Wine Stars

Wine Stories and News for the Young at Heart

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|

Swimming Pools and a Wine Wonderland – A Delightful Tasting with Francis Ford Coppola Winery

(Contributed by Itze Monserrat Peña-Andrade) This week’s SSU WineSense Club meeting was quite thrilling in that we welcomed Francis Ford Coppola Winery for the very first time. The meeting and educational tasting was led by Kevin Patterson and Kaila Medina, both Hospitality Professionals working in tasting room operations. They provided information about the history, products, and special amenities at the winery. Swimming Pool at Francis Ford Coppola Winery The Unique Attributes of Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Sonoma County Nestled on what was formerly Chateau Souverain Winery in Geyserville, California, Francis Ford Coppola Winery is a winery that is [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T20:05:16-08:00April 14, 2016|

Duckhorn Winery Explains Waterfowl Theme to SSU Millennials

(Contributed by Itze Monserrat Peña-Andrade) The story of Duckhorn Winery and how it has expanded on its waterfowl theme over the years was the topic of our most recent SSU WineSense Club meeting. Led by winemaker, Michael Accurso, he captivated the audience with both words and a tasting of four delectable wines. Michael Accurso with SSU Winesense Board Members A Little Bit of Duckhorn History Duckhorn Vineyards was founded by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn in 1976. Throughout the forty years it has been in operation, Duckhorn Vineyards has established itself as one of North America’s premier producers of [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T20:05:44-08:00April 9, 2016|

What Are Wine Preferences of Different American Generations?

(Based on excerpt from Vineyard & Winery Management article entitled Wine Generations.) American Generations from WMC Study There is an old adage that as people age, they drink more wine. In many cases, research has validated this concept. Yet in the early 2000’s, members of the Millennial generation turned 21 and began adopting wine in large percentages. This has continued over the past 15 year, until in 2016, the Wine Market Council reported that US Millennials consume more wine (36%) than Baby Boomers (34%). At the same time, Gen Xers, now in their 40’s, have still not adopted wine [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T20:06:05-08:00March 25, 2016|

SSU Millennials Wowed by the Flash and Fun of Buena Vista Wines

Contributed by Itze Monserrat Peña-Andrade) A huge crowded gathered at the recent SSU WineSense tasting, lured by the “flash” of the flamboyant Buena Vista Winery, and the “fun” of tasting its newly released wines. The meeting was led by Hospitality and Tasting Room Associate, Amber Lesniewski, who wowed the audience with stories about the winery’s amazing history, as well as the products they offer. Buena Vista Winery – The Oldest Premium Winery in California The history of Buena Vista Winery is quite interesting to say the least. Self-proclaimed “Count of Buena Vista,” Agoston Haraszthy, a vivacious immigrant from Hungary and [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T20:06:40-08:00March 9, 2016|

SSU Wine Sense Club Welcomes Korbel – The Oldest California Champagne Cellar Dating from 1882

(Contributed by Itze Monserrat Pena) The SSU WineSense Club kicked off the Spring 2016 semester with a delicious tasting of sparkling wine and port to celebrate the romantic month of February. Obviously Korbel Champagne Cellars was a “natural” choice to invite to campus for an educational and fun tasting. A Little Bit of Korbel History Korbel & Bros. Inc. has an interesting tale that dates back to 1862 where believe it or not, the three Korbel brothers: Francis, Anton and Joseph founded Korbel to make cigar boxes in San Francisco, California. It was an immediate success, which led them to [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T21:47:48-08:00February 24, 2016|

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