The first wine was over dinner (very good food by the way) and part of the Tiny Bubbles wine flight, a comparison of sparkling wines. The flights at Sonoma are generous pours so you really get a taste for the wine.

Quattro Mani Franciacorta Brut

• Grape Variety: 80% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Bianco, 10% Pinot Nero from Lombardy, Italy
• Aroma & Taste: A combination of fruity and slightly yeasty/bready (like you get from Champagne)
• Price: $15
• My thoughts: This was a combination of grapes I hadn’t tried before and in a sparkling wine. It was a combination of a brut sparkling wine and a prosecco. Fun and different!

We served the second and third wines at my birthday party we held here Saturday night.

Terre Grillo IGT Sicilia 2008

• Grape Variety: 100% Grillo, an ancient grape variety from Sicily, estate where the grapes come from founded in 1875
• Aroma: White flowers and tropical fruit
• Taste: Lively, round body, melon and citrus
• Price: $9
• My thoughts: This was my drink of choice at the party! Really great wine … a cross between a Viognier, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. Definitely want to find this one for home!

Terre Negroamaro IGT Puglia 2008

• Grape Variety: 100% Negroamaro grown in Lecce in Puglia (the heel of Italy’s boot)
• Aroma: Red fruit with touch of earthiness (my girlfriend said almost mushroomy)
• Taste: Medium bodied with red fruit and spice
• Price: $9
• My thoughts: Another really nice wine at a great price! I discovered this grape on our trip to Puglia last summer. Puglia is Italy’s largest wine producer. Negroamaro means ‘bitter black’ and produces a big wine. This wine wasn’t too big probably due to the fact it is aged in stainless steel tanks. The label has a great illustration of the region’s trulli on it, round limestone buildings with conical grey stone roofs dating back to the Middle Ages that served as peasant homes.

Cheers to new wine discoveries!

The similarities and difference you discover through these kinds of tastings are always fun! Pinot Noir is a light grape overall but coming from each region you get different aromas and tastes from it. As we moved around the world, the wines got more body and spice but each is lovely in its own way showing you the beauty of each wine region around the world.

Domaine Naudet Jean & Michel 2008 Sancerre Rouge

• Grape Variety: Pinot Noir from the Loire Valley, France
• Aroma: Bright berry
• Taste: Tart cranberry and cherry with mineral and herbal tones
• Price: $22.00
• Thoughts: The first in the line up was the brightest in color of the wines, almost rosé looking, and brightest in taste. France does not allow vine irrigation in any wine region and this definitely impacts the grape depending on the year’s weather. Here you have a lighter Pinot Noir. I love Sancerre in a white wine so neat to try a rouge.

Domaine Maillard Pére et Fils 2009 Bourgogne

• Grape Variety: Pinot Noir from Burgundy, France
• Aroma: Round cherry
• Taste: Cherry with hints of chocolate, vanilla and earthy
• Price: $22.99
• Thoughts: Second in the line up and also in France, this wine has more body, slightly more red color in the wine and more complexity of flavors with cherry, chocolate and vanilla.

Saint Clair Family Estate 2010 Vicar’s Choice

• Grape Variety: Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon, U.S.
• Aroma: Ripe cherry and strawberry
• Taste: Cherry, strawberry with spice and earthiness
• Price: $26.99
• Thoughts: Fourth in the line up, we moved to the U.S. Willamette Valley in Oregon known for Pinot Noir and Burgundian in style (like the Domaine Maillard Pére above although this wine has more body and is more round). I love Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs!

Ampelos Cellars 2007 Pinot Noir-Lamda

• Grape Variety: Pinot Noir from Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
• Aroma: Deep cherry
• Taste: Cherry, herbal, licorice
• Price: $26.99
• Thoughts: Last in the line up, we moved south in the U.S. to California. The Sta. Rita Hills are known for Pinot Noir. This wine was the fullest in body and darkest in color but still great clarity. Really nice wine and neat winery worth checking out (they also have a bed and breakfast in Greece…thus the Greek influence on their wine names).

Cheers to Pinot Noir!

This 4-in-1 wine accessory is a brilliant design from Marcus Vagnby and Nuance, a Danish kitchen appliance, home and barware company. It does everything you need:

• Wine Aerator: With 32 aeration and filter vents, it decants a whole bottle of red wine in 30 seconds. You can hear it as you pour the wine into each glass. Aerating red wine is good as thorough oxidation brings out the best tastes (I’ve also used it on whites).
• Fine Strainer & Filter: An inner stainless screen filters out any sediment as you pour it into the glass.
• Non-Drip Wine Pourer: Just insert in the bottle, pour and no drips!
• Wine Stopper: Made of solid silicone, it fits tightly in the bottle and serves as a stopper for drinking later.

It was only $29.95! Now also in a deluxe version. No need to decant a full bottle at once…you can do it one glass at a time.

Cheers to the perfect wine gadget!

To celebrate there will be lots of bubbles from Moët & Chandon, the official champagne of the Golden Globes for the 21st year. More than 1,000 mini bottles and 500 magnums of Grand Vintage 2002 Moët & Chandon champagne, specially created for the show, will be served on the red carpet and inside the Beverly Hilton Hotel’s International Ballroom at tonight’s event. That’s over 9,000 glasses of champagne at $84.95 a bottle ($84,950 worth of champagne)! And don’t forget the over 400 bottles of wine, 2,500 glasses, that will also be served.

Executive chefs Suki Sugiura and pastry chef Thomas Henzi have created an elegant and mouth-watering menu reflecting the global nature of the Golden Globes and it will take a team of 40 chefs and 110 kitchen staff members to prepare it on show day. It will include an appetiser of pistachio crusted pistou ravioli with wild arugula, smoked tomato, kabocha compote and burrata; a combination entree of miso and sake lees marinated pacific sea bass with grilled king oyster musroom and braised prime short rib of beef with porcini pine nut herb ragout in a light cream of sherry wine ginger tamari sauce with roasted fingerling potatoes, candy striped beets, baby bok choy and yellow baby carrots.

For dessert Chef Henzi will be serving a trio of chocolate delice almond crunch terrine and acacia honey, caramel and fresh berries, which will pair ideally with the Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2002 and the 23K edible gold Italian chocolates.

For your party open one of Moët & Chandon‘s many options… White Star Impérial (their flagship), Rosé Impérial (the Glamoruous Champagne), Nectar Impérial (the Daring Champagne) and Nectar Impérial Rosé (the Extravagant Champagne).

Cheers to the 69th Annual Golden Globes Party!

La Cappuccina San Brizio Soave

The Tessari family has been growing grapes at La Cappuccina, the site of an ancient chapel of Franciscan friars, for over a century. The vineyards, which surround the family villa, are locaed at Cosalunga, in the Soave DOC production area of Verona in northern Italy. La Cappuccina is a certified organic wine estate.

• Grape Variety: 100% Garganega
• Aroma: Sparkling lemon
• Taste: Creamy lemon curd with touch of spice
• Price: $12.99
• My thoughts: Gorgeous golden color. Not your typical Soave wine…it is still lemony and grassy but also has a spice (due to 7-8 months in barrique barrels), richness and weight to it. As Timothy said at Planet Wine, “This is a good white for red wine lovers.” Bought a bottle of this and enjoying a glass now.

• Grape Variety: 100% Pinot Nero (the name for Pinot Noir in Italian OR Blauburgunder, the name for Pinot Noir in Austrian)
• Aroma: Berry
• Taste: Strawberry and cranberry
• Price: $15.99
• My thoughts: It’s a light bodied Pinot Noir yet long on the finish. You don’t typically find a Pinot Noir grape in Italy. And this one is so far north in Italy, close to the Austrian border, they also use the Austrian grape name.

• Grape Variety: 100% Lacrima
• Aroma: Smells just like a Cru Beaujolais, the French wine, with strawberry and spice
• Taste: Fragrant floral, strawberry, herbal, nice tannin/weight in the mouth feel of the wine
• Price: $17.99
• My thoughts: This is another extremely unique wine in Italy…French yet Italian! Brought home a bottle of this as I’m a Cru Beaujolais fan.

Cheers to new wine discoveries from Italy! Thank you Planet Wine & Siema Wines!

It was an early morning start but so worth it. We met the Up & Away crew at the Sonoma County Airport. Conditions were perfect so we headed over to an area on the runway to prep for take off. It was a chilly clear morning (dress in layers) but we warmed up quickly as we assisted the crew. It starts out slowly…laying out tarps, unrolling the balloon, cold inflating with a giant fan…then they fire up the burners and things literally heat up.

Our balloon, Sonoma Star, was inflating nicely just as the other two balloons going up that morning were. We were lucky enough to be in a private ride with our pilot Jimmy. Then the winds started to shift and our balloon started to blow sideways. The crew rushed to try to keep it inflating evenly. There was talk of having to start over. The other balloons were almost done. When the wind shifted again, Sonoma Star started to rise as we all held onto the basket to keep it down. Jimmy instructed us to jump in the basket… and we were off. Suddenly it was quiet and we were floating up into the air looking at the other two balloons below us. Incredible… this must be what it feels like to fly!

For the next seventy-five minutes we floated where Mother Nature took us…winds driving us south to Santa Rosa. It was a quiet still Sunday morning, not a cloud in the sky, it warmed as the sun rose in the sky. The only noise came when Jimmy fired up the burners. We floated over houses, waved good morning to people, scared a few horses and cows, and just enjoyed the majestic views of the vineyards, many still full of color, the mountains in the distance with the fog laying close yet to burn off.

The crew stayed in touch and tracked us on the ground. Then came the fun part…where to land? We couldn’t quite make it to our destination as the winds calmed so we wound up landing in a nice open field. The crew caught up with us to help. And then two other ‘crews’ who had been following us showed up…two cars full of little boys insisting their parents follow us for the last thirty minutes.  Jimmy brought us down safely and the boys helped pack up the balloon.

After all the excitement we headed over the Kendall Jackson Winery Estate for a champagne brunch in their vineyards. Mike, owner of Up and Away, was there to greet and thank us.

Everyone, including our hotel The Farmhouse Inn, recommends Up and Away. They do private balloon rides, groups (one of the balloons up with us held about 10 people) and even do weddings in the balloons!!

Put this on your lifetime MUST GO list. It’s a phenomenal experience!

Visit the gallery for more great photos from the trip.

Jordan Vineyard & Winery

Jordan is a gorgeous 1,300-acre estate in the Alexander Valley with a stunning 18th century chateau replica sitting at the end of its winding driveway. Of all the wineries we visited on the trip, this is the biggest (70,000-90,000 cases per year) and most easy to find wine in your market (now available in all fifty states and thirty countries). I began a conversation with Jordan last September during the #CabernetDay virtual wine tasting event. Very impressed with the Cabernet Sauvignon education they gave me that day, I thought it a good place to visit so we booked a tour.

Jordan started in 1972 when Tom Jordan, a trained geologist in the oil and gas business from Denver, bought this property. Tom and his wife, great lovers of European wine and food, actually tried to buy Château Margaux in the late 1960s until the French realized they were American. Then one night after enjoying an incredible California wine from Georges de Latour’s Beaulieu Vineyard made by André Tchelistcheff they decided to build a winery in California. Now run by Tom’s son John, Rob Davis, their winemaker for thirty-five years (mentored by Tschelistcheff), leads production of their Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

The winery tour was a treat… worth booking in advance and the $30 per person fee. Maribel greeted our small group of six and lead us on an educational grounds and chateau tour, stopping along the way for lovely wine tastings paired with delicious nibbles from Jordan’s chef Todd Knoll. The property is beautiful and the wine facilities state of the art including their own irrigation system. The Barrel Room is impressive with 4,000 barrels stacked high and the Library full of old wines and artifacts. Our last stop was the Cellar Room, revealed behind a secret door in the Library, where we enjoyed a sit down wine tasting paired with yummy artisan cheeses and the Jordan Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

We tasted their ’09 Chardonnay Russian River Valley, ’00 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County, ’03 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley and ’07 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley. My favorite…

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

• Grape Variety: 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc
• Aroma: Blueberry
• Taste: Rich blueberry and cedar
• Price: $59
• My thoughts: Delicious blueberry forward wine with a slight hint of cedar…my kind of Cabernet Sauvignon…bold but not too overwhelming!

Jordan wines are definitely worth picking up to try at home and if you’re in Sonoma, they are worth booking a visit. The team was extremely welcoming! When you book a tour you’re automatically enrolled in their Jordan Estates Rewards Program where you accumulate points for exclusive experiences with Jordan. Also check out their website and follow them on Twitter (@jordanwinery).

UNTI Vineyards

In planning our trip, Unti was on my list to visit. But as they are by appointment tastings and I hadn’t made an appointment in advance, I didn’t think we’d get to them. In route to Dry Creek Valley and our third stop, I saw Unti’s sign on the side of the road so we decided to pop in. So glad we did!

Down the dirt road through their vineyards, we parked and went into their rustic tasting room. Gina was there to greet us and invited us in for a tasting. It was Monday and they had plenty of time.

Unti Vineyards is a family affair started by George Unti and his wife Linda in 1997. Their son Mick manages operations and winemaking. Gina is their daughter. George’s family roots go back to Tuscany where his father was from. After years in the grocery business, George got into wine and now they have sixty acres of grapes growing eleven different varietals. Here’s a great map of their vineyards.

Dry Creek Valley’s climate is ideal for growing classic Mediterranean grape varieties. Unti’s goal is to make the best and most interesting wines from their property in partnership with Mother Nature. French Sebastian Pochan has been their winemaker for eight years.

Gina tasted us through their ’10 Cuvee Blanc, ’08 Grenache, ’09 Segromigno, ’08 Zinfandel, ’08 Syrah, ’07 Syrah Benchland and ’09 Petit Frere. My favorite and what we brought home…

2008 Segromigno

• “This wine is not a traditional Tuscan blend, rather more like a Rosso Piceno from Le Marche where it can be any blend of Sangiovese and Montepulciano.
• Grape Variety: 92% Sangiovese, 8% Montepulciano
• Aroma & Taste: Bright cherry, chocolate and dried herbs 
• Price: $26
• My thoughts: I love Sangiovese and Montepulciano, classic Italian varietals. Unti has does a great job growing and blending them in California. Unti is the only vineyard in CA growing Montepulciano.

A fun laid back experience awaits you at Unti and some fantastic wines!! Definitely make an appointment to stop by or as they are small production, around 7,000 cases, you can also buy them online.

Michel-Schlumberger Wines

We found our way up into the Dry Creek Valley for our last winery visit…the gorgeous Spanish mission-style estate of Michel-Schlumberger. Another Twitter connection (@M_Schlumberger and @sonomawineguy), I thought it would be fun to stop by to say hi. I tried and loved their Pinot Blanc over dinner at Zazu a few nights before so wanted to taste more of their wines.

The estate was founded in 1979 by Jean-Jacques Michel from Switzerland and originally named Domaine Michel. In the early 1990′s Jacques Schlumberger, who’s family had been making wine in the French Alsace for four hundred years, joined Jean-Jacques and his business partner Ridgely Bullock creating the current name. Known for their excellent Bordeaux varietals they concentrate on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Chardonnay. Winemaker Bryan Davidson develops wines that are imprinted with the terrior and nuances of each vintage.

We sat outside on the gorgeous patio looking out onto the vineyards for a fun tasting with Laurie, their wine educator…’10 La Nue Unoaked Chardonnay, ’09 Le Fou Pinot Noir (they are the only Pinot Noir in the Dry Creek Valley, made in true Burgundian style), ’07 Le Sage Merlot, ’08 La Cime Cabernet Sauvignon and ’09 La Source Syrah. My favorite…

2007 Le Sage Merlot

• “Le Sage,” French for “The Wise,” describes this wine that expresses the terroir of their estate.
• Grape Variety: 95% Merlot, 5% Malbec
• Aroma: Aromatic dried flowers and fruit 
• Taste: Fruity, floral with a spiciness
• Price: $35
• My thoughts: While I’m usually not a Merlot fan, I really liked this wine for its many layers…fruit, floral and spice.

We bought a bottle of the Merlot to bring home. And as a birthday gift Jim and Laurie were sweet enough to give me a bottle of their Pinot Blanc! The winery offers a variety of tasting options and tours all by appointment.

That wraps up the three days of winery tours. Lastly I’ll share details on our exhilirating hot air balloon ride and delicious dining!

Visit the gallery for more great photos from the trip.