Grape Destinations: Why Blend Wine?
On a very special edition of Grape Destinations, we learn the ins and outs of wine blending from an industry professional. It really is an art. Using years of experience through analysis and countless tasting trials we work to perfect the best end result, which is a real tasty wine! Typic
Grape Destinations: The Wines of Nova Scotia
This year my husband and I had the pleasure of traveling to the Northern Atlantic coast to visit the Canadian maritime province of Nova Scotia. One thing I was pleasantly surprised to discover was how Nova Scotia is a well-hidden wine country! Even though wine from this wind-swept area o
Grape Destinations: What is Port Wine?
Port, when used in the context of a cruise ship, usually refers to the left side of the vessel. However, when in the dining room of that very same cruise ship, port becomes something very different. In the Douro region of Northern Portugal, you’ll find thick bunches of touriga and tinta grapes cas
Grape Destinations: Have You Heard of Anderson Valley?
Napa Valley is easily the most famous wine-making region in California and probably the United States as a whole. The region’s fame and considerable fortune in the winemaking industry are renowned, but it’s not the only place in California where grapes are pressed into Decanter Awards. Just 100
Grape Destinations: A View From The Top (Of a Fermentation Tank)
Being in the wine business certainly has its perks. One such perk, “Harvest intern” for a week in beautiful Napa Valley, California. In late September 2016, for the second vintage in a row, I worked side by side with the owners, wine makers, cellar masters and other interns at Amici Cellars, a p
Grape Destinations: a Taste of Oregon’s Vino History
Driving through Dundee, you have to look somewhat carefully to see the history. Many of the oldest structures have been replaced by newer ones. But if you’re observant, you’ll notice a quaint little house just off of route 99. This building, built in 1840, has housed the Post Office, been ho
Grape Destinations: The Willamette Winemakers
The thick, weathered vines at Sokol Blosser attest to the decades that have passed since the rootstocks were first planted. It’s almost as if the vines are supporting the trellises and not the other way around. These days, it’s hard to believe that the vines were once small, timid, and so reli
Theme Cruise: Grape Expectations
By Judi Cuervo It’s 10:30 a.m. and I’m at the 20-acre Mt. Hood Winery, Oregon’s 2016 Winery of the Year. In the glass before me is a gold medal–winning 2015 Estate Pinot Noir that bears aromas of ripe cherry, pomegranate, and raspberry accented by subtle cedar overtones. I swirl. I sniff. I
