Wine Travel Stories

In-depth Tales of Winery Visits Around the World

A Visit to Cristal and Roederer Champagne in France

Wines Served at Lunch at Cristal Champagne Press House in Ay, France It was such a treat to receive an invitation to visit the Cristal Champagne Press House and Champagne Louis Roederer Maison in France this September. My friend and colleague, Xaviar Barlier, who is SVP of Marketing & Communications with Maison, Marques and Domaines, extended the invitation. So I flew to Paris for one week, inviting my friend, Lupe Leon, as companion. One of the very fascinating aspects of the trip was being seated next to Frédéric Rouzaud at lunch. He is the 7th generation family member and current [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2024-11-10T12:24:32-08:00November 10, 2024|

Enjoying a Historic Wine Tasting at Ridge Lytton Springs Winery in Sonoma County

Line-up of Old Vine Zinfandel Wines Tasted at 50th Anniversary of Ridge Lytton Springs WineryThach Recently, I was invited to a historic wine-tasting and lunch at Ridge Lytton Springs Winery in Sonoma County. It was to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the winery, and we were treated to some very old zinfandels sourced from their 100+ year vineyards. A true treat! A Brief History of Ridge Lytton Springs Winery In the winter of 1971 , Paul Draper, winemaker with Ridge Vineyards, visited a 100-year old vineyard in the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County, California. He was searching for old-vine zinfandel [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2024-09-30T17:26:26-07:00September 30, 2024|

Celebrating Food & Wine at the ‘Taste of Sonoma’ Festival

Guests Enjoy Socializing With Friends at the Taste of Sonoma Food & Wine Festival. Photo Credit: Thach As a Sonoma County native, over the years I've attended the Taste of Sonoma Food & Wine Festival on multiple occasions. However this year I went with the express purpose of interviewing strangers about why they decided to attend. I learned some interesting facts! The 'Taste of Sonoma' festival has been offered for more than a decade at different locations around Sonoma County. This makes perfect since, because Sonoma County is not only home to more than 500 wineries, but also some of [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2024-07-17T09:33:24-07:00July 17, 2024|

The Inspiring Story of Calera Winery and Josh Jensen

Josh Jensen, Calera Winery Founder and Mike Waller, Current Calera WInemaker CALERA Not only do I believe that the Pinot Noir wines from Calera are some of the best in California, but the story of how this historic winery and vineyard came to be is equally compelling. Here is quick recap of the visionary story of Josh Jensen and his successor winemaker, Mike Waller. Upon returning from a wine trip to Burgundy in 1971, Josh Jensen spent two years driving up and down the coast of California in search of a location that had limestone soil and the right climate [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2024-06-11T20:48:40-07:00June 11, 2024|

The New Hillside Wine Tourism Experience At Shafer Winery in Napa Valley

Enjoying the New Hillside WIne Tourism Experience at Shafer Winery in Napa Valley. I've visited Shafer Winery many times over the years, but have never had a chance to explore the famous hillside vineyards behind the winery until they just created this new hillside wine tourism experience this year. It is fascinating to taste the wine while surrounded by these amazing vines that birthed the Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. About Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley’s famous Shafer Hillside Select wine has been reaping top reviews for more than 40 years now, but this is the first time [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2024-05-25T11:18:54-07:00May 25, 2024|

Visiting the Livermore Valley Wine Region of California

Wente Winery in the Livermore Valley, Birthplace of California Chardonnay. WENTE Though I live in the Napa/Sonoma wine region, I still enjoy visiting other parts of California. One that is very historical, and only a little more than an hour's drive from my house, and only 45 minutes from San Francisco, is the Livermore Valley Wine region. Called a ‘hidden gem’ by Forbes, this historical region is home to the first California wine to win a competition in Paris, France, with an 1884 vintage from La Cresta winery. “We are a unique wine region, because we are home to grape [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2024-03-21T15:33:54-07:00March 21, 2024|

Visiting Doug Frost’s New Winery in Walla Walla – Echolands

New Echolands Winery in Walla Walla, Washington. RICHARD DUVAL I have visited Walla Walla on two previous occasions, and both times I was impressed with the very friendly and laid-back wine town in the far southeast corner of Washington State. But now they are growing so fast, with new wineries popping up all of the time, and top scores from wine critics. After interviewing Doug Frost, MW/MS about his new winery there called, Echolands, I can't wait to visit again! I should mention that I've known Doug for over 15 years. He was one of my instructors in the Masters [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2024-02-15T12:15:16-08:00February 15, 2024|

Sheep and Chickens in the Vineyard at La Crema Winery in Sonoma County

Sheep in the Vineyard at La Crema Winery Help with Regenerative Farming LA CREMA I have visited La Crema Winery in Sonoma County many times over the years, and it is always a delight, because the winery tasting room is next to the famous Saralee's Vineyard in the Russian River Valley AVA. Saralee and Richard Kunde were the original owners of the vast vineyard, and over the years they planted many different grape varieties to enjoy. They also hosted large charity events, which were always fun to attend. In 2012, Saralee sold the vineyard to Jackson Family Wines, who have [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2023-12-14T12:04:14-08:00December 14, 2023|

Wine In India – Consumption Rates Increasing Along With Wine Knowledge

Sonal Holland, MW – CEO and Founder of Sonal Holland Wine Academy in India. HOLLAND Though I have not yet traveled to India to taste wine from their 110 wineries, I definitely hope to do so in the future. In the meantime, I keep abreast about wine in India from my friend, Sonal Holland, India's first MW. In fact, I was in London at the Awards Ceremony when she became an MW. Here is some of the recent information she shared with me about the growth of the Indian wine industry, along with increasing wine consumption (in moderation) and wine [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2023-10-25T11:23:54-07:00October 25, 2023|

Why Sommeliers Admire The Petaluma Gap Wine Region In Sonoma County

Tasting Wines of the Petaluma Gap at the Annual 'Wind to Wine Festival' PETALUMAGAP.COM I live in the Petaluma Gap wine region of Sonoma County, and have been so impressed with the growth of wineries here. In the last few years it has grown from just a handful of wineries to over 20 different wineries to visit! The cooler, windier region specializes in wines made from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah grapes, but they also make other types of wine as well. For this article I interviewed 6 sommeliers to find out what types of food they recommend pairing with [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2023-10-02T10:41:56-07:00October 2, 2023|

Wine and Wineries On the Island of Bali, Indonesia

The Island of Bali in Indonesia Now Has Four Wineries. Sanur Beach, Bali. GETTY When I visited Bali recently I was delighted to find that they have 4 wineries! Even though I wish I had the time to visit all four, I was able to visit Hatten Winery because it was very close to my hotel, the Intercontinental Resort at Sanur Beach. When my husband and I arrived at the Hatten Cellar door by taxi, we didn't have an appointment, but we were welcomed warmly by Mr. Made Arinjaya. He made our visit very pleasant, and we were able to [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2023-08-16T09:30:28-07:00August 2, 2023|

Albert Bichot Winery in Burgundy Focuses on Organic Farming And Reducing Bottle Weight

Château-Gris in Nuits-Saint-Georges, France - Organic Wine Estate Owned by Albert Bichot. ALBERT BICHOT When I was doing my 4 month sabbatical abroad in Burgundy, Albert-Bichot was one of the wineries I was able to visit. They have a tasting room in downtown Beaune, but also own many individual wineries throughout Burgundy. As a large producer making 6 to 7 million bottles per year, they actually produce a lot of regional Burgundy wines that are affordable for everyday. At the same time, they also craft some very exceptional Premiere and Grand Cru wines, with price tags soaring in the the [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2023-06-15T12:24:43-07:00June 15, 2023|

Lunch with Portugal’s Rupert Symington to Discuss Sustainability And Innovation Efforts

Terraced Vineyard in the Douro Wine Region of Portugal. SYMINGTON FAMILY ESTATES The first time I visited Oporto, Portugal, I was thrilled to be able to tour the famous Graham's port house owned by the Symington Family. Therefore, I was very pleased to receive an invitation to have lunch with Rupert Symington, current CEO, and his son Hugh in San Francisco this Spring at the Wayfare Tavern. Not only did we have a delicious meal paired with 5 of their wines (see menu at bottom of article), but they updated me on everything they are doing to combat climate change [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2023-05-01T13:01:13-07:00May 1, 2023|

The Power Of 50 Years Of Mentorship At Chandon In Napa Valley

Reunion of 4 Chandon California Winemakers to Create 50th Anniversary Special Cuvee: Tom Tiburzi, Dawnine Dyer, Pauline Lhote, and Wayne Donaldson DAMION HAMILTON 2022 In 1974, with a degree in Biology from University of California at Santa Cruz, Dawnine Dyer set off to Napa Valley with a dream to enter the wine industry. Not only did she succeed spectacularly with jobs at Robert Mondavi Winery, 25 years at Chandon California, and her own brand, Dyer Vineyards, but through the years she developed a reputation of being one of California’s most important female winemakers and mentor to countless others. This week, [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2023-04-10T18:28:20-07:00April 10, 2023|

The Lion, The Wine and The Belly-Dancers: DAOU Vineyards Release Party

Probably one of the most enchanting wine release parties in California is the annual “Soul of a Lion” event held at DAUO Vineyards in Paso Robles each Spring. The wine is a delicious Bordeaux blend, made primarily of cabernet sauvignon, and was named in honor of George and Daniel Dauo’s father, Joseph Daou. The story behind the name is that Joseph always exhibited “the soul of a lion,” in that whatever hardships knocked him down growing up in war-torn Lebanon, he always jumped back up and faced life with the courage and strength of the “king of the jungle.” Daniel [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2023-04-02T12:20:08-07:00April 2, 2023|