Wineries Unplugged

15/09/2025

The birthday line up was a Pinot fueled experienced, with a luscious segue to a very special St. Emilion.

Following a Le Reve sparkler, we ventured into a ‘23 Sauv Blanc from with a lovely cheese pairing.

The main dish - a Thai marinated Wild Salmon with complimentary salads paired amazing with two seriously delicious Pinot Noirs from different regions.

winery ‘21 Premira from Edna Valley AVA in and ‘21 777 clones from Russian River.

We finished the evening with German Chocolate birthday cake and a 2000 from the St. Emilion region in the Right Bank.

13/09/2025

65 starts with ‘17 Le Reve…

06/09/2025

Tonight we went global. Deb made a lovely Thai dish featuring a coconut milk broth with salmon and vegetables over rice.

So we pulled out the guru, an amazing Vihno Blanco from .and.soul from the Douro Valley, Portugal.

Discovered and rediscovered during our recent trip to Porto.

The crispness and balance of guru complimented the coconut milk broth vibe into a perfect pairing. Heavenly.

05/09/2025

It’s football ya,all. NFL season kickoff, with pizza and Zin by

This ‘19 Old Vine Zin rocked the pizza debut from - which was excellent.

My fantasy boys are racking up the pts. A successful start to the season!

30/08/2025

A favorite blend - Cab Franc/Merlot. Love all things right bank style and this Old Master delivers. Served with NY Strip. Like peanut butter and jelly.

07/07/2025

Winery visit #237 will go down in the memory banks as one of the most fascinating stories. Meet .vinhos - a beautiful adega in

The tour was amazing as you followed their uncovering of 14th and 15th century archeological discoveries as they expanded their operations.

The tour featured sips of different wines in different rooms, a masterful way to showcase a story and share the wines.

Their wines ranged across different regions in Portugal, each with unique vinicultural approaches in winemaking and storage vessels.

If we were limited by our luggage constraints, I would have left with a case of several selections.

02/07/2025

02/07/2025

A Portuguese trifecta. Two amazing wines from the Alentejo region, followed by one from the Douro.

A true progressive of heavenly flavor profiles, elegant finishes and a new respect for where these wines fit in our treasure trove of discoveries on our trip.

was our start.
elevated the game.
(not on IG) was the pinnacle from a 100 year old wine producing family.

26/06/2025

We have been experiencing wineries throughout the Alentejo region and each has been an education in history.

Today was - with a rich history that dates back to the 13th century.

A significant adega (winery) known as a Herdade because of its volume - 1 million liters produced.

The Herdade is 1,200+ hectares of beautiful ecosystem, with a significant man made lake, 120 hectares of olive groves and 440 planted hectares of 36 varietals.

They also are experimenting with 189 new varietals on 20 hectares to deal with climate issues.

The wine making facility is state of the art, yet features a vinicultural approach that features stainless steel, multiple sized casks and barrels, concrete tulips, ancient amphora vessels (oldest from 1655) and several marble pits used for foot trodden activity.

The tour of the underground storage and cellaring capacities were super impressive and extensive.

We finished with both a wine and olive oil tasting that sealed the deal. All made special by our host Eduardo who delivered an excellent experience.

20/06/2025

A late Friday afternoon sparkler from the Alentejano DOC with a view that won our hearts. The first day of summer for the memory books.

16/06/2025

Porto…a top 5 meal (sister to Mitsu) in every way. Delicious beef carpaccio starter followed by an off the charts sesame crusted tuna. Served two amazing wines from the Alentejo DOC region of Portugal.

was a lovely blend of Alicante Bouschet and Touriga Nacional.

also from the Alentejo DOC was a step up in boldness featuring a broader blend that included Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah to the Alicante Bouschet and Touriga Nacional.

11/06/2025

When in Antwerp.