Hoby Wedler, blind since birth, leads the popular “Tasting in the Dark” at Geyserville’s Francis Ford Coppola Winery, and he has plenty of tips for the sighted. The first tip?  Wedler tells his blindfolded group of tasters to become fully aware of the “distraction” of sight. He encourages them to [...]

Rock climber Kevin Jorgeson is now a household name in Wine Country, the local hero.   The man who free climbed the 3,000 foot Dawn Wall of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park will be sharing his photos in an exhibition this Sunday at Iron Horse Vineyards' Earth Day celebration [...]

In Day 2 of the Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge we will ferret out the best of the best, the sweepstakes winners, a selection from an initial pool of 1000-plus wines submitted to the contest. A perk for those of us judging was dinner last night at the Kosta [...]

For those looking for deals at $1.99 and up, the Grocery Outlet in Santa Rosa offers plenty to peruse. It has expanded its wine department and now has more than 500 labels. The Grocery Outlet is the latest to join the ranks of other area grocery stores who take wine [...]

Vintner Barry Collier lost his wife Sue in 2007, but he’s bottled her memory in Syrah du Soleil. This Thursday Collier will give a check for $10,000 to the Forbes Norris ALS Research Center in San Francisco. He’ll also pour the wine named after Sue which was responsible for raising [...]

Hamel Family Wines is hosting a dinner April 25 that will feature the caloric magic of five James Beard Award-winning chefs. If you’re wondering how to get a ticket to this decadent, six-course dinner at this sleek Sonoma winery, forget it. It was an auction lot and, I might add, [...]

One. But that rabbi comes with a whole lot of rules. A rabbi oversees the production of kosher wine to make sure they uphold Jewish dietary law. Most kosher wines require kosher ingredients, the use of rabbinically-certified equipment, and to be handled from vine to glass by Sabbath-observant Jews. For [...]

We know you’re living life on the run, but this Austrian grape varietal is definitely worth a minute of your time. While 30-plus grape varieties are grown in Austria, gruner veltliner is the one to keep your eye on. It’s the highest quality and Austrians devote the most vineyard acreage [...]

The winery made headlines in 2012 when it became the first tasting room in downtown Santa Rosa. But after nearly three years in Corrick’s Stationery Store on 4th St., the tasting room has new digs down the block in the Downtown Deli. Ancient Oak Cellars purchased the deli at 621 [...]

Rock climber Kevin Jorgeson is now a household name in Wine Country, the local hero. The man who free climbed the 3,000 foot Dawn Wall of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park will be asking you: “What is your Dawn Wall?” That is if you show up at the Earth [...]