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Wine Reviews

Uncorked Thoughts

Here are a few wine recommendations you might enjoy this Christmas. They are among our recent favorites, and hopefully you’ll find one that fits your Christmas dinner.

A new find for us is My Favorite Neighbor. The Cabernet Sauvignon ($50 a bottle full retail) is delicious. In this price range, it’s the best Cabernet we’ve had from the Central Coast region.

If you prefer something from Napa, try the Recoltant Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a very drinkable wine. It’s a crowd pleaser because it has no real flaws. The website lists it for $60 and sold-out, but do …

Generosity, Leadership, Random Thoughts, Wine Reviews,

Frozen Friends and Cold Wine Cellars

A friend and partner, Josh, was reminiscing about a corporate drama we had faced years ago. He and I were not central to the battle, but a close friend was. Because of that friendship we were guilty by association.

The fallout of all this was our friend was frozen out of any real decision making authority, and we were suspect.

As Josh put it, “He was put in the freezer. I was put in the refrigerator.” With a chuckle he continued, “And you were put in the wine cellar.”

I had to laugh at that imagery … it was true, …

Wine Reviews,

Five Wine Mistakes

Lots of people overthink wine. Look, it’s just rotted grapes, okay?

Yes, master sommeliers and the great winemakers of the world fuss over the tiniest of details, but there’s no reason for the rest of us to worry. Most of us, most of the time, just want to enjoy the wine for what it is and not worry about the details.

With that in mind, here are five mistakes we all make that complicate our wine tasting.

First, we mythologize it. There’s so much fuss about wine that we become intimidated. Please, just drink what you enjoy and make it …

Wine Reviews,

Christmas Wines

Need a few wine suggestions for Christmas presents, or thank you gifts, or to serve guests? I’ve got seven suggestions and all of them are fairly easy to find at local retailers or order from the winery.

Let’s start with the white wines. D’Aun and my all time favorite white wine is from DeSante Wines called L’Atelier. A blend of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sauvignon Vert, this is a refreshing white wine that everyone will enjoy. And it is a bargain at $28.

If you want an even bigger bargain, check out the 2017 Domaine Lafage “Novellum” Chardonnay. …

Wine Reviews,

Six Great Thanksgiving Wines

Last year I posted about ten good Thanksgiving wines and it seemed to be popular. Well, this year I’ve scaled it back because who really needs ten wines anyway?

Let’s begin with the same caveat I used last year: Turkeys are basically stupid, oversized geese who don’t know how to fly, so the wine pairings are like the birds themselves: awkward. That said, a lot more than turkey ends up in a Thanksgiving dinner, so here are six wines well worth pouring.

These recommendations come from a recent tasting D’Aun and I had with Desmond Echavarrie of Scale Wine Group…

Junkyard Management, Random Thoughts, Wine Reviews,

Generosity Without Money

Since writing Junkyard Wisdom I’m often asked a simple question about generosity: how can we be generous without a lot of money?

Plenty of people think generosity is mostly about giving money away to worthy causes. It’s about sponsoring a child, supporting a youth sports league, contributing to the arts, etc.

Other people think generosity is about giving your time. Volunteering at a homeless shelter or tutoring a struggling student, for instance.

Both definitions are legitimate — we need people who give generous of their time and treasure.

But a lot of people overlook valuable assets in their generosity toolbox: …

Goble Properties, Wine Reviews,

Goble Properties Napa Retreat

Last week was the Goble Properties staff retreat in Napa Valley, and it was great to spend time with some of my favorite people. The last few years have been very busy so it was good to pause and take a deep breath. We hadn’t taken the time for a retreat in seven years — way too long!

We had breakfasts outside in the crisp mornings, rode bikes to nearby wineries, explored downtown Calistoga, and generally goofed off about half the time. Over the 3-day event we tasted wines at two different wineries: Lava Vines and Mi Sueno. In the …

Wine Reviews,

Ten Good Thanksgiving Wines

So what wine should you serve with the Thanksgiving feast? It’s a common question, so here are ten good thanksgiving wines. Or at least they are in my opinion!

But first, a few ground rules. Look, turkey is a weird food. Turkeys are basically stupid, oversized geese who don’t know how to fly, so the wine pairings are like the birds themselves: awkward.

I’ve googled lots of websites about what wine pairs best with turkey, asked a few sommeliers for their suggestions, and even went outside to ask the turkeys who live in the oak trees across the street (they …