Food and wine pairings are all the rage…and why not, it’s a fun adventure with your taste buds. We were recently invited over to our friend Lisa Pretty’s (owner of Pretty-Smith Winery and "Eat This With..." Cookbook) house to help her with some “research” for her next food and … [Read more...]
Enjoying Life at C&R with Andy, the Cigar Man
At Crush and Roll West 2011, we had the opportunity to sit down with Andy Scharfman, otherwise known as "The Cigar Man Andy". We first met him a while back at a cigar event and what we noticed about him and appreciated was his passion and knowledge of cigars. The Crush and Roll … [Read more...]
Wine & Beef – Caliza Syrah & Filet Mignon
Have you ever had one of those moments when the food and wine just happen to sing together? We've had a few of these, and make no mistake; there's been plenty of times when the wine and food are good together, but sometimes there's a standout pairing! This was one of those … [Read more...]
Getting Dirty in the Vineyard!
We love getting out in to the vineyards and learning more about the farming side of winemaking! Guillaume Fabre of Clos Solene invited us out to the Russell Family Vineyard, where he has several rows of his own vines, to see one of the very important pieces of the puzzle to … [Read more...]
How Do You Gauge Your Pinot???
If there ever was a complicated and intriguing wine, it's Pinot Noir! It's been said that Pinots have the broadest range of noses and palate qualities of any wine. It's also been said that if you happen to fancy Pinot Noir, that you've come to have one of the most expensive … [Read more...]
Sarah Palin & Robert Parker on The Chardonnay Symposium [cartoon]
We're attending the Chardonnay Symposium 2011 at Byron Winery in Santa Maria this month and wanted to hear what Sarah and Robert had to say about it. We hired these actors to play Sarah and Robert, and it's all in good fun! Related articles Oaked and/or unoaked Chardonnay: … [Read more...]
Wine is a Feeling, Wine is What YOU Make it
Wine creates a feeling. It’s more than just a beverage…it’s more than just a glass of juice…it’s an experience, but only if you let it be. Seriously, how many times have you been out and about socially and had a conversation about how interesting Bud Light is? When have you … [Read more...]
How to Enjoy Wine…Among Other Things
Certain situations call for certain wines. Not in the mood for wine? No problem, some situations call for other "stuff". The moral of the story is to sit back, enjoy life, appreciate the ones your with, and make the most of every moment! Here we go...in no particular … [Read more...]
Hey…What's Your Favorite Wine?
We've been talking a lot about specific wines lately. More specifically, what our current favorite varieties of wine are. For Annie, it's anything big, juicy, and red! A big, fruity Petite Sirah that brings about thoughts of baked blueberry cobbler or warm cinnamon bread. … [Read more...]
World of Pinot Noir Closing Thoughts
We showed up, we drank Pinot Noir, and we left! Isn't that what you're supposed to do at an Event like this? An event where you have a huge outdoor tent filled with some of the best Pinot Noir producers from our area and beyond, brunch snacks, and a bunch of pinot-philes like … [Read more...]