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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|

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|

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|

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|

How Horses In The Vineyard Help Create World-Class Wines At Cayuse

Horse Plowing the Vineyard at Cayuse Winery in Walla Walla, Washington. ANDREA JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY In the Washington State wine industry many people refer to Christophe Baron as the ‘Crazy Frenchman.’ Who else would buy of field of stones that no one else wanted and plant a vineyard on it? Who else would employ massive-muscled work horses to till the soil in the vineyards? But…. who else would become so successful that his distinctive biodynamic world-class wines typically sell out in the first 3 weeks of release each year? Born in Champagne, France, to a winemaking family, Baron studied viticulture and enology [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2022-12-29T09:23:25-08:00December 29, 2022|

The Opus One Celebration Dinner for Collective Napa Valley Event

Collective Napa Valley 2022 November Auction Dinner at Opus One Winery. ALEXANDER RUBIN Multiple auction paddles were raised at an elegant Opus One Winery dinner as part of Collective Napa Valley’s November 2022 event. Tickets to the $2500 per person weekend sold out quickly, as supporters from around the nation, as well as some international visitors, rushed to secure the limited seats. The weekend event, along with online bidding and donations during November, easily achieved the $2 million goal set to fund wildfire mitigation and reforestation. This amount is in addition to the $4.6 million that Napa Valley Vintners has [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2022-12-03T17:52:13-08:00December 3, 2022|

Gundlach Bundschu Celebrates 160 Years Of Winemaking, Grape Growing, And Humorous Tricks

Humorous Trick to Share Sonoma Valley Wines on Napa Valley Wine Train in 1990. GUNDLACH BUNDSCHU In 1858 Jacob Gundlach immigrated from Bavaria and purchased 400 acres of land in Sonoma Valley, California to plant grapes and start a winery. Today, Gundlach Bundschu is considered to be California’s oldest continuously family-owned winery, with 6th generation, Jeff Bundschu, now at the helm as President. But the winery isn’t just known for award-winning wines, but also for its culture of fun, rock ‘n’ roll parties, and humorous tricks played on fellow vintners over the years. It was also on a Halloween evening in [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2022-11-12T15:40:41-08:00November 12, 2022|

Donum Estate Celebrates How Wine, Art And The Land Unite To Form Unique Wine Tourism Experiences

Richard Hudson's Heart Sculpture 'Love Me' Dominates Vineyards at Donum Estate in Carneros. DONUM ESTATE BY GREGORY GORMAN When Angelica de Vere Mabray took on the position of CEO at Donum Estate winery in mid 2019, little did she know that the visitor’s center and tasting room would effectively be shut down for nearly a year during the pandemic. But thanks to her 20+ years in the wine industry, a strong background in digital marketing, and a talented staff that was cross-trained to assume a variety of winery positions, Mabray and her team were able to create some of the [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2022-10-09T13:31:50-07:00October 9, 2022|

The Untold Story Of Helen Bacigalupi’s Wild Drive Over The Mountain To Deliver Sonoma Chardonnay To Chateau Montelena

Helen Bacigalupi at Age 96, Co-Founder of Bacigalupi Vineyards & Winery, Sonoma County, CA. BACIGALUPI VINEYARDS I really enjoyed reconnecting with Helen Bacigalupi again after all of these years. I first met her 9 years ago to interview her for my Call of the Vine book when she was 87, and now she is 96! She is still filled with intelligence, grit, drive, and a fun sense of humor. This story below was first published on Forbes.com, with permission to republish here. Go Helen! There is a well-known story in Sonoma County, California that the majority of the grapes that [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2022-09-19T15:47:34-07:00September 19, 2022|

Tasting History In A Glass With Historic Napa/Sonoma Wineries From The ‘Cool Class’ Of 1972

A Few of the Class of 1972 Wines Served at 2022 Tasting. L. THACH This past week at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, six historic wineries from Napa and Sonoma gathered to celebrate five decades of fine winemaking as part of the ‘Class of 1972.’ Considered by some to be the ‘cool kids of California wine,’ these wineries were part of a cohort that helped to put California wine on the map. With such famous players as Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Burgess Cellars, and Jordan, many of these wineries were established fifty years ago this year, or within [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2022-08-11T17:17:25-07:00August 11, 2022|

From Foot-Stomping Grapes To Robots, Clos De La Tech Winery Embraces New And Ancient Technology

Clos de La Tech Pinot Noir Vineyard in Santa Cruz Mountains with Pacific Ocean in Distance. THACH In the 1990’s, T.J. Rodgers visited the tiny village of Vosne-Romanée in France and fell in love with the Pinot Noir grape used to make red Burgundy wine. Inspired by the taste of these wines, he decided to plant one acre of Pinot Noir grapes in the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA (appellation) near his home in Woodside, California. However, as the CEO of Silicon Valley based Cypress Semiconductor, he made the novel decision of combining ancient winemaking practices, such as foot-stomping of grapes, [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2022-07-02T15:17:18-07:00July 2, 2022|