Jonathan Lachs planned to go to medical school — until he became distracted by wine. As a pre-med student in the late 70’s, he took a course in winemaking, just for fun. After getting the second highest score in his class for the Grenache he made, he decided to change his life course. And it [...]
February 2012
Looking out across Cathy Corison’s vineyard, I see a clear delineation between her vineyard and her neighbor’s. The difference? Cathy’s Kronos vineyard, home of some of the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the Napa Valley, is covered in vibrant yellow mustard flowers. Her neighbor’s vineyard is brown. Cathy attributes the health of Kronos to 16 [...]
Not too long after the Santa Lucia Highlands became an official AVA (American Viticultural Area) in the early 1990’s, Dan and Donna Lee bought a 65-acre property in the northern end of the region. Their vineyard, which they named “Double L” (“Double Luck” for their twin daughters, Annie and Jackie), is now one of the [...]
There really isn’t a bad season to go to wine country. In fact, I recommend visiting your favorite wine regions throughout the year to see how the landscape changes. Fall, of course, is an exciting time because the vines are loaded with grapes. And when harvest is over, the leaves change colors, lighting up vineyards in [...]
Not many people who live in the Anderson Valley grew up there. And not many people who make Anderson Valley wine actually live there. Kristy Charles is an exception. She is the fourth generation to grow up on her family’s property just outside of the town of Boonville. Her father, Bill, is one of the [...]