Posted in Learn About Wine, Varietals on Jun 18th, 2013
The producers of the 2013 Dominican University Global Wine Marketing Conference for University Professors asked me to talk about California’s wines so I decided to conduct a tasting from two unique wineries and discuss how each winery does their marketing. The wineries were Cornerstone Cellars and Robert Biale Vineyards. When Dominican’s Robbie Hayes recommended Robert Biale Winery, [...]
Posted in Alana's Wine Picks on Apr 8th, 2013
I’m introducing a bunch of wines to you today as a group. Lots of fun details, I hope you enjoy and find some that you want to try. The wines in the picture each have a unique story. Starting from left to right, here they are: Maquis Cabernet Sauvignon 2010. Anyone who reads my [...]
Posted in Alana's Wine Picks, International Wine Regions, Learn About Wine, Seasons & Holidays on Jan 30th, 2013
My favorite holiday is Valentine’s Day. I like it better than New Year’s Eve or Christmas. It’s better than New Year’s Eve because I prefer intimacy to crowds and it’s better than Christmas because it doesn’t require so much planning. For me, celebrating Valentine’s Day focuses on enjoying a great meal and great wine. My only [...]
Posted in Alana's Wine Picks, Winery Reviews on Sep 18th, 2012
(Above: To mark the start of the 2012 harvest season, Father Ramon Pons, bilingual Associate Pastor at St. John the Baptist in Napa, blessed the first truckload of grapes to come into Mondavi winery yesterday morning—a tradition imagined by Robert Mondavi in 1966. The blessing was followed by a toast from Margrit Mondavi and a few [...]
Posted in International Wine Regions, Varietals, Winery Reviews on Sep 15th, 2012
I’ve been writing this blog for several years now and I’ve have a great time just cruising around sharing my discoveries. travels and food & wine pairings with you. The only way I can keep track of wines I like is to write about them here. I used to write them in a database but [...]
Posted in Alana's Wine Picks on Aug 12th, 2012
“I challenge you to show me a great Pinot Grigio,” said a wine-loving friend from California. Well, Dave, here it is, Balletto, 2010 Pinot Gris, Russian River Valley, Estate Bottled, Sonoma County.* I tasted it while visiting Balletto Vineyards at Passport to Pinot Noir. The owner, John Balletto is a personable and generous man who had [...]
Posted in Learn About Wine on Jul 17th, 2012
TIP: When a wine label mentions it’s coopers (barrel makers) or special barrels, the more interesting it will taste and it will likely cost a bit more. (Barrels are expensive.) Here’s some clues to using barrel information to better understand wine and selecting ones that you might like. The first clue is whether barrels are [...]
Posted in Alana's Wine Picks on Jun 19th, 2012
There’s so much buzz about Handley Cellars these days, I feel like I am the last person to “discover” these exceptional wines. In summary, they are delicious, well-made and well-priced. My favorite Handley white is the 2010 Pinot Gris, a fun grape to get to to know. If you visit the western area of Northern [...]
Posted in Recipes/Cooking, Wine & Food on Jun 5th, 2012
Here’s an original, super easy & delicious salad recipe I made for a quick week night dinner. Duck Confit Salad 2 Seasoned Duck Legs 3 oz Goat Cheese 1/2 cup Blueberries, Bosenberries or other small berries 2 cups Mixed Spring Lettuce 1/4 cup sliced Green Onions 2 tbl Balsamic Vinagarette Costco and Whole Foods both [...]
Posted in Learn About Wine, Varietals on May 22nd, 2012
I don’t know. It’s the heartbreak grape. Difficult to vinify. For me, it’s a metaphor for the process of art. You struggle and suffer against seemingly insuperable microclimatic odds, and only when everything comes into a … perfect confluence can you really alchemize something transcendent. And it doesn’t happen often. But, forsaking money, and with no [...]
Picks & tips for people who love wine, food, travel & a pleasurable life. I hope you are enjoying a glass of wine as you peek into my world of global travel & fine living. Enamored with Mediterranean cuisine and engaging wines, I pair nightly whether it is a dinner for two or a party with friends. I believe the best way to learn is by visiting wine regions and drinking wine. I am also a Marketing, Branding & Messaging Specialist for wineries. Please look me up on LinkedIn. You can also friend me (Alana Gentry) on Facebook or follow @Girlwithaglass on Twitter. Cheers~
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