The Resurgence of Rosé
Rosé wine has a long and storied history, soaring and plunging in popularity over the decades. Of late, rosé wine is enjoying a resurgence as wine makers produce a “not your parents’ rosé” in tune with modern trends.
Mineral Wines Impresses Again
It was a roasting-hot Fathers’ Day in Murphys and we had just completed a fun tasting at Gossamer Cellars. Our enthusiasm for wine tasting was still quite high, but our appetite for walking great distances in the triple-digit temperatures was low. Great news: one of our favorite tasting rooms was mere feet away. Mineral Wines, it was meant to be!
Gossamer Cellars Keeps It Cool
Summer in Murphys is not for the faint of heart. Some days bring a new meaning to the chestnut, “It’s a dry heat.” With the temperature passing 100 degrees before lunch, we knew that we needed to be very focused with our wine tour. With only a few hours before it would be too hot even for wine tasting, we went to some favorites, like Gossamer Cellars.
Roadtripping for Rosé at Almendra Winery and Distillery
It’s wedding season, which means it’s time to spend way too much money on Nordstorm.com, jockey for the most unique items on the registry, and hit the road. Recently, our friends got married in Chico, CA, where they both attended college. Chico has a bit of a reputation preceding it for partying hard, but we wanted to actually make it to the wedding, so we decided to be real adults and go the wine tasting route instead.
New Releases from Ayrael Vieux
The road into Murphys is lined with wineries, each trying to distract visitors from their quest for the tasting rooms of downtown Murphys. One winery that should not be passed is Ayrael Vieux. Don’t worry, Murphys will still be there when you’re done!
Upcoming: Taste Our Terroir 2017
An annual highlight of the Livermore Valley wine scene is the annual Taste Our Terroir weekend. Great news: it is time to choose your events for this year’s celebration! Here is what is just around the corner.
Four Winds Cellars on a Summer Day
A trip to Murphys for a summer concert was the perfect excuse to visit some of our favorite area wineries. At the top of our list was a favorite that we had loved when we visited a few years ago: Four Winds Cellars. Could the second visit be as amazing as the first?
A Weekend Adventure in Monterey
When you live in the Bay Area, it’s all too easy to check the weather, scan your Hotels Tonight app, and road trip for a staycation in any of the magical cities nearby. This particular weekend, Monterey was calling our name, with temps reaching the 80’s!
Happy National Rosé Day!
“Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.” was written by Gertrude Stein. Most people think that she was talking about a flower. Today, however, it is appropriate to assume that, instead, she was referring to the most subtle and nuanced of wines, the rosé. That’s right, wine lovers, today is National Rosé Day!
Tasting New European Wines with the APVSA
Tasting a new wine is an exciting experience. Tasting new wines from two dozen new wineries can be mind-blowing! When the Association pour la Promotion des Vins et Spiritueux en Amérique du nord invited us to just such an experience, our response was an enthusiastic “Certainement!”
Fenestra’s Spring Fling
The wine tasting season of 2017 has begun! Nearly every weekend offers kickoff tastings at nearby wineries, many times adding food and live music to the already attractive new wine releases. This weekend was Fenestra’s Spring Fling. Here is a quick glimpse of their event!
Upcoming Events
Many wineries in Livermore through Jul 23 An annual highlight of the Livermore Valley wine scene is the annual Taste Our Terroir weekend. This year, there are 13 different events between July 21st and the 24th, each striving for your attention. The centerpiece event is the food and wine pairing competition at Casa Real on Thursday night. Twenty local winemakers and chefs are paired to present their very best food and wine pairings. There is much more to enjoy during the Taste Our Terroir weekend. There are a dozen more events from which to choose, all following the food and wine competition. Learn about wine from Livermore icons like Karl Wente, John Concannon and Earl Ault. Study pickling, cooking techniques, or the Livermore terroir with experts. Still hungry? Have lunch in the garden, a lobster boil, or a progressive dinner spanning three wineries. Then you can wrap up the weekend with an in-depth exploration of Port. So many choices!Click here for more info |
Twisted Oak Winery in Murphys This Saturday July 22nd at 7:45pm please welcome back to our cool hilltop the coolest Gypsy Jazz combo, the John Jorgenson Quintet! What is Gypsy Jazz? It's a style of jazz said to have been started by the legendary Django Reinhardt back in the 1930s, and includes fast rhythms and wicked guitar licks. Grammy-award winning Gypsy jazz guitarist John Jorgenson is a ninja master of the genre, as is the rest of the Quintet (technically a quartet, but I digress). Believe you me! All that, and a delicious BBQ rib dinner and yummy wines available for purchase. It all adds up to a fun time and a great weekend excursion up to the winery in Vallecito!Click here for more info |
| Jul 23 |
Bluxome Street in San Francisco Sunday Game Day Brunch July 23 11am to 3pm Join us at the winery on Giants' home game Sundays from 11am to 3pm this summer! We've teamed up with the folks at Fine & Rare to offer a can't-miss brunch, wine cocktails, and a selection of Bluxome favorites. Whether you are tailgating here before heading to the game, or watching it at the winery with us, it's sure to be a fine time in the neighborhood! |
| Jul 26 |
Concannon Vineyard in Livermore IT'S IN THE SAUCE: PAIRING WINE WITH PIZZa Wednesday, July 26th | 6:00pm-8:00pm Take this culinary favorite to the next level! This fun, “pizza party†class involves tasting pizza with different seasonal and gourmet toppings along with a comprehensive lesson in what creates a complimentary pairing. Taste six wines and learn in detail about the breadth and flexibility of pizza and wine pairings. After tasting these samples, you will make your own personal pizza and create your perfect pairing! Pricing: Visitors: $70 | Members: $60 |
McKahn Family Cellars in Livermore McKahn Family Cellars will be hosting our first Wine Wednesday on July 26th from 5pm - 8pm. Besides our regular tastings, we will have wines available for purchase by the glass or bottle. Our musical guest will be Mark Clarin, winemaker for McGrail Vineyards and one third of the band The Bacchus Brothers. Smokin' Hot Meats & Treats will be selling their superb BBQ! Join us for a great time! |
| Jul 27 |
R&B Cellars in Richmond Join us on Thursday, July 27th for our next Paint & Sip! Allow our friends from Pinot's Palette Alameda to lead you step-by-step in creating your own beautiful masterpiece. This painting is called "Twilight-Paradise." You can't go wrong! Everyone ends up with an amazing painting, whether or not you've had previous experience. It's such a lot of fun!! Tickets are $45 Wine club members - Your first glass is complimentary. Note: The class starts promptly at 7pm, so allow time to get your wine and/or food beforehand. There will be a bar set up next to the class. All you have to do is raise your hand and we'll get you more wine. :-)Click here for more info |
| Jul 29 |
Ayrael Vieux in Murphys Ayrael Vieux will be hosting a FREE concert on Saturday, July 29th with the award-winning Thalea String Quartet, Bear Valley Music Festival's 2017 quartet-in-residence. String Quartet The event will feature wood-fired pizzas from 3:00-4:00pm and the concert will commence at 4:00pm. Come early, tour the vineyard and property, and taste the new releases, including the 2016 Rose and 2015 Vineyard, with wine sales by the glass and special case prices! Thalea String Quartet |Saturday, July 29th | 3pm |
| Jul 30 |
R&B Cellars in Richmond Oyster Sunday!! Sunday, July 30th from 1-4pm $10 ticket gets you 2 oysters and a glass of select wine or cider. Day of, everything is al la carte: Raw on-the-half-shell - $2 Grilled with pesto parmesan - $2.50 Wines by-the-glass as listed on wine menu Click here for more info |