Gina Dallara: May 2009 Archives

By Courtney Cochran

Chère Rosé, you mean the world to me.  You are so pure, your flavors so balanced (More approachable than red!  More filling than white!) I find myself fantasizing about you night and day.  Often I picture myself, feet up at the end of a long day, meditating on your pale pink robe, pausing to savor a sip so lush it takes my breath away.  

O Rosé!  You are so refreshing, you are so lively, you are the perfect companion to a slice of pâté or nutty frommage comté.  

I love you just as you are - never change, Rosé!

Signed,

Your Biggest (AKA most loyal, ahem) French Fan

By The Sipping Savant

Ruby Hill ... it really is a gem! My first visit to this winery was when I attended a great event next door at Casa Real in November last year. Since I had arrived early I wandered next door into the Tasting Room. Wow!

Not only did I get to learn about some great new wines at very reasonable prices ($12 to $30 a bottle), meet some down to earth "Tasting Coaches", I also did a large amount of my holiday shopping too!

Like Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, Executive Vice President Eva Bertran is a dynamic blend of Spanish style, California charisma and Sonoma Carneros sparkling wine expertise. Part of the original team who helped to launch Gloria Ferrer, Bertran left her native Spain--where her own family was in the wine business--and settled in Sonoma 20 years ago. Since 1986, she has passionately promoted Gloria Ferrer wines, expertly leading diverse aspects of the business as enthusiastically as if it were her own family winery.

"There's a real Spanish sense of family here," explains Bertran of Gloria Ferrer's close-knit, collaborative team. "We pride ourselves on taking care of our employees." It's a tradition that began more than a century ago at Freixenet, which proudly employs people who are the third and even fourth generation of the same family to work for the sparkling wine house.

These wineries not only tolerate dogs-they warmly welcome them

By Andrea Stutzman

As seen in Napa Sonoma Magazine

Even dogs need a break from the monotony of the workweek. Instead of leaving your dog at home when you hit the wineries, why not bring her along? Many destinations have their own dogs and welcome your well-behaved pooches. Here are a few that are especially dog friendly.

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CLICK HERE - To Order your personal copy of Napa Sonoma Magazine

Additional Dog Friendly Articles:

Dog Friendly Wineries in Napa Valley

Kunde: Wag-Worthy Winery

Pet-Friendly Lodging in Wine Country

Ruff Hotels

By Courtney Cochran

Bucolic Anderson Valley is fast taking off as one of the nation's most buzz-worthy wine regions, but you wouldn't know it to wind among the valley's verdant vineyards, gently rolling hills and towering redwoods on twisting Highway 128. Situated some 75 miles north of San Francisco, the valley - home to show-stopping Pinot Noir and palate-quenching whites - exudes a peaceful serenity that seems diametrically opposed to its escalating notoriety. To see for yourself what all the (low-key) buzz is about, follow this itinerary for a rewarding day of wining and dining among the vines - Mendocino style.

Beringer's Rhine House restored

By Ethan Fletcher

As seen in Napa Sonoma Magazine

As the longest continually operating winery in the valley, Beringer Vineyards has a long history that is intertwined with Napa Valley's own. Which helps explain why the restoration of Beringer's Rhine House, built just eight years after the winery was founded in 1876, demanded such extensive care-and resources.

"This is a spectacular historic landmark," says Naomi Miroglio, the principal architect for Architectural Resources Group, the historical preservation specialists that led the restoration effort. "There is none other that has the artwork, the level of carving, the stained glass-all of it together-to the degree that this house has."

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By "The Sipping Savant"

In the Wine Country, hoisting a wine class for a toast as simple as "Cheers" is a regular occurrence, but at one Livermore Winery you almost feel as though that should be the name of the winery too!