In Vino Veritas

It has been a little while since I last wrote. Which is a bummer, because I have had so many fun wine experiences lately. The problem is that I have just been enjoying them for myself. I went tasting in Napa on several different occasions, and hit up some faves like La Rochelle, Darioush, Honig, Frog’s Leap, Round Pond, and Signorello. I had wonderfully friendly experiences at all of them. I have also had so many kooky ideas rattling around…

You are in for a treat. This post comes from one of my favorite wine writers. He wrote this just for our enjoyment, so without further ado... Robert Vardanian's first Weeklygrape article. Today we discuss a very specific and highly fantastic wine called… Williams & Humbert “Jalifa” Amontillado VORS Williams & Humbert is a large firm that produces wines throughout Spain as well as brandies, rums, and most importantly… sherry. Sherry is essentially a wine…

Chloe's fourth post here on the Weeklygrape is non other than Jura. A bit off the  beaten path, but infused with that Brit style that I find entertaining. Enjoy. As a Sommelier I am often asked by customers and clients about new wine trends and unique regions. As wine is such a vast subject, this question can have a completely different answer depending on who you’re talking to and when and…

The other day some friends and I went up to Lompoc. Now I know what you’re thinking… Lompoc?, but they only have a prison and a military base. I went there for neither. I went for the relatively new phenomena, the Lompoc Wine Ghetto. As bizarre as it may seem, a group of wineries opened tasting rooms in a warehouse complex that enables a visitor to taste a plethora, a veritable…

Greetings and salutations. I am very proud to be posting Chloe's third wine bloggy (she loves shortening words and adding a 'y' at the end. For example, if she is in a playful mood instead of Chablis she will say Shabby Shabs). For those of you just joining us on this wine journey, Chloe Dickson is a wine aficionado and learned journalist. I've enjoyed her zingy style, and asked her to be a regular here on the site. So without further…

Chloe's second article is about England's bubbles! Brilliant! On a recent visit back to the homeland I was pleasantly surprised to see the sheer amount of English Sparkling Wine available at shops and supermarkets. I’ve only been living outside of the UK for a year and a half, but in this short timeframe a wonderful thing has happened, my boozy countrymen have cottoned on to the fact that not only does…

Hello, my fabulous readers. It is I, Jonathan Hood, and I would like to introduce you to your new favorite wine writer. Her name is Chloe Dickson and she is British. Now I know what you're saying to yourself subvocally as you read this... British!?! Is she going to have a funny accent in her writing? My answer to you is... yes. There. I've said it. Now, without further…

What do Danny DeVito, Steve Martin, and Kyle Maclachlan have in common? Besides being really down to earth, easy going individuals, I’ve helped them all pick out wine recently. It’s fun having a surprise guest that you’ve admired for years randomly show up and interact with you. Kyle Maclachlan of Twin Peaks fame has his own wine label from Washington that’s killer good. Pursued by bear and Little Bear are his two flagship labels. When asked where the name came…

It was a day like any other. The sun came up as usual. The Earth was spinning near the equator at 465 meters per second like it does as it's whipped around the galaxy. Americans drank another 400 million cups of coffee as they do every day. I woke up as I do most days, but this day was different than most. It was different because I was going wine tasting while most of the world was working. I guess…

I went paragliding between skyscrapers yesterday. It was late bordering on early. A few of us broke into the Arco tower in Downtown LA. That was a chore in and of itself, with two guys on security lookout, one relooping footage, one attending the locks, and the last of us sporting the gear. We reached the roof in twelve minutes, and then spent the next ten toasting with wine atop the LA skyline. Using Go cameras strapped to our helmets…

Disclaimer: there is only a little bit about wine in this one I was driving on the freeway today, as I do every day. Heh, that reminded of Pinky & the Brain… “What are we going to do tonight Brain? Same thing we do every night… try to take over the world!!!” So, I was parked on the freeway in rush hour traffic, and I listened to comedy. Ah sweet comedy. I told a friend that I like to imagine giant…