WineDiva on November 24th, 2010

Traditional Pairings Lately, it seems like whenever you ask an expert for wine pairing recommendations for turkey or chicken they encourage you to try Pinot Noir or syrah. Yes, they both can go wonderfully with turkey, but because there are syrahs that are more powerful than some Cabernets and some Pinots that are too sweet [...]

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WineDiva on September 2nd, 2010

Wine Harvest Begins While California’s wine harvest is in high gear, the folks on the east coast are batting down the hatches in preparation of the pending hurricane. From South Coast Today: Earl Threatens a Rare Year Ripe for Pinot Noir September 02, 2010 WESTPORT — On a broiling morning under a cloudless sky, Bill [...]

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WineDiva on April 23rd, 2010

Some Prices are Starting to Going Up If you haven’t noticed, prices continue to creep upward. A quick trip to the mall for a sale will have you asking, “This is on sale? This is the same price it was a few months ago!” Price increases are most noticeable at the grocery store. Coffee, eggs, [...]

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WineDiva on March 23rd, 2010

Pinot Noir Giant Steps is a winery located in Australia’s Yarra Valley. With their first release in 2001, the company focused exclusively on the production of  premium, terroir-driven, single vineyard wines. The name was taken from the first solo album by John Coltrane. The Innocent Bystander label came about when the Giant Steps team decided [...]

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WineDiva on March 7th, 2010

Pinot Noir With cool, wet winters, warm dry summers and the marine influence from the west, the coastal Willamette Valley of Oregon is perfect for growing pinot noir grapes. Dr. Loosen’s Oregon Wine Adventure The Loosen Family wine estate in Germany is famous for it’s rieslings. Closer to home, Ernst Loosen – one of the [...]

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WineDiva on December 8th, 2009

2006 Cambria “Julia’s Vineyard” Pinot Noir Wine Enthusiast’s #1 rated wine for 2009. “This is the best Pinot Noir at this price on the market. Easily. It’s picture-perfect cool climate, absolutely dry and silky, with complex flavors of cherries, Mandarin orange, cola, pomegranates, licorice and cinnamon spice, made even richer by smoky oak. Just lovely, [...]

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WineDiva on November 17th, 2009

Something for Everyone Hosting a dinner party or having a reception does not mean you have to spend a fortune on the wine selection. A few affordable wines will get you through the evening and ensure your guests will feel like they are getting the royal treatment. For those of us who are on a [...]

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WineDiva on October 24th, 2009

Second Labels from a Premium Winemaker Ever since Obama served Duckhorn Vineyard’s Goldeneye Pinot Noir at his inauguration lunch, enthusiasm for the wine has skyrocketed. Fortunately for those of us who don’t want to spend $50 for a Pinot, the winery also offers a second label called Migration – Anderson Valley Pinot Noir – a [...]

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WineDiva on August 11th, 2009

Vineyard Near Glen Ellen Brings in Season’s First Pinot Noir By Kevin McCallum – Press Democrat GLEN ELLEN — Kicking off the annual North Coast grape harvest, a dozen workers plunged into a dark Sonoma Valley vineyard before dawn Monday and emerged with a surprising find — a far larger than expected crop. If the [...]

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WineDiva on August 6th, 2009

Coq au vin Because it takes a lot of preparation time, I don’t make make this dish very often. Well, it’s time! I suggest using the same wine in the recipe that you serve your guests. INGREDIENTS 10 slices bacon, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces 3 1/2 lbs chicken (either one chicken cut up or equivalent [...]

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