Wine Stars

Wine Stories and News for the Young at Heart

How I Fell in Love with Wine: Autumn Leaves and Finding Grape Buyers

Contributed by Victoria Herrera - In 1950 my great grandfather bought 75 acres of farmland outside of the town of Healdsburg in Sonoma, California in the Dry Creek Valley AVA. It was then passed down to my grandfather, who was an immigrant from Italy. Naturally he planted several acres of Zinfandel grapes that he would sell to make a little bit of cash, and also make wine for the family. Vineyard Leaves in Autumn Growing up, I always enjoyed visiting my grandfather at his Healdsburg property. I enjoyed watching him take care of his chickens, vegetable garden, walnut [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T19:52:34-08:00December 10, 2017|

How I Fell In Love with Wine in San Francisco

Contributed by Cecilia Bandalan - It was a cold winter day in San Francisco, and I had just turned twenty-one years old. I was also dating a French guy from Marseille here on a temporary visa working at a biotech company. Prior to dating him, I had very little experience with wine. After meeting him, we would drink wine at the end of our workday, but nothing he bought really lit a fire in me. He tried explaining the flavor notes; even paired some with cheese and charcuterie, but it still never excited me. Not until the day of my [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T19:53:01-08:00December 5, 2017|

Ten Great Reasons to Love California’s Wineries and Vineyards

(Contributed by Gregg McPherson) Californian’s have much to be thankful for - great weather, fabulous beaches, soaring mountains, and a thriving economy. Many people focus on Silicon Valley and the amazing technology that is produced there when they think of what drives California’s growth. Not as many people realize how important the wine and grape growing industry is to the people of the state. These are mostly small to medium family businesses that provide quality jobs and a product that is loved across the US and around the world. California’s wines generate roughly $32 billion in retail sales. That is [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T19:53:25-08:00June 25, 2017|

Which Top American Wine Was Preferred by Chinese Master Class?

(May 19, 2017) Last evening I taught a Master class in Shanghai, China entitled “Top Wines of America.” It was scheduled from 7 to 9pm at the Hyatt Regency, and all 34 seats in the class were filled with young Chinese wine professionals. Most were working in the industry as wine retailers, marketers, or educators. There were also a few importers and winemakers in the class. Master Class on Top American Wines in Shanghai China The hosts of the Wine100 Competition organized the master class and arranged for the wines to be available for the event. They requested [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T19:54:02-08:00May 20, 2017|

Toasting Trione Winery at Over 100 Years in Sonoma County

(Contributed by Jane Hofmiester) Trione Winery was the most recent guest winery in the SSU Winesense Club educational series. Boasting over 100 years in Sonoma County, the Trione family are true pioneers in the region. The Old Stone Building at Trione Winery About Trione Winery Beginning as farmers and grape growers, the Trione's own over 700 acres of vineyards in the Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, and Sonoma Coast AVAs. They finally started making wine in 2005, and opened a winery tasting room for the public in 2008. Operated by brothers Mark and Vic Trione, along with Mark’s [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T19:54:25-08:00April 11, 2017|

Russian River Vineyards – A Winery with an 1890 Historic Farmhouse Restaurant and Organic Food Garden

(Contributed by Jennifer Schiff) Is it a restaurant, a farm, a tasting lounge, an historic site, or a winery? Well actually Russian River Vineyards encompasses all five of these functions. Established in the 1960s in the heart of the 10,000 acre Russian River AVA, Russian River Vineyards has grown to be one of the premier organic and sustainably farmed grape-growing properties in California. 1890 Historic Farmhouse at Russian River Vineyards This past week a group of Sonoma State University Millennials was fortunate enough to attend an educational session and tasting at the SSU Wine Sense Club Meeting, with [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T19:54:48-08:00April 1, 2017|

Learning About Champagne Riddling at Field Trip to Domaine Carneros

Old wooden riddling racks were set-up around the second floor room of Domaine Carneros, overlooking the winery below. CEO, Eileen Crane, handed everyone a glowing flute of Domaine Carneros Ultra Brut to enjoy as she explained how the riddling process works. "The traditional method was to turn each bottle in the riddling rack by a set amount each day until all of the yeast from the second fermentation in bottle fell to the top lip of the bottle. In this way, it could be frozen and then easily ejected." There were oohhs and aahhs from the thirty SSU wine business [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T19:55:11-08:00March 22, 2017|

Wines for the Lawyer and Sicilian in Your Life – Emmitt-Scorsone Winery

(Contributed by Jane Hofmeister) This week, Palmer Emmitt, CEO of Emmitt-Scorsone Winery, visited SSU to share his beautiful artisan wines with us. Palmer and his partner produce two brands: Judge Palmer and Domenica Amato. Emmitt-Scorsone Wines The Judge Palmer Wine Brand This wine was name for Palmer’s grandfather James Palmer. He served as a judge in El Dorado County, California in the 1960s and 1970s. Palmer said this wine is a favorite of lawyers, and also is a great gift for anyone working in a legal environment. However, the velvety and rich taste of this wine will satisfy [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T19:55:32-08:00March 8, 2017|

The Unknown Story of Gloria Ferrer Champagne Cave’s First Venture into the US Market

Contributed by Jennifer Schiff – The SSU WineSense Club’s first meeting of the Spring 2017 semester featured Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves, a prominent bubble house located in the southernmost part of Sonoma. The sparkling wine house was established in 1982 by the same folks who brought us the globally distributed Cordon Negro, Freixenet. However, there is a little known story about their first venture into the US in the early 1930’s. Multiple Wars and Unrest Delay Arrival to California After years upon years of producing cava and becoming the largest producer and exporter of sparkling wines in the world, the [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T19:55:56-08:00February 24, 2017|

SSU Wine Sense 2017 Spring Schedule Focuses on Napa and Sonoma Wineries

The Sonoma State University (SSU) Wine Sense Club has announced their Spring 2017 meeting schedule, featuring seven exciting wine education sessions. Each two hour meeting, held from 7:00pm to 9:00pm in the Bennett Valley Room includes a presentation from a winery professional and a guided tasting. Appetizers are served to pair with the wines. Participants must be enrolled as a student at SSU and be 21 years of age or older. The Spring 2017 Schedule is: Feb. 9 – Gloria Ferrer Winery – bubbles, chardonnay and pinot noir Feb. 23 – TBA March 2nd – Russian River Vineyards March 23 [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-05T20:08:48-08:00February 18, 2017|

Larson Family Winery – A Tale of Rodeos, Race Horses and $4 Million Dollars

(Contributed by Jennifer Schiff) The SSU Winesense Club was honored to host Larson Family Winery at one of our recent tastings. We were all entranced to learn their amazing history, and then very pleased to taste such delicious wines. Picnic Tables at Larsen Family Winery The Colorful History of Larson Family Winery The 100-acre winery has been around since 1899 when the Millericks purchased the property. They began to hold the rodeo on the property in the 1920’s until the 1950’s, and it became the largest rodeo in the west. The rodeo attracted many people as well as [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T19:58:34-08:00November 23, 2016|

Kenwood Kicks Off SSU Wine Sense Club Meeting

(Contributed by Jennifer Schiff) Kenwood Winery was kind enough to kick off the first SSU WineSense meeting of the semester. Based in Sonoma Valley, Kenwood has a long reputation for high-quality wines, and is the home of the famous Jack London brand to honor the writer who wrote so many wonderful stories, including Call of the Wild and Valley of the Moon. Kenwood Winery also donates money to support the Jack London State Historic Park. Photo Courtesy of Kenwood.com About Kenwood Winery Kenwood Winery was originally started in 1906 by the Pagani Brothers, in an old barn near [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T19:59:26-08:00November 16, 2016|

A Magical Field Trip to Hanna Winery in Sonoma

(Contributed by Jennifer Schiff) In October the SSU Wine Sense Club put on an extravagant field trip to Hanna Winery in Alexander Valley. Driving up the long and beautifully landscaped driveway, everyone was very impressed with the Spanish style architecture of Hanna Winery and the sweeping views of the valley. Our tasting took place under the large oak tree below the tasting room, and was facilitated by Shelby Lozinto, an intern at Hanna and also our Wine Sense Club president. Hanna Winery - Photo Credit: Hanna.com About Hanna Winery Hanna Winery was first started in 1985 by Dr. [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T20:00:36-08:00November 8, 2016|

SSU WineSense Club Announces Fall 2016 Schedule

Vineyards on Foothills of Sonoma Mountain (August 2016) It was a sunny evening in August when the newly elected SSU Winesense Board of Directors met for the annual planning meeting at BBQ dinner to brainstorm about possible wineries to invite to campus for educational tastings. Living in the heart of California Wine Country with over 900 wineries to choose from between Napa and Sonoma valleys, we are truly blessed. After some appetizers and a glass of wine, the team developed their tentative meeting schedule, listed below. Then it was time for tri-tip and sausages, just before the fog [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T20:01:11-08:00August 11, 2016|

A Visit to Three Outstanding Santa Cruz Wineries: Pelican Ranch, Armida and Loma Prieta

(Contributed by Itze Monserrat Peña-Andrade) This past weekend a few members from the SSU Winesense Club took a field trip to visit the Santa Cruz wine region. This is a beautiful wine region near the ocean with over 120 wineries in the nearby hills. For more information about the Santa Cruz Winergrowers Association and wine maps, click here. We arrived Friday in Capitola, and set out to visit two small tasting rooms. SSU WineSense Members in Santa Cruz Pelican Ranch Pelican Ranch Tasting Room The first tasting room we went to was a small winery that [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T20:01:39-08:00April 30, 2016|

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