The lengths that some people will go to for a taste of wine. Sometimes it’s even worth it. Such was the case when I finally reached Tahoe Ridge Winery on a blazing hot summer afternoon.
Tahoe Ridge is anamoly, a wine oasis backed into a crease in the Sierra Nevada Mountains by high desert country. After a […]

Continue reading “Nevada’s Breakthrough Winery: Tahoe Ridge” »

Why the dearth of posts? My wife Lisa and I gave up wine for Lent (a 40-day period of penitence and fasting). I imagine that when Easter comes along, there will be a big celebration at our house. We may literally “Roll Out the Barrel”.
I wonder if this is a unmatched feat in the world […]

Continue reading “40 Days and 40 Nights” »

Australian wines are as hot as the country’s blistering Outback, at least if you believe the media. Everywhere I turn (when it comes to wine press), someone is touting products from the Land Down Under.
So it figures that if so many people are falling for Aussie reds and whites, they must be on to something. Well, I recently set […]

Continue reading “From Down Under to Top of My List: Trail of a [yellow tail]” »

If you ever find your tummy rumbling as you approach Albany, Oregon, a medium-sized mill town in the Willamette Valley, make a beeline for exit 233 on I-5. Follow your nose to Novak’s Hungarian Restaurant. Better yet, plan ahead. At www.mapquest.com, plug in your starting point, then enter 2306 Heritage Way SE, Albany, OR 97321 into the destination field. […]

Continue reading “Hungarian Bull’s Blood” »

After a few months’ hiatus and a web site makeover, I’m happy to relaunch to WineMemoirs.com. My friends Matt and John at the Creative Center in Wilsonville, Oregon (www.creativecenter.com) put a fresh new face on this blog, one that we’ll continue to enhance with new bells and whistles; however, since the site is now built using more sophisticated […]

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As a journalist, you’re always hunting for interesting topics to write about. If it interests you, then there is a reasonably good chance it will appeal to at least a segment of your readers.
It’s amazing to me that fermented grape juice generates so much interest, but I’m caught up in it too. There is some kind of mystique about wine that […]

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Whether you’re headed to the computer, the store, or out to dinner tonight, there are plenty of options available to help you find the right wine for practically any occasion. My “lucky seven” sources, listed below, are just a few of the many resources available to help guide your selection.1. Knowledgeable family, friends, and acquaintances. […]

Continue reading “Find Wine? Where to Turn for a Good Recommendation” »

There we sat, perched on a patio a stone’s throw from the inviting aquamarine edge of Lake Tahoe: Uncle Mike, Aunt Cindy, hard-partying “Uncle” Wayne, and a cast of other characters, including my God Son “Smilin’ Jack” Pasha. Actually, Jack was crawling, and not from drinking too much wine; he’s a happy-go-lucky 11-month-old who prefers gnawing on blueberries and chugging […]

Continue reading “Tahoe Tavern and Truckee Tasting” »

Is it just me or is there something twisted about the union of the screw-cap and wine bottle?For the past several years, the wine media has faithfully covered and taken part in the cork versus cap debate. The July Issue of Wine Spectator magazine includes an article titled “Screw Caps Gain Acceptance.” The story relates that a 2005 poll conducted by WS […]

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Isn’t it great when everything comes together at a restaurant? Good friends, good food, and fine wine to match. It doesn’t always happen that way, but it did last night at Jake’s Famous Crawfish, a 115-year-old restaurant in the heart of downtown Portland, Oregon (www.jakesfamouscrawfish.com). Though I regularly write about restaurants for Main Ingredient magazine, I had never […]

Continue reading “A Night to Remember” »