One of my favorite things about wine is that there's so much to learn about it! There's always a new varietal to taste or an exciting region to try. Recently I went to a tasting that featured wines from the Santa Rita Hills. This small, relatively young wine region is located in Central California and was named an official appellation in 2001. Thanks to its close proximity to the Pacific Ocean, Read more

When it comes to European wine regions, France and Italy hog all of the spotlight. However, Spain has been producing quality wine for the past 700 years, too. The Iberian peninsula's most popular wine making appellation is the Rioja. Situated just below the Pais Vasco in the central Northeast of Spain, Rioja is known for one grape in particular, Tempranillo. Over 90 percent of the wine produced Read more

It's always exciting when a friend shows up to dinner with a surprisingly wonderful wine in tow. When I opened this bottle of 2009 Pinot Noir by Francis Ford Coppola, I was instantly in awe of the luscious liquid. It was smooth and drinkable, but not lacking in complexity. It's made in the style of classic French Pinots with grapes sourced from several different appellations. With red berry Read more