Cheese + Wine = Perfection

In my opinion the one combination that never fails to get old is cheese and wine. This combination is beyond a doubt one of the best delicacies in life if you can pair the two correctly. Sadly I believe finding wonderful cheese at a decent price is definitely more difficult than finding wonderful wine at a decent price.

Recently, while spending the day in downtown Sonoma with a co-worker I was introduced to a cute little cheese and wine shop titled The Epicurean Connection. Not only was the environment friendly and inviting but the staff was quite helpful! This shop offered great wines, tasty lunch options, cute trinkets and best of all phenomenal cheese! To top it off everything was decently priced! I will definitely revisit this lovely shop the next time I am looking for great cheese! The staff will even let you sample each cheese to find the right pair for your wine.

Next time you are in Napa be sure to check this gem out!

http://www.theepicureanconnection.com

Garnet 2010 Pinot Noir

Tonight I opened a bottle of Garnet Pinot Noir to end the week of perfectly. This a wonderful wine with a lovely cherry aroma and taste. Their is no dryness or overwhelming oak taste to this wine which lets it flow down quite smoothly. It has a 100% silky taste which leads to finsihing your glass quite quickly. In my opinion I think this is a wonderful wine for a great price! At only 15 dollars a bottle at your local Bevmo this wine will not disappoint. This wine will pair well with many things from Chinese to fish. Or if you are like me and want to wind down the week on a good night, this does just the trick. I give props to Alison Crowe for her wonderful winemaking skills! This wine is definitely one I would recommend and look forward to buying my next bottle!

Check out their website! http://www.garnetvineyards.com

Southern France

This past summer I spent a few weeks traveling through southern France along the Rhone River with my grandmother. We took a cruise that explored all aspects of France but focused mainly on wine. Before my trip, I found myself intrigued by wine and the industry, but thought nothing more of it than another product made in the United States. After traveling to France and experiencing wine in a whole new light I became not only intrigued but also fascinated.  In France I saw how wine was a part of the daily culture, the atmosphere, and all aspects of living. We visited many wineries, big to small and I was able to view the major differences in the production of wine in the United States, and the production of wine in France. At the time I did not know a lot about wine but being in the presence of wine and wine enthusiast's it allowed me to catch on quickly and learn more than I could have ever dreamed. In my opinion I think the most intriguing part about wine is sitting down at a table with a group of people of different backgrounds, stories and life experiences and opening a bottle with them. It is amazing how each person has something different to say, and how just tasting a glass of wine can lead to so many different conversations. My trip to France was the trip of a lifetime and I can not wait to explore other countries and their wine.

Facebook??

Over the past two or three years Facebook has become more than just a social networking sight for acquaintances and family. Facebook is now a great marketing source for most companies and plays a major role in advertisement for all local businesses. Although the wine industry has always been a little behind on the newest marketing strategies, most wineries now have their own Facebook profile which are updated quite frequently.

One of the biggest suggestions I can make to the wine connoisseurs out their is to add your favorite wineries and wineries of interest to your Facebook friend list. By doing this you will be updated with all of the local events taking place, new wines being released, price cuts and so much more!

Even if you are not a wine connoisseur, but you are planning to visit a winery or two, I would always recommend to check that wineries Facebook a few days before your visit! This will help to inform you of any special event taking place that day and overall give you a glimpse of what to expect. Most of the time you do not need to be a Facebook member to check a businesses Facebook page; so why not?

Here are just a few Facebook Pages to check out! All great wineries and informative Facebook profiles

1) https://www.facebook.com/ramsgatewinery

2) https://www.facebook.com/Chappellet.Wine

3)https://www.facebook.com/pages/Promise-Wine/150303085022875

9 Generations of Winemaking

Bernard Portet has been carrying on his family tradition of making wine and now continues to make wine all around the world. He also has his own line of wine here in Napa Valley titled Heritance Wines. Watch this video and get a small introduction into his wine making process!

http://www.heritancewines.com/

A Dream Wedding

For all of us women out there I am sure we all have a picture in our head of our dream wedding, at our dream location, with our dream man. I'm 100% sure each one of our "dreams" are quite different, but I thought I would share my dream location to introduce the idea to some of you women out there who aren't sure exactly what you are dreaming of. As you can tell by my blog vineyards and wineries are something I am not only interested in, but love. So it would be only fitting for my dream wedding to be located at a winery. But why a winery? What makes it so special? We all know there are a million gorgeous locations not only in Napa Valley but also in California and anywhere around the world. So what makes one place more special then the rest? My special factor happens to be wine. After traveling to France this past summer and seeing how wine inspired happiness and close connections, I knew I wanted wine to be an important part of my wedding. Just think about all of those times you have opened a bottle of wine with your girlfriends and have spent all night talking and learning more about one another than you would have if it was just a normal night out. Think about all the family occasions where wine was  involved, and that moment of clinking your glasses that always made you feel loved. Most importantly think about how wine connected you and so many others. 

So now the question is why not a wedding that only serves wine? Why does it have to be at a winery? Well the answer is quite simple; a location ties everything together. Just look at this view and tell me you don't want this for yourself.

Since I have now convinced you to have your wedding at a winery, it is time for you to research Viansa Winery. A perfect, local winery designed to host your dream wedding.

In conclusion this is my dream wedding.

Chappellet Vineyard

Chappellet is another great winery thanks to its beautiful location on Pritchard Hill! Watch this video to learn about what sets them apart from the rest.

To book your appointment or learn more visit www.chappellet.com