Flowers, chocolate and bubbly. Somehow Valentine’s Day has a marketing hold on all three. The history of Valentine’s Day is slightly hazy, though mid-February as time of romance dates back to Pagan festivals in ancient Rome. In the 5th century, however, the Pope declared February 14th as St. Valenti... [More]

Leaving Madrid on a Southbound train, Europe's highest capital city scales down to scattered suburbs before disappearing entirely. Olive trees step in and take the place of buildings. Beautiful and then monotonous, the scenery is one continuous stream of thousands of olive trees on thousands of whit... [More]

100 wineries plus one 110-pound woman equals one enormous challenge.  Wednesday night oenophiles packed the Galleria at the San Francisco Design Center for the 6th Annual Wine & Spirits Top 100 Wineries event.  I wish I could say I tried everything, but with so many wines, I am asham... [More]

 Lately I’ve been craving Syrah for two simple reasons: It pairs well with hearty meals and, best of all, it costs much less than other popular varietals. With so many options for wine lovers out there, one question I get from time to time is,  'what is the difference between S... [More]

Does reading a German Riesling label leave you scratching your head and running for the beer aisle? Too much information on a label can be daunting especially when the words are in German. What the heck does “Kabinett” mean anyway?  Thankfully, there is a method to the madnes... [More]