Passing somewhere through the windy channel that runs between Cuba and Haiti, Lisa and I went below deck to take part in a wine tasting at sea. It was an elegant affair, even if we didn’t understand more than a few words from our English-challenged host/teacher (and I confess… my Italian is equally weak). It was all good though […]

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About five miles south of Corvallis, Oregon on a stretch of country road aptly named Greenberry, we happened on serendipity. No, that’s not the name of some quaint out-of-the-way hamlet, but the unexpected warm fuzzy feeling that rolled over Lisa and I upon discovering Tyee Wine Cellars. On the tail end of a day consumed by yard work and a rather forgetable visit to downtown wine cellar, Tyee was […]

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Hang around winemakers, tasting room managers, and other enthusiasts long enough, and you are bound to hear them talk sense. In this case, I refer to the five senses, particularly olfaction and gustation. While I do like to gaze at a nice inky glass of red, smell and taste are such a big part of the wine tasting ritual that […]

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I recently caught up with local celebrity Caprial Pence. An award-winning chef, Caprial is talented enough in the kitchen that none other than Julia Child invited her to cook at her 80th birthday party after tasting the bold, simple flavors of her cuisine. Pence, who co-hosts the OPB television series Caprial and John’s Kitchen: Cooking for Family and […]

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All right. My sense of smell is coming around. Tonight we uncorked a bottle of Springhill Cellars 2003 Willamette Valley, McClain Vineyard, Pinot Noir with friends Joseph and Ann. While I wasn’t able detect any notes of tumbleweed or barbecued meat, a few extra seconds hovering around my taste buds really brought out the wine’s oak and smokey flavors. The Pinot was so […]

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It’s pushing 90°F today, and I feel compelled to warn my four loyal subcribers to drink plenty of liquid. No, not wine like a dear friend of mine enthusiastically imbibed a few weeks ago. “Wilst” working on the grounds outside his estate, he reports, his wife brought him a nice chilly glass of Pinot Gris.
Apparently, the […]

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