Scott Butterfield
Although they are based in west Santa Rosa, DeLoach has every right to call themselves a Russian River Valley winery. Sure, they also source fruit from the Sonoma Coast, North Coast and Northern Sonoma AVAs. But it is the Russian River Valley AVA they chose to use on their label. The part of Santa Rosa…
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If Pinot Noir were an animal, it’d be a chameleon. There seems to be no other grape that takes on its environmental surroundings quite like this highly-adaptable varietal. Preferring a cool climate, this thin-skinned grape is legendary for its versatility. It can be used to make white, red, rose, and sparkling wine of tremendous quality. …
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The Los Angeles Wine Writers’ Group recently attended a special food and wine pairing at AOC, the restaurant featured in Condé Nast Traveler’s “50 hot tables” and on Food & Wine Magazine’s “Best New Wine List.” It’s credited with pioneering the small-plate tapas dining experience on the west coast. A.O.C. is helmed by Caroline Styne,…
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The best small wineries in Sonoma are boutique wineries – those which make less than 5000 cases annually – are more high touch than high-tech. These places are labors of love. Wines are hand-crafted with exceeding attention and care. There’s freedom to experiment here with different styles and varietals. An approach that looks to expand…
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The Russian River Valley has viticulture history unlike any other in California. Grapevines were first planted by immigrants from the Mediterranean region in the 19th century. Most were “gardens” that families used for personal consumption, using cuttings brought from their European homesteads. This is how Zinfandel, now a flagship US grape, first appeared in the…
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It’s now the perfect time of the year for wine tasting near Bodega Bay. This amazing area lies on a San Andreas Fault line. There’s been more recent geological upheaval here than in all of France, which sits on the relatively stable Eurasian plate. All this seismic activity has created an incredibly diverse, mineral-rich soil…
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After a two-year lockdown, life is finally opening up again. So we scoured the web to put together this endemic 2022-2023 Wine Festival Calendar. It features 11 California Wine Festivals, including 4 in Sonoma and Napa, and 2 in Santa Barbara. Plus Nantucket, Oregon, and Colorado wine festivals, and a wine festival reopening in France.…
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For over one hundred and fifty years, the town of Sebastopol has been known as a farming and agricultural center of northern California. Once a plum and apple growing industry, the area is now a diverse paradise of flowers, fruits, vegetables, and of course, rolling green vineyards. But despite the terrior’s excellent predisposition to harvesting…
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California Sauvignon Blanc is like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in many ways. But the two varietals from different regions deviate in some respects as well. In this wine review, Ross Halleck and Harris Miner are in Sebastopol wine tasting and discussing the popular Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, comparing to the Halleck Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, judged…
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In this wine review Ross Halleck and Harris Miner are in Sonoma wine tasting and enjoying two California Pinots; La Cream Pinot Noir from Monterey and Halleck Vineyard Hillside Cuvee from Sonoma Coast. La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir Tasting Notes La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir is one of the most popular wines in the world.…
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