Summertime, and the livin’ is…well, decidedly different than we all had expected. But the wines are excellent, and there’s no shortage of options, both tried-and-true and off-the-beaten path. In this week’s newsletter, our Buyers have joined forces to bring you a guide to beating the heat with the coolest of the cool summer wines on our shelves.
Read MoreJust in time for the 4th: our Domestic Newsletter! Domestic Buyers Ryan Woodhouse and Kaj Stromer talk old vines, new wines, and the bounty of good juice that lies in between.
Read MoreWith winemaker bona fides and access to some of the best fruit in the Willamette Valley, Hundred Suns’ limited-edition cuvées showcase the amazing juice coming out of Oregon these days—and they’re racking up critic scores to prove it. Made in micro-quantities with lots of love by Grant Coulter and Renée Saint-Amour, they’re wines to snatch up while we have them in stock. Our Magic 8-Ball says they won’t be around long!
Read MoreChalone Vineyard in Monterey County is a truly special place. We have a fantastic price on their 2016 Pinot, and it's worth stocking up by the case!
Read MoreWe’re tried and true West Coasters, here to celebrate the wines from the wonderful states that skirt the Great Pacific Ocean. Our Domestic Newsletter is chock full of amazing finds, and stories about the personalities behind them. There’s a whole lot of deliciousness inside.
Read MoreRecently, I had the opportunity to visit Beauregard Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Winemaker and Owner Ryan Beauregard pointed out that the best way to understand his wines is to see the place. And to his point, there is so much more to these wines than just aromas and flavors. Instead, they tell a story of time and place, history and character, woven together by the hands of a talented winemaker.
Read MoreIt’s that time of year that tends to fill us all with both nostalgia and optimism, when we reflect on our past year and peer into the future… and in our world that means we talk about booze! Here’s what the Hollywood staff chose for favorites of 2019 and predictions for 2020.
Read MoreOn this, the eve of the most American of holidays, Shelby ponders the most American of grapes: Zinfandel!
Read MoreThe Melville Winery has set the benchmark for silky, aromatic Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir during its 20+ years in the region. Chad Melville is the man behind the magic—son to the founder and both lead winegrower and winemaker. He spoke with me about their 2016 Estate Pinot, a wine that is always special, but that shines particularly brightly in the 2016 vintage, which also happened to be his first as lead winemaker.
Read MoreIf you’ve been following our social media, you might have noticed that one of our favorite women winemakers from France was out last week visiting California. Françoise Antech, the sixth-generation winemaker from her eponymous estate, was on a quick tour of California and managed to stop in all of our stores, holding three staff tastings and two public tastings. Her incredible energy and enthusiasm was absolutely infectious, and her knowledge and stories were a highlight of the week.
Read MoreI have always held the opinion that there is nothing quite like visiting a place to gather a deeper understanding of the wines that come from there. The experience of walking the land; feeling how it moves; seeing the weather change throughout a day; and using the rest of the senses to take in the surroundings is one that cannot be completely recreated in any form. So the fact that, on a recent trip to Santa Barbara with the team, we had the chance to stay on site at a vineyard, offered an experience unlike any other, and left a lasting impact on my understanding of the wines that come from Bien Nacido vineyard.
Read MoreTerroir geeks: can we talk? Soil, bedrock, micronutrients—it’s downright complicated unless you have a degree in geology. Am I right? Luckily the wine world has Brandon Sparks-Gillis, geologist, winemaker, Master of Wine candidate, cofounder of Dragonette in Santa Barbara County, and all-around great resource on wines and soils. Brandon indulged me all my nerdy soil questions about the special place that is Sta. Rita Hills.
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