Woody’s Whine
“Whose Bubbles are These?”
Writing from the edge of the Russian River in Sonoma County It has come to my tasting attention over the last year or so that a number of wineries known for their big reds and luscious whites are now featuring a sparkling wine when in…
“Mother Nature is a Winemaker” or How I learned to Love Wine from “Humid” and Hot Years
Writing from the edge of the Russian River in Sonoma County Loyal readers will recall that I featured Ms. Montse Reece, the head winemaker at Pedroncelli several months ago (WW- Wine by Land and Water- March 2019) and the gist of the conversation was all…
What if You Had Nine Brands but Nobody Knew Your Name?
Writing from the edge of the Russian River in Sonoma County Oak Ridge Winery patriarch Rudy Maggio is the classic immigrant success story; family emigrated from Italy and eventually to Lodi; at age 11 he joined his father in the packaged fruit business; in 1980…
What Does that Bottle Cost? Depends on Where You Live and Who Your Retailer Knows
Writing from the edge of the Russian River in Sonoma County Having lived most of my life in the highly competitive Chicago market I’ve always been able to find everything from tires to fresh mozzarella and of course wine and liquor in a store at…
Wine by Land and Water
Writing from the edge of the Russian River in Sonoma County This edition of the whine offers an interesting contrast of two noted local winemakers; one who uses the land in his approach to winemaking and one who I jokingly observe is making wine from…
Raves From a Special Bordeaux Vintage and Two Valentines Recipes
Writing from the edge of the Russian River in Sonoma With the 2018 harvest all safely in tanks and barrels wine makers and their staffs are on vacations or at least on short weeks as the whole process starts again soon with pruning and field…
A Little Beer, Lots of Wine and A Tenderloin
Writing from the edge of the Russian River in Sonoma As you craft your drinking and dining plans for the last two big holidays of the year I offer you some thoughts on what beer you may want to consider , a report on the…
Notes from a Bountiful Harvest, Napa Has Issues and Lots and Lots of Wine Notes
Writing from the edge of the Russian River in Sonoma It’s early in November and this is a bonus issue giving you plenty of time to sample many of the wines I’ve recommended for your holiday enjoyment as well time to try some of the…
News of the Crush, Costco Liquor, Big Mac Sliders and Lagunitas Layoffs
Writing from the edge of the Russian River in Sonoma County I’ve seen, heard and cooked a lot in the past few weeks and wanted to share with you what I’ve learned and eaten. We are surrounded by the grape harvest that is in full swing…
And the Winner is…
Writing from the edge of the Russian River in Sonoma County Actually loyal readers I have two winners to report on in what is a unique situation for this edition of the Whine. You hopefully will recall that the last addition of Woody’s Whine was…