King Estate, known nationally for its signature white pinot gris wines, is located in Eugene Oregon, a region known for its environmentally green culture, outdoor lifestyle and world-class food and wine, making the area a great weekend destination. 
According the latest National Geographic ”Green Guide“ and Entrepreneur magazine, Eugene is the greenest city in the U.S. based on factors such as environmental policy, energy use, air and water quality, green design and recycling.  By comparison, The Green Guide ranked Santa Rosa #5, Oakland #6, Berkeley #7 and San Francisco #18.  Eugene is a sophisticated university town with …

Knowing where your food comes from has become a familiar directive to anyone paying even the slightest attention to health and lifestyle news.  At the Culinary Round Table dinners at Robert Sinskey Vineyards in the Napa Valley, knowing from whom your food comes allows consumers to explore more intimately why organically grown and locally sourced foods makes sense.  At the latest Culinary Round Table dinner, Deborah and Jim Durst shared their passion for organic produce, opening up a dialogue among the small group of diverse guests and providing inspiration to all.  The relaxing ambiance in the trellised courtyard of Robert Sinskey Vineyards overlooking Stags’ Leap, over …

How does one pair Madeira with savory foods?  It is a sweet fortified wine that doesn’t appear on the face of it to go well with foods.   What does make it suitable for food is the characteristic high acidity that other fortified wines like Sherry – with its low to moderate acidity - and even Port with its balanced acidity, do not have.  Also, while even “dry” Madeira has some residual sugar, they always finish dry.  Another factor that ties Madeira to a range of interesting cuisines is the range of complex flavors.  While …

Winemaker Emilio Rodriguez of Terras Gauda in Rias Baixas

High expression, or “alta expresion” is a termed used in Rioja for new wave red Rioja, but in the northwest of Spain, winemaker Emilio Rodriguez of Bodegas Terras Gauda seeks ultimate expression of the heirloom whites of Rias Baixas and reds of Bierzo. Combine his wines with the tapas of Gerald Hirigoyen’s Bocadillos Restaurant, and one experiences the authentic flavors of Spain the way they are meant to be.
Rias Baixas is the only exclusively white wine appellation in Spain located in the northwest region …

There are scores of white varietals from around the world for Americans to discover, but in a restaurant or for a crowd, sauvignon blanc is usually the go-to wine that seems to please everyone.  It is a classic grape variety that has distinct characteristics such as citrus flavors and crisp acidity, but each wine’s personality will be influenced by regional climate, winemaking technique or blending (such as with semillon in Bordeaux). 
This week I’ve been tasting Chilean sauvignon blancs in the $10-13 range that are fresh and fruity wines ideal for everyday enjoyment.  In Chile, the most notable …

At this point, everyone seems to know about the high quality and value proposition of Argentine wines.  Exports of bottled Argentine wines increased 10% by value and 8% by volume from 2008 to 2009, with exports to the US growing 30% and 32%  respectively.  Stats for the first four months of 2010 show no abatement.  This is no small feat given that exports of wine from most major wine regions declined by value during this economically-challenging time.  The US is by far Argentina’s largest export market with a  39% market share by value at …

The Leyda Valley in Chile is less than ten miles from the icy Pacific ocean and a little over 25 miles south of Casablanca, well known for its cool climate grapes.   It’s no surprise that cool climate pinot noir can do well in this relatively young appellation of Leyda Valley, and in fact its one of the three regions  - along with Casablanca to the north and Bio Bio to the deep south – that are increasingly known for their pinot noir wines.
The winery credited for securing the denominacion de origen (official …

There are few producers in the U.S. that can say their wines are made by a fifth generation American winemaker, and fewer still whose owner has been making wines for 17 generations.  Together, winemaker Mark Beringer – great, great grandson of Jacob Beringer – and Codorniu of Spain, combine their heritages to make classic, high quality Carneros chardonnay and pinot wines that appeal to the modern consumer.
Quality starts with innovation and track record and in Codorniu, one gets both.  Codorniu was established in 1551 in the coastal Penedes region west of Barcelona.  It was …

Throughout the Napa Valley on Thursday evening, vintners were holding welcome dinners for guests and bidders participating in the 30th annual Auction Napa Valley.  In Calistoga, one of these special dinners was hosted by Suzanne Phifer Pavitt and Shane Pavitt of Phifer Pavitt Wines, producer of Date Night Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
After an elegant reception on their patio overlooking the Valley, guests were treated to a four-course dinner and wine pairing prepared by Chef Brandon Sharp of the Michelin star restaurant Solbar in Calistoga.  Chef Brandon Sharp’s menu was stellar with each …

When the four acres of hobby zinfandel vineyards at the Smith’s family residence just north of the town of Saint Helena needed to be replanted in the early 1990′s, Jeff Smith sought the advice of leading viticultural expert Dr. Mark Kliewer of UC Davis to evaluate the site.  Dr. Kliewer told Smith that the rocky vineyards were situated at a very unique part of the valley and that it was one of the premier sites for growing cabernet sauvignon.  The vines were thus replanted to cabernet sauvignon in 1992, beginning the legacy of Hourglass wines on both sides of …