VinItaly 2008 In search of a traditional style Turasi Robert Rogness of the Wine Expo (A Santa Monica based wine shop) gets into a discussion of the nature of wine making traditions and how the market forces are putting some of the most notable wines under pressure to lose their unique qualities.

On February 24, 2008 we went on an interesting excursion out of San Francisco: an ecologically friendly bio-diesel powered van from Incredible Adventures whisked us off to the outlying areas north of San Francisco. After our first stop at Muir Woods to admire the giant redwoods we embarked on our tour to wine country. Through the rain we drove north into the Sonoma Valley, one of the two world-famous wine-making areas north of San Francisco. The other, even more famous wine-making area, is the adjacent Napa Valley.

The Sonoma Valley is actually the birthplace of the Californian wine industry and encompasses 13,000 acres of parkland. Before lunch we stopped at two wineries, Roche and Homewood Wineries, where we got to taste a whole variety of red and white wines and even some local olives and olive oils. For lunch we stopped off on the main square of Sonoma where my friend and I grabbed a tasty lunch at the Basque Café.

After lunch we headed into the Castle Winery just off Sonoma’s main square that surprised us with a sweet sherry and a delicious sherry chocolate sauce. Our last stop on this excursion were the Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyards which produce world-class award-winning sparkling wines as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Ferrer family’s involvement with sparkling wine goes back several centuries in Catalonia, Spain, and their most famous product is Freixenet, a world famous sparkling wine made according to the méthode champenoise.

Properly educated about wine and definitely in a much lighter mood after all these tastings, we started heading back to the city. The atmosphere in the van was downright giggly. Michelle stopped at a lookout point overlooking the northern terminus of the bridge which provided us with an excellent view, despite the cold winds and the grey and rainy skies.

At the end of our excursion, we got conveniently dropped off on the doorsteps of our hotel, the Queen Anne, and after recovering for a bit, we took the 22 bus and went for a nice dinner to Tangerine SF, a beautiful restaurant that features Pan Asian cuisine, located in the SoMa district of San Francisco. After a great filling dinner and a long conversation with the owners Steve and Sean we walked all the way back to our hotel on Fillmore Street, a pleasant 45 minute walk through beautiful Victorian neighbourhoods.

On February 24, 2008 we went on an interesting excursion out of San Francisco: an ecologically friendly bio-diesel powered van from Incredible Adventures whisked us off to the outlying areas north of San Francisco. After our first stop at Muir Woods to admire the giant redwoods we embarked on our tour to wine country. Through the rain we drove north into the Sonoma Valley, one of the two world-famous wine-making areas north of San Francisco. The other, even more famous wine-making area, is the adjacent Napa Valley.

The Sonoma Valley is actually the birthplace of the Californian wine industry and encompasses 13,000 acres of parkland. Before lunch we stopped at two wineries, Roche and Homewood Wineries, where we got to taste a whole variety of red and white wines and even some local olives and olive oils. For lunch we stopped off on the main square of Sonoma where my friend and I grabbed a tasty lunch at the Basque Café.

After lunch we headed into the Castle Winery just off Sonoma’s main square that surprised us with a sweet sherry and a delicious sherry chocolate sauce. Our last stop on this excursion were the Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyards which produce world-class award-winning sparkling wines as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Ferrer family’s involvement with sparkling wine goes back several centuries in Catalonia, Spain, and their most famous product is Freixenet, a world famous sparkling wine made according to the méthode champenoise.

Properly educated about wine and definitely in a much lighter mood after all these tastings, we started heading back to the city. The atmosphere in the van was downright giggly. Michelle stopped at a lookout point overlooking the northern terminus of the bridge which provided us with an excellent view, despite the cold winds and the grey and rainy skies.

At the end of our excursion, we got conveniently dropped off on the doorsteps of our hotel, the Queen Anne, and after recovering for a bit, we took the 22 bus and went for a nice dinner to Tangerine SF, a beautiful restaurant that features Pan Asian cuisine, located in the SoMa district of San Francisco. After a great filling dinner and a long conversation with the owners Steve and Sean we walked all the way back to our hotel on Fillmore Street, a pleasant 45 minute walk through beautiful Victorian neighbourhoods.

You have just found a Great Italian that you can take home, enjoy and be proud to share with friends. Look no futher; this 2005 Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon from Montalcino Italy is affordable and is a great wine for prime rib, pot roast, pasta or fresh salmon. This is not a wine that you need to save two or three pay checks to buy. You can get a case for under $100. But don’t buy a case until you try one bottle to make sure that it meets with your approval.

Tags: wine glasses, wine coolers, vintage wines, sparkling wines, wine cellars, wine racks, wine accessories, white wines, champagne, wine gifts

If you decide to get serious about your wine education, go to your local series of regular tasting events in your area. Many cities and municipalities have them. Watch local newspaper, periodicals, television and radio advertisements postings for information and scheduling of these events. At these tasting events you’ll pick up tips and facts about wine, encompass, comparisons of styles and grape varieties and how to taste and spot quality.

Tags: wine racks, champagne, white wines, wine coolers, sparkling wines, wine accessories, wine gifts, red wines, wine glasses, vintage wines

On February 24, 2008 we went on an interesting excursion out of San Francisco: an ecologically friendly bio-diesel powered van from Incredible Adventures whisked us off to the outlying areas north of San Francisco. After our first stop at Muir Woods to admire the giant redwoods we embarked on our tour to wine country. Through the rain we drove north into the Sonoma Valley, one of the two world-famous wine-making areas north of San Francisco. The other, even more famous wine-making area, is the adjacent Napa Valley.

The Sonoma Valley is actually the birthplace of the Californian wine industry and encompasses 13,000 acres of parkland. Before lunch we stopped at two wineries, Roche and Homewood Wineries, where we got to taste a whole variety of red and white wines and even some local olives and olive oils. For lunch we stopped off on the main square of Sonoma where my friend and I grabbed a tasty lunch at the Basque Café.

After lunch we headed into the Castle Winery just off Sonoma’s main square that surprised us with a sweet sherry and a delicious sherry chocolate sauce. Our last stop on this excursion were the Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyards which produce world-class award-winning sparkling wines as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Ferrer family’s involvement with sparkling wine goes back several centuries in Catalonia, Spain, and their most famous product is Freixenet, a world famous sparkling wine made according to the méthode champenoise.

Properly educated about wine and definitely in a much lighter mood after all these tastings, we started heading back to the city. The atmosphere in the van was downright giggly. Michelle stopped at a lookout point overlooking the northern terminus of the bridge which provided us with an excellent view, despite the cold winds and the grey and rainy skies.

At the end of our excursion, we got conveniently dropped off on the doorsteps of our hotel, the Queen Anne, and after recovering for a bit, we took the 22 bus and went for a nice dinner to Tangerine SF, a beautiful restaurant that features Pan Asian cuisine, located in the SoMa district of San Francisco. After a great filling dinner and a long conversation with the owners Steve and Sean we walked all the way back to our hotel on Fillmore Street, a pleasant 45 minute walk through beautiful Victorian neighbourhoods.

We have on offer here daily bargain deals on top quality vintage wines for you to choose from.

OAK WINE BARREL BEST SEEN GREAT FOR BAR VINTAGE ANTIQUE US $161.87 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 14:35:06 PST Bid now |

2000 FREEMARK ABBEY NAPA VALLEY BOSCHE ESTATE CAB US $77.76 End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 15:30:05 PST Buy it now |

2000 Fonseca Vintage Porto - 95 pts! WA - 95 pts! ST - US $49.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 16:01:14 PST Bid now |

3 BTLS 2005 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine WS 92 US $225.00 (16 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:00:00 PST Bid now |

2005 Realm Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer RP & WS 93 US $62.99 (9 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:01:00 PST Bid now |

2004 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Red Wine US $31.00 (10 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:02:00 PST Bid now |

NV Veuve Clicquot Brut Rosé Champagne US $46.00 (9 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:03:00 PST Bid now |

2001 Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino WS 96 US $54.99 (7 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:04:00 PST Bid now |

1999 Domaine Laurent Nuit St Georges Les Bousselots US $30.05 (5 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:04:47 PST Bid now |

3-BTLS 2005 Goldeneye Pinot Noir Red Wine WS 92-375 ml US $38.01 (8 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:04:48 PST Bid now |

2006 Mitolo Shiraz G.A.M RP 95 Red Wine US $33.26 (4 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:04:50 PST Bid now |

1986 Chateau Latour Bordeaux Red Wine (Pristine) US $297.50 (22 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:05:00 PST Bid now |

2000 Joseph Phelps Insignia Proprietary Red Wine WS 92 US $86.05 (13 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:06:00 PST Bid now |

1989 Chateau Pontet-Canet Bordeaux Red Wine (Pristine) US $41.33 (4 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:07:02 PST Bid now |

2000 Frescobaldi Lamaione Red Wine RP-WS 92 US $26.05 (4 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:07:03 PST Bid now |

2001 Chateau Leoville-Poyferre Bordeaux Red Wine US $47.33 (9 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:07:04 PST Bid now |

2003 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Wine US $41.00 (5 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:07:05 PST Bid now |

1995 Pahlmeyer Merlot Napa Valley Red Wine RP 94 US $76.99 (6 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:09:33 PST Bid now |

1996 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine WS 91 US $70.00 (8 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:09:34 PST Bid now |

1988 Chateau Pape Clement Bordeaux Red Wine RP 92 US $51.00 (6 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:09:35 PST Bid now |

2003 Two Hands Shiraz Padthaway Sophie's Garden WS 91 US $27.05 (5 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:12:39 PST Bid now |

2000 Moris Farms Maremma Toscana Avvoltore WS 91 US $19.50 (4 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:12:39 PST Bid now |

1991 Dominus Proprietary Red Wine US $279.00 End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:12:39 PST Buy it now |

2004 Celler del Pont Lo Givot Red Wine RP 94 US $30.05 (4 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:12:40 PST Bid now |

1998 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Red Wine WS 96 US $133.50 (7 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:12:40 PST Bid now |

2002 Revana Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon RP 91 US $21.50 (5 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:12:40 PST Bid now |

1983 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon Bosche Estate US $35.05 (7 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:12:42 PST Bid now |

2003 W.H. Smith Pinot Noir Hellenthal Vineyards WS 96 US $50.99 (5 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:12:43 PST Bid now |

2003 Mitolo Shiraz Savitar Red Wine US $41.00 (5 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:15:17 PST Bid now |

2001 L'Aventure Winery Optimus Red Wine RP 94 US $28.05 (6 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:15:17 PST Bid now |

1997 BV Tapestry Reserve Napa Proprietary Wine WS 94 US $62.00 (8 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:15:17 PST Bid now |

2001 La Spinetta Barbera d'Asti Superior Red Wine RP 93 US $20.55 (4 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:15:18 PST Bid now |

2001 Rotllan Torra Amadis Red Wine RP 93-95 US $26.05 (5 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:15:18 PST Bid now |

1991 Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reser US $61.00 (5 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:15:19 PST Bid now |

1984 Dominus Proprietary Red Wine RP 92 (Pristine) US $72.00 (5 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:15:20 PST Bid now |

2002 Glaymond Landrace Syrah Barossa Valley Wine RP 96 US $27.99 (4 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:15:20 PST Bid now |

2000 Piaggia Carmignano Riserva Red Wine RP 94 US $29.05 (5 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:15:20 PST Bid now |

2002 MARILYN MONROE MERLOT WINE US $41.00 (11 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 19:00:00 PST Bid now |

CHATEAU LA LAGUNE BORDEAUX WINE....................1990 US $50.00 (11 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 19:29:00 PST Bid now |

MONDAVI RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON WINE............1982 US $73.00 (3 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 19:29:00 PST Bid now |

DIAMOND CREEK GRAVELLY MEADOW CABERNET WINE........1988 US $51.00 (5 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 19:29:00 PST Bid now |

1999 Chris Ringland Shiraz 750ml Red Wine OWC 98 RP!!! US $300.00 (4 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 20:42:32 PST Bid now |

2006 MARILYN MERLOT MONROE Red Wine US $29.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Nov-21-2008 9:06:22 PST Bid now | Buy it now |

Wine rack organisers - Vin Tags 20 pks, 50 tags pp US $45.51 End Date: Friday Nov-21-2008 12:37:07 PST Buy it now |

2000 Fonseca Vintage Port Wine - 95 pts WA -95 pts ST - US $49.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Nov-21-2008 14:08:32 PST Bid now |

2000 Fonseca Vintage Port Wine - 95 pts WA - 95 pts ST US $49.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Nov-21-2008 14:44:12 PST Bid now |

2000 Fonseca Vintage Port Wine 95 pts WA - 95 pts ST US $49.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Nov-21-2008 14:44:16 PST