A great organization that I initially met online is Cellar Angels out of Chicago. Founder Martin Cody has combined wine sales with charity focusing primarily on Napa wineries. Cellar Angels runs promotions that last a few days giving their wine club members a chance to purchase wines from small premium producers at reasonable prices. It is free to join the … [Read more...]

Join wine writer Natalie MacLean’s wine and travel world as she jets from one continent to another, from one wine region to the next exploring her passion for wine and highlighting some of the best values out there. Her style of writing is engaging, lively, and informative to the wine novice and educated consumer alike. She meets with owners and winemakers … [Read more...]

A recent night at the St. Francis Yacht Club was host to a very important charity event - the release party for ToolBoxWineCo.com's Thirst, a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (production 1000) cases of which $3 from every bottle purchased is donated to former San Francisco Giants baseball player JT Snow's Snoman Charity. The charity is being used to raise … [Read more...]

For many years the city of Napa was just a place you passed as you entered the Napa Valley - the city center is not on the main highway (Highway 29) and it was lacking in restaurants, hotels and tasting rooms. When you told people you were visiting the Napa Valley, the city of Napa was not mentioned as your final destination, rather you would have been … [Read more...]

The first ever tasting of the Napa Valley Mexican-American Vintners Association was held Saturday July 30, 2011 at Maldonado Vineyards in the far northern reaches of the Napa Valley. This association is fairly new (2010). It was formed after a number of vintners poured their wines in Mexico at the Michoacan State Fair and collaboratively recognized the need … [Read more...]

Living near the Napa Valley certainly has its advantages including world class wineries, scenic vistas and great parties. We are invited to a number of wine related events and parties in the valley and it gets to the point where one has to be fairly selective on which ones to attend. When we heard Hunnicutt Winery was holding a party to celebrate the … [Read more...]

Another successful Sense Yountville was held on a beautifully sunny warm Saturday May 7th under the "big white tent" at V Marketplace 1870 in downtown Yountville. This, only the third annual "Sense Yountville" has already become the appellation's premiere wine & food event. Thirty wineries were represented offering their pre-release wines and large format … [Read more...]

Spring There are a number of factors that determine when a grapevine starts to break dormancy (bud break) which is when new green shoots start forming. Elevation, location, and the variety of the grape are some of the biggest factors that indicate when a vine will start bud break. During March and April temperatures at 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below will … [Read more...]

The First Taste of Yountville was held during the Premier Napa Valley week to capitalize on a number of trade who are in town. This annual event is held by the Napa Valley Vintners' and is their Annual Mid-Winter Barrel Auction for the Trade - www.napavintners.com/trade/tm_1_premiere.aspx This premiere tasting featured some of Yountville's finest … [Read more...]