On the Road with the Grape Guy

Report from: Sonoma in the City

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Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy

(October 9, 2014) ...  From the tasting booklet ... "Sonoma County's sixteen AVAs define the diversity of this renowned wine area and exhibit a far greater variety of wine styles and grapes than you will find in most any other premium wine area.  From the highly regarded Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs of the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast, to the dense flavorful Zinfandels of Dry Creek Valley, to a comparison of Syrahs from different regions throughout the county, Sonoma County's range of geography - valleys to mountains, coastal ranges to inland beach lands - is second to none."

Click here to see the pictorial evidence of the tasting.

Report from: Port & Douro Tasting

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Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy

(November 17, 2014) ...  A month (or so) before Christmas and the Portuguese came to town for a minor tasting of Douro wines and their most well-known, and winter-ready wine, Port.

The majority of the wines were red, I think there was but one white in the whole place, and it wasn't all that impressive anyway ... but there were some very good Ports on the tables and some pretty decent red wines.

Alas the organization of the event was pretty shoddy - no booklet about the wines, or to even list the wines being poured, doors were 20 minutes lat in opening and there was a surprising/shocking lack of nibblies - the Port should have at least had some blue cheese to go with it.  Good thing I found the best value LBV I've tasted in quite a while and that made this tasting so worthwhile.

Click here to see the ports and douro wines