were greeted by owner, Emma Gao, who had a huge welcoming smile on her face and was followed by her 5-year old daughter’s puppy – a very young and adorable winery dog (see photo). Silver Heights is a true urban winery in the sense that it is located in the city of Yinchuan, even though it’s vineyards are on the [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:03:57-07:00September 10, 2012|

Opening Ceremony of the Ningxia China Wine Festival – Dancing Girls, Conference and Violin Concert

August 30, 2012 - The next morning, after a quick breakfast at the hotel buffet, we took a bus to the opening ceremony of the 1st Helanshan Mountains' East Piedmont Wine Festival. Again our delegation of around eight people was treated like VIPs. We descended from the van to walk on a red carpet and have a flower pinned to our clothes. Multiple photographs snapped many pictures of us as we continued to walk on the red carpet into the large convention center where two lines of more than 100 young women dressed in purple and pink sparkling dresses with [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:03:58-07:00September 10, 2012|

Grand Welcome Banquet in Yinchuan, Ningxia, China

August 29, 2012 - After time to relax in our rooms a bit, we were asked to meet in the hotel lobby at 5:15 in order to walk over to a formal reception with the governor of the Ningxia region. Most of us dressed in formal clothing and arrived at the reception room to find we each had a large white lounge chair to sit in with our name printed on a red sign in both English and Chinese. Translators assisted with the very impressive ceremony of announcing each official – around ten of them, as well as our group [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:03:58-07:00September 10, 2012|

The Ningxia Wine Region and Arriving in Yinchuan at the Yuehai Hotel, China

August 29, 2012 – The next morning we drove to Beijing Airport to catch an Air China flight departing at 10:30am to Yinchuan in the Ningxia Province. Yinchuan is located in the middle of China and is a 1.5 hour flight from Beijing. We met several other professors and wine experts at the airport and traveled in a group to attend the 1st International Wine Festival and Horticulture Conference where we all were scheduled to give presentations. The government of the Ningxia region had invited us and covered all travel expenses. The Ningxia Wine Region Ningxia is one of 8 [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:03:58-07:00September 8, 2012|

A Wine Tasting in Beijing and Dried Pig’s Ear for Dinner

Aug. 28, 2012 – As usual on my first few days in China, I awoke at 4:30 (even with the assistance of a sleeping pill) and couldn’t fall back to sleep. However, it was useful to have some extra time to have a cup of Starbuck’s Via in my room before heading to a tasting of the top 20 wines in the Beijing market priced between 200 – 350 RMB ($30 – 55 US). Qin organized the tasting as part of a research project with the university. It was conducted with wine buyers,sommeliersf and educators working in Beijing and included [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:03:59-07:00September 8, 2012|

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