st helena Archives - Dr. Liz Thach, MW

Wine that Connects Cultures, from Asia to America and Beyond

Making a great wine is an orchestration of art and science, passion and hard work. ShunYi Cellars caught my attention recently, which started with the Founder’s personal story of wine discovery that inspired his mission to craft quality wines showcasing premium Californian terroir to bridge cultures and share values. ShunYi's inaugural wines in their vineyards. Meaning of Shun Yi Emperor Shun, highly regarded for his wisdom and integrity, is said to come from the city of Jinan in Shandong Provence, where Founder George Zhang was born. Residents of Jinan are known as “Shun Yi” – descendants of Shun. Interestingly, Shandong [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T17:29:30-08:00November 13, 2020|

How You Can Help Our Community Recover

Our wine community is fighting multiple challenges yet again, affected by the Glass Fire shortly after LNU fires were contained in an already difficult year. However, there are some ways you could make a difference while connecting with the community.How? Here is a short list of resources for you to check out. Offer a helping hand: Volunteer! You can volunteer both in-person or even from home by preparing and delivering food, helping at animal rescue shelters, promote social media, translate, etc. For area-specific volunteer opportunities, visit:Napa area: Napa Disaster Relief Volunteering Sonoma area:Sonoma Disaster Relief Volunteering Many ways you can [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T17:31:30-08:00October 5, 2020|

A Legacy Sparkling with Personality

Hailing from a pioneer winemaking family in Napa, Paula Kornell is a Napa native who has seen the region’s rise from idyllic countryside to a world-renowned premium wine destination. Paula has acquired decades of experience throughout the wine industry, having held management positions at Mondavi, Phelps and other wineries. She has been a member of the Board of Napa Valley Vintners and served a term as its President, and has also chaired the famous Napa Wine Auction several times. Paula Kornell serving her wines at home. Meeting Paula Kornell and Tasting Her Very First Vintage Now, Paula is carrying on [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T17:35:43-08:00September 11, 2020|

Historic St. Helena Winery Charles Krug is Now Ropened For In-Person Tastings

On June 9th, Napa’s oldest winery, Charles Krug reopened its St. Helena estate adhering to local guidelines, after being closed since March 16th in compliance with California’s statewide Shelter-in-Place order. The reopening comes with a variety of new protocols that go above and beyond county and state recommendations to ensure health and safety for everyone. The New Cabana at Charles Krug for Safe Wine Tasting. A Pleasant Physically-Distanced Wine Experience 5 new WiFi-enabled cabanas within the winery’s Picnic Grounds will be unveiled with the reopening. Although the cabanas were already under construction before the Pandemic, they are particularly timely to [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T21:38:07-08:00June 11, 2020|