JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery was established in Paso Robles in 1981 with the aim of producing Bordeaux-style wines within California’s terroir. The winery’s current winemaker, Scott Shirley, actually started his career as a lab tech chemist in a winery during harvest, where, he explains, he “caught the bug.” From there, Shirley relocated to the Napa Valley to try his hand at winemaking, and remained there for 13 years. But when he got a call from Justin Baldwin, he fell in love with Paso...| VinePair
We’ve been doing a lot of talking about Napa here on “Wine 101” as of late. And they’re important conversations to have — Napa Valley is America’s prestige wine region, after all. But today’s story differs from that of Screaming Eagle and Harlan Estate. Rather than being established by an American winemaker, Beaulieu Vineyards was founded by a man from Bordeaux who had the explicit goal of making wine in Napa — not France. Today on the “Wine 101” podcast, Keith continues h...| VinePair
As a relatively neutral grape, Chardonnay is capable of reflecting the terroir of the region in which it’s grown and it’s adaptable in the cellar, with different winemaking techniques resulting in highly distinctive expressions. But despite the fact that Chardonnay is the world’s most planted white wine grape, it’s not always affordable — especially when it comes from California. Following the Judgment of Paris, it wasn’t just Napa Cabernets that surged in popularity — Chardonna...| VinePair
Though California is home to several historic, beloved sparkling wine estates like Schramsberg and Domaine Carneros, U.S.-based brands never achieved the cult-level following of France’s top Champagne producers like Selosse or Salon. But in 2014 a distinct sparkling wine project emerged from California that immediately grabbed the attention of the wine industry. The dazzling bottle, called Ultramarine, sparked a fervor among somms and collectors only typically seen for the hottest grower Ch...| VinePair
From an impressive wine region, to a spa nestled along the vines, to amazing food, don't miss the best things to do in Livermore for couples.| Couple in the Kitchen
Walking through the hillsides of San Luis Obispo County, Libbie Agran didn’t just see vineyards. She saw history — much of it untold, and much of it, she feared, at risk of being lost forever. She fell in love with San Luis Obispo’s wine country on a quintessential Central Coast...| UC Davis Library
California harvest: A very hot vintage in California but fruit is coming in across the state in great shape and winemakers are bullish on the 2024 vintage.| Decanter
