A Spoonful of Sugar Doesn’t Help The Wine Go Down!!

Mary Poppins wasn’t talking about wines when she sang “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down”. Consumers get confused when it comes to a wine that is smooth and ripe and dry versus a wine that is well….downright sweet! Technically a wine is DRY Wine when all the natural grape sugar eats […]

Monasteries Make Great Wines!

South Tyrol better known to Italians as Alto Adige includes part of the Dolomites. Austrians in German call that area Süditrol. Italians say they feel like they are living in Italy but feel like they are Austrian. It used to be considered part of Austria right up in the Alps. Either way there is […]

Warmer Weather.. Get Chile!

There are a handful of countries or wine producing regions that consumers think of in a negative way as low end wine. Australia, Greece, New York State, South Africa, and Sadly, Chile. Somehow, consumers believe Chile is the home of large format table wines and lower end bulk wines. That couldn’t be further from […]

May: Two Celebrations, One State’s Wine!

Mayday, Mayday! May is here and we have one month long celebration and one Sunday celebration. May is Oregon Wine Month and Sunday is Mother’s Day. I have some suggestions for Pinot Gris/Grigio, Pinot Noirs that would be perfect for Mom or Brunch as well as honoring Oregon Wine Month. Two Celebrations with One […]

Everyday Wine…At Everyday Prices!

Consumers of wine will sometimes turn down assistance from a sommelier or wine specialist because they don’t want to bother you for an “Everyday Wine” which to them means $9.99 or under and they believe their only options are for generic supermarket brands that are large production wines. They couldn’t be further from the […]

Let’s A-Gris To Not Diss-A-Gris!

Constantly about 99% of consumers looking for a white wine especially from Italy ask for a Pinot Grigio. Italians have so many wonderful diverse white wines and yet in Italy very few drink Pinot Grigio. For the most part, with few exceptions they are boring and not complex. Pinot Gris (Gree) is the original […]

Always Be Celebrating…Life !!

Myself included, am on a budget when I buy wine for everyday drinking. If there is one comment all my customers say on a regular basis is “I just need a wine for everyday drinking. Nothing special.” I get that. Do you know what? You are special. Life is special. We see on the […]

Corned Beef And Cabbage And Wine!!

The luck of the Irish and the knowledge of a Certified Sommelier could be a good combination! Yes, I know that most people who are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day will be eating Corned Beef and Cabbage and drinking Stout Beer and Irish Whiskey and Irish Car Bombs etc but it is very possible for […]

Italian Wines: Something for Everyone!

When I think about all the wine producing countries in the world, I truly believe that Italy offers the most diversity. I think that just about any palate, bubbly, red, white, rose, sweet, dessert wines, dry wines, wine cellar wines, Italy offers it all. Sadly, many people when they hear me suggest Italian wine, […]

Dreaming Of A WHITE Wine Christmas

95% of customers I assist with recommendations whether buying for themselves or for someone else, ask for a Red Wine. I think the reason for this is that most wine consumers only think of White Wine as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. There are thousands of other grape varietals that produce white wines […]