Wine Travel Stories

In-depth Tales of Winery Visits Around the World

Humility, Grace and Wine – A Dinner with Steven Spurrier and Paul Draper

(May 2016) One of the marvels I’ve witnessed over the years is that often the most famous winemakers are the most humble. This is the case with Heidi Barrett, who’s 1992 Screaming Eagle broke the world record for one of the highest priced wines sold at auction, as well as with Aubert and Bertrand de Villaine from Domaine Romanee Conti, who lovingly produce some of the most coveted wine in the world from “God’s vineyards.” More recently I had a similar experience when I met Paul Draper of Ridge and Steven Spurrier, the man who launched the 1976 Judgment of [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:46:24-08:00May 25, 2016|

Tasting the Power of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 2009 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon

This post is in honor of the 40th Anniversary month of the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting, and is an excerpt from my book: Call of the Vine: Exploring Ten Famous Vineyards of Napa and Sonoma. Photo Credit: SLWC After touring Stag's Leap Vineyard, I was honored to be able to taste the 2009 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon, along with sister wine, FAY and the 2009 CASK23, a blend of the two famous vineyards. The winemaker for the 2009 vintage was Nicki Pruss, a soft-spoken brunette with baby blue eyes and a passion for winemaking. She actually went to [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:46:49-08:00May 19, 2016|

Owl Vines & Wildlife: A Tour of the Famous Stag’s Leap Vineyard (S.L.V.)

This post is in honor of the 40th Anniversary month of the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting, and is an excerpt from my book: Call of the Vine: Exploring Ten Famous Vineyards of Napa and Sonoma. California Poppies Near the Vineyard Neon orange poppies appeared in clusters along the Silverado Trail as I drove to Stag’s Leap Vineyard on a breezy April day. The sky was a clear porcelain blue, not as vibrant in hue as it would become in the hotter Summer days ahead, and the temperature matched the Spring season with a moderate 68F. Vineyards marched along both sides [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:47:08-08:00May 17, 2016|

Tasting Bacigalupi Chardonnay with Patrick Sullivan from Edge Hill Estate

This posting is part of my series to honor the Judgment of Paris tastings that are happening in the San Francisco Bay Area this week and next. In my book, Call of the Vine:Exploring Ten Famous Vineyards of Napa and Sonoma, I included two of the famous vineyards that won in the 1976 competition. One of these was the Bacigalupi Vineyard, which produced a large percentage of the chardonnay that went into the bottle of 1973 Chateau Montelena. Today these historic chardonnay vines are still alive and doing well (see previous post). Over the years, the Bacigalupi’s have sold the [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:47:31-08:00May 11, 2016|

A Visit to Bacigalupi Vineyards – Home of Chardonnay Grapes Used in Judgment of Paris Wine

This past week I attended the Sonoma County Barrel Auctionand was pleased to see that Helen Bacigalupi was honored as an icon of the wine industry. Standing less than 5 feet tall, 100 pounds, and in her late eighties, Helen is still a whirlwind with a sharp mind and whit. “I’ve limited myself to only 4 ounces of wine per day,” she told me, “because since I only weigh 100 pounds now, I can’t drink more than that.” Seeing her again reminded me of the wonderful day I spent with her several years ago as we walked through her famous [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:09:31-08:00May 5, 2016|

Day Four of Georgian Wine Tour – Kakheti Region, Tsinandali Palace and Khareba Winery

(March 2016) I awoke at 6:30am in the large four-poster bed on the top floor of the Hotel Mere castle. A faint light was beckoning beyond the long curtains and I knew dawn was rising over the Caucasus Mountains. Jumping out of bed, I pulled back all of the drapes that covered the floor to ceiling windows, then threw open the doors to step out on the balcony that ran around three sides of my tower room. Then I caught my breath in wonder! The view of the long range of snow-capped Caucasus Mountains was magnificent, with the rosy fingered [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:09:51-08:00April 21, 2016|

Day Three of Georgian Wine Tour – Kakheti Region, Alverdi Monastery Cellars, Schuchmann Winery and Winiveria

(March 2016) After far too little sleep again, we checked out of our hotel in Tbilisi and boarded two vans to climb over the mountain to the Kakheti Valley – about a two hour drive from Tbilisi. The further we climbed in the mountains, the twistier the road became. Soon snow drifts appeared on the side of the road, and when we reached the top of Gombori Pass, we were surrounded by snow, so we stopped to take some photos and have a snowball fight. Twisting Road Over Gombori Pass in Georgia As we descended towards the Kakheti Valley, where [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:10:13-08:00April 19, 2016|

Day Two of Georgian Wine Tour – Visit the Kartli Region and Chateau Mukhrani

(March 2016) After only about six hours of sleep, it was time to get up, grab some breakfast and jump on the bus to drive about one hour north of Tbilisi to the Kartli wine region. This is one of the oldest wine regions in the country, and is well known for its limestone soils and windy evenings, that promote fresh acids in wine. Hilltop Monestery Taken From Bus Window Guramishvili Historical Wine Cellar The drive was beautiful along a winding river, with views of ancient hilltop monasteries in the distance. Our first stop was Guramishvili Marani with its famous historical [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2022-12-20T08:32:56-08:00April 18, 2016|

Dinner at Bagrationi Cellars – A Sparkling Wine House

(March 2016) After about a 50 minute drive from the Kartli wine region, we arrived back in Tbilisi to visit the famous Bagrationi Cellars, known for their sparkling wine production. Established in 1882 by Georgian Prince Ivane Bagrationi-Mukhraneli, today they produce around 2 million bottles of sparkling wine made in the traditional method of secondary fermentation in bottle. In addition, they also produce 1.5 million bottles of Charmant. Entry Hall at Bagrationi Sparkling Wine Cellars During the Soviet era, the winery was taken over as a Soviet project and produced millions of cases of sparkling. Indeed the winery cellars [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:10:57-08:00April 17, 2016|

How to Make Wine in a Qvevri – Traditional Georgian Winemaking

(March 2016) Before visiting Georgia, I had only heard the word “qvevri,” but had never actually seen one, except in photos. Though may people mix them up with amphorae, they are different. A qvevri is used to ferment and age wine, and is buried in the ground. An amphora is used to transport wine and is not buried in the ground. Qvevri That Have Been Removed from Marani (Cellar Where They are Buried) The other interesting thing about qvevri is they come in many different sizes. Most hobby winemakers in Georgia (this includes many people who live in the country [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:11:20-08:00April 16, 2016|

Day One of Wine Tour – Tbilisi and the Georgian National Museum

(March 2016) The next morning, I awoke very excited about the first official day of our wine tour organized by the Georgian Wine Association. The first stop was fittingly the Georgian National Museum where we were welcomed with a short lecture overviewing the wine industry, and then invited to tour the museum in order to see the oldest winemaking equipment and pips in the world. Oldest Qvevri in the World We saw the oldest qvevri, carbon dated at over 8000 years. It was smaller than I expected, but then it was explained that many people in Georgia make wine in [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:11:44-08:00April 15, 2016|

Key Statistics on the Wine Industry in the Republic of Georgia

(March 2016) During my five day visit to Georgia, we met with many industry experts who provided the following information. I have also supplemented this with some data from Euromonitor. Geography and Climate of Georgia The geography and climate of Georgia are ideal for growing wine grapes. The Caucasus Mountains, rising over 15,000 feet high (3000 meters) not only divide Georgia from Russia, but protect the valleys from cold and wind, so that the grapevines can flourish. The eastern part of Georgia has a continental climate, with warm summers and cool winters. It is where the majority of vineyards are [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:12:09-08:00April 14, 2016|

Three Ancient Legends of Georgia, Including the Mystery of the Silver Grapevine Tubes

While visiting the Georgian National Museum, we learned of three ancient legends of Georgia, and the first two are connected to wine. Saint Nino and Her Grapevine Cross Legend says that the apostles Simon and Andrew came to Georgia sometime after the death of Jesus to convert the country to Christianity. However, they were ignored by the Georgians. It took Saint Nino (a female), who came to Georgia in 337, to convert the King and Queen. She did this by making a cross of grapevines tied together with her hair. This linkage to the vine, which was always important to [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:12:28-08:00April 13, 2016|

Walking to the Major Cultural Sites in Tbilisi, Georgia

(March 2016) After checking into the Mercure at 6am and sleeping for 3 hours, I took a leisurely shower and then opened the curtains to see a splendid fortress on top of a hill just outside my hotel. Settling down with a cup of coffee, I opened the window to a blue sky day and the sound of sweet bird song. Small white blossoms were just appearing on the trees, as springtime settled upon Tbilisi. After spending about an hour reading about the cultural sites of the city, I put on my walking shoes and headed out. View of Narikala [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:12:50-08:00April 12, 2016|

Five Day Wine Tour to Republic of Georgia – Getting to Tbilisi

(March 2016) When I received the email announcement of the IMW wine trip to the Republic of Georgia, I responded immediately but was waitlisted for two months before I received the good news that someone cancelled and I could have one of the 20 spots available. Turkish Airlines, with a direct flight from SFO to Istanbul and then another 2 hours to Tbilisi, had the best price, so I booked a flight and found myself pleasantly delighted with the great service, food, and wine on the plane. Their lounge in Istanbul was also amazing, and even included a golf practice [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:13:22-08:00April 12, 2016|

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