Over the course of the past three years, I have made a concentrated effort to pair wines largely from family-owned wineries in Napa Valley with quality cuisine that is casually manageable in the home kitchen.  This is the heartbeat of the culture of California cuisine and California wine.  The two go hand in hand, […]

  September in Napa Valley marks the start of harvest.   Not all grapes are harvested at the same time as different varietals ripen at various stages.  Similarly, depending on where you are in Napa Valley, its varying geography and microclimates determine ripening.   Even those with backyard gardens are harvesting vegetables such as heirloom tomatoes.   If […]

The 4th of July holiday weekend brought hot, dry weather to Napa Valley.  Folks slowly motored up and down Highway 29, taking in the beauty of the valley itself and wandering into wineries on whim.   While the crowds filled houses known for its Cabernet Sauvignon or feisty Zinfandel, with the sun baking the valley floor […]

While the rest of the nation has been enduring waves of high heat, the Bay Area and Napa Valley have been subjected to unseasonable weather with colder than average temperatures and precipitation ranging from rain to hail.   Even though in other parts of the country a summer rain storm might be welcome, the Bay Area […]

We lost:  only in the very limited sense, however, in that we did not receive a shiny medal from Hall Winery and that none of the proceeds would go directly to my team’s chosen Napa Valley non-profit, the Napa Valley Opera House.   So, in what sense did we win? By simply participating, we helped our […]