Winesense Archives - Dr. Liz Thach, MW

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|

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|

What Dessert Pairs Best with Sparkling Wine? Korbel & Bianchi’s Provide Some Answers

Erica Mandl of Korbel Champagne Cellars For the last tasting of the semester at the SSU WineSense Club, we focused on a holiday theme of sparkling wine and dessert. The beautiful Erica Mandl, head winemaker at Korbel Champagne Cellars, led the tasting by introducing five different Korbel bubblies. These were matched to delectable desserts from the new bakery in Rohnert Park, Bianchi’s. How Sweet is Your Sparkling Wine? Erica cautioned that it was important to understand the level of residual sugar in a sparkling wine, in order to determine the type of dessert with which to pair it. [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:38:10-08:00December 16, 2012|