The four-day, six-town celebration of food, wine, beer and spirts known as the Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley is again taking place this fall. This article has everything you need to know about it, including the 2023 dates, ticket prices and full schedule. The annual extravaganza in Southern California's Santa Ynez Valley features the towns of Ballard, Buellton, Los Alamos, … [Read more...]
California’s Presqu’ile Winery Offers Much More Than Wine Tastings In Santa Maria
Usually, when one goes to a winery for wine tasting, they sit in a beautiful tasting room overlooking the vineyards. While that is certainly the case at Presqu’ile winery in Santa Marina, CA, there is much more than wine tastings there, too. In fact, there are five enhanced experiences, as described below. Located less than two miles from Highway 101 in Northern Santa … [Read more...]
California Wine Festival Dana Point 2023 Date & Wineries At The Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa
The 2023 California Wine Festival Dana Point is back with a new location, the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa. Here is all you need to know: the date, the wineries, food, entertainment and ticket information. The dates are Friday, April 14 and Saturday, April 15. Friday is the Sunset Rare & Reserve Tasting and Saturday is the main event, the Beachside Wine … [Read more...]
California Wine Festival 2023 Dates & Information Santa Barbara, Dana Point, Carlsbad, Huntington Beach
The four events that make up the California Wine Festival are back in 2023 and one has a new location. The wine festivals are in Carlsbad, Dana Point, Huntington Beach and the biggest and original in Santa Barbara. All of the events have several things in common: they highlight winemaking regions from across the Golden State, have food from local restaurants and live … [Read more...]
Here’s A Cheers To Fred Franzia, The Man Who Gave Us Two Buck Chuck
By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Wine Blogger You may not know his name – not immediately, maybe, but keep reading – but you sure know his contribution to wine lovers. He created the $1.99 Charles Shaw wines sold at Trader Joes. His name is Fred Franzia and he passed away in September. He was 79. His signature wine became so popular they developed a cult following, not … [Read more...]
Top Places To Drink Wine In California Paired With National And State Parks
You don't have to go far to find wine – or even a wine country – in California. That's because is there were to be an official beverage of California, it would be wine. The state is full of wine tasting regions from north to south, and you might find it surprising that you can pair wine tasting with state and national parks. Here is a rundown of wineries, wine festivals … [Read more...]
California Wine Festival Carlsbad Has Wines, Spirits, Beer & Even Food – A Review
By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Wine Blogger Got wine? They sure do at the California Wine Festival. Along with spirits, beers, a band and even food. Yes, there's food at a wine festival (not a food and wine festival) with food trucks and vendors offering samples even to GA ticket holders. The VIP section is like a gourmet treat. Of course, it is indeed the wines that … [Read more...]
4 Ways To Test The Quality Of Your Wine
There’s a common saying about wine, In Vino Veritas, which means in wine there’s truth. However, the truth only prevails if the wine is good and up to the quality standards. Georgians invented wine around 6,000 years ago, and soon enough, the entire world got fond of it. Wine is a great compliment for luxury food because it activates the taste buds. The preparation method … [Read more...]
San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival Adds Three New Events For 2021
Already stuffed with several events that fills the palate of Southern California wine and food lovers, the lineup of events at the San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival has gotten even more full with the addition of three new events for 2021. Here they are with a description of each. Game On! Louis Latour Wine Dinner featuring Chefs Suzette Gresham, Bernard Guillas & … [Read more...]
You Can Win A Trip To Napa Valley Wine Country By Taking A Picture Of Yourself Drinking Wine
It sounds too easy to be true but it is – you can win a trip to the Napa Valley Wine Country simply by taking a picture of yourself, well, enjoying wine. HALL, WALT and BACA Wines, a set of family-owned wineries based in both Napa and Sonoma counties has launched a My Wine Moment Giveaway in which the winner will receive a four-day trip to Napa. The Photo Giveaway is open … [Read more...]
Michigan Wineries Win Multiple Medals At The TEXSOM International Wine Competition
Traverse Wine Coast Uncorks Some Of Its Finest Wines By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Nightlife Blogger Michigan is more than a football, basketball and auto manufacturing state. In fact, it's fast becoming a wine state, as proven at the TEXSOM International Wine Competition where Michigan wineries won 69 medals representing 17 wineries from the Traverse Wine … [Read more...]
Formula 1 Drivers To Celebrate Wins With Ferrari Trento Sparkling Wine
F1 Winners To Toast Success With This Italian Brand On The Podium Ferrari Trento, the three-time winner of the "Sparkling Wine Producer of the Year" at the Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships, is now the official sparkling wine of the Formula 1 racing series. That means when the top three drivers of races step to the podium for the traditional … [Read more...]
How And Where To Find Good Wines For Less Than $5 For Stay-Home Drinking
Tips On Shopping For Wine, Red Vs. White & Recognizing A Cheap Wine From A Bargain By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Wine Blogger I don't know about you, but I don't really want to spend a lot of money on wines when I'm at home and by myself. And in this COVID-19 era, I'm at home and by myself a lot these days. As such, in order to add a little "excitement" … [Read more...]
Paso Robles Winery Rabble Wines Acquired By O’Neill Vintners and Distillers
Fast-Growing Wine Company Seeks To Appeal To Young Drinkers Rabble Wines has been a hit with young wine drinkers, in large part because of its highly creative augmented reality (AR) labels. That appealed to O'Neill Vintners and Distillers, which has purchased the Paso Robles winery. Details of the transaction were not released. "The acquisition signals … [Read more...]
How To Assess Wine And Develop Your Palate
Humans have been drinking wine for thousands and thousands of years. However, we now have a greater selection, quality, and variety of wines than at anytime in the past. The top wine-producing regions of the world may share a common love for vineyards and wine, however, their final products can taste completely different. If you are curious about the world of wines and … [Read more...]
New Wine App Allows You To Scan & Learn About The Wines You Are Buying
Winerytale Provides Customers With Information From Wineries Directly On The Bottle When you're in the wine section of a store, do you ever wonder if that bottle you're looking at is any good? Do you think that while it looks interesting you wish new more about it and the winery that makes it? Well, with the Winerytale app, you can do that because you just hold it … [Read more...]
Here Are The World’s 30 Best Wines According To The International Wine Challenge
This Red From Portugal Wins The Top Prize From A Panel Of Professional Tasters The world's 30 best wines for 2020 have been awarded at the International Wine Challenge, the planet's most influential and rigorously-judged wine competition. The wines were judged by 90 wine tasters from around the world and a selection from Portugal was the overall winner, taking the … [Read more...]
Whitehall Lane Winery Releases New Wines With Help From UC-Davis
Camminare Noir and Paseante Noir Wines Use New Sustainable Grape Varieties Whitehall Lane Winery in Napa Valley has released two new wines, a Camminare Noir and Paseante Noir, with the help of UC Davis University. The family-owned winery got together with Dr. Andrew Walker of UC Davis as well as Dr. Paul Skinner of Vineyard Investigations in Napa Valley, to … [Read more...]
Downtown Napa Gets A New Wine Tasting Room, Quilt & Co.
A Lounge-Type Setting From Local Winemaker Joseph Wagner By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Wine Editor Published on Aug. 28 One may think downtown Napa needs another wine tasting room the way Tom Brady needs another Super Bowl ring, but Joseph Wagner doesn't see it that way. The fifth-generation winemaker and Napa native is opening Quilt & Co., which features … [Read more...]
Trader Joe’s Two Buck Chuck Is Back To Two Bucks (In California)
Iconic Wine Is Again Just $1.99 A Bottle By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Wine & Spirits Blogger Two Buck Chuck, the iconic wine and signature item of the Trader Joe's affordable gourmet grocery store, is back to costing two bucks. In California, anyway. Charles Shaw wine pretty much carried the Trader Joe's brand on its back until people realized the … [Read more...]
Get Ready For Great Deals On California Wines
A 'Grape Glut' Is Good News For Wine Lovers By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Wine & Spirits Blogger The great "grape glut" has hit the Golden State again with supply outpacing demand, and that means to get ready for cheaper California wines. According to the industry newsletter from the Allied Grape Growers (AGG), as much as 10% of the "grape crush" was left on … [Read more...]
Global Sparkling Red Wine Market 2019-2023 | Evolving Opportunities with Accolade Wines and Azienda Agricola Ca’ de Noci. | Technavio
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#ConsumerStaples--The global sparkling red wine market size is poised to grow by USD 216.16 million during 2019-2023, according to a new report by Technavio during the forecast period. Request Free Sample Pages Read the 125-page research report with TOC on "Sparkling Red Wine Market Analysis Report by distribution channel (offline and online) … [Read more...]
Acclaimed Tastemaker Kerrin Laz To Create Extraordinary Wine Program At Four Seasons Private Residences at 706 Mission, San Francisco
Private Residences Showcase New Standard of Luxury Living With Unprecedented Experiences and Access to the Wine and Art Worlds SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Four Seasons Private Residence at 706 Mission Street, San Francisco is pleased to announce an exclusive partnership with Kerrin Laz to lead a unique wine program at the forthcoming luxury residential project in San … [Read more...]
These Are My Favorite Trader Joe’s Inexpensive And Great Wines (For Now)
How I Find Fantastic Red Cabs From Napa, Sonoma & Chile As Cheap As $3.49 By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Wine Blogger The past several months, I've become somewhat of an expert at finding inexpensive – but very good – wines at Trader Joe's. It started when I was in walked into the TJs in Monterey CA. I was staying on my friend's boat and had a few … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Wine & Another Perfect California Sunset
Hangin' Loose In Hermosa Beach By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger It was a quiet Monday and my day was winding down when a friend messages me saying she was in the area. My reaction was immediate: "Come on over! I have wine." A few minutes later, we were on the deck, having some wine and just enjoying a late Southern California afternoon. The … [Read more...]
Top Wines To Serve And Drink For Thanksgiving Dinner & Dishes
Perfect Wine Pairings For The Big Feast By Jack Tingley, Special To PubClub.com Thanksgiving is one of the biggest days for drinking wine in America. The problem is knowing what to bring, serve and drink because we don't eat Thanksgiving foods very often – sometimes only once a year. But not to fear, here's several suggestions for pairing wines with Thanksgiving … [Read more...]
Just The Wine Reduces Sulfates In Wine – But Does It Work? A Review
Product Testing For Wines, Champagne And Beers By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Wine Blogger After years of being a Chardonnay-exclusive wine drinker, I've started drinking mostly reds lately. Part of this is budget – you can get a quality red wine for about half the price of a decent chardonnay – and part is the fact that here in California it can be difficult to … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: A Big Cheers To Wine Destinations
It Can Always Be #WineTime, Even In The Most Obscure Places By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I'm always a believer in immersing yourself into the culture of a place you are visiting, and when that culture involves wine, then I'm having a good time. Wine travel can be anywhere relaxing with a wine bar. It doesn't have to include a vineyard or a … [Read more...]
Virginia is for (Wine) Lovers: A Central Virginia Winery Crawl
Three Top Wineries To Visit In This Scenic Southern State By C. Benjamin Lovell, Special To PubClub.com Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather, and a little music played out of doors by somebody I do not know.’ – John Keats While English Romantic poet John Keats never had a chance to enjoy the idyllic winding roads and pastoral hills of Virginia’s wine … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Wine-Ing But Not Whining, While Tasting Monterey County Wines
Wineries Have Created A California Culture South Of Napa And Sonoma By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger It's getting to the point now where you can't walk out the door in Monterey County, CA, without someone sticking glass of wine in your hand. The region is that proud of the wines produced in its many wineries. The locals will talk passionately … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Exploring The World From Switzerland To Salinas CA
From The Swiss Alps To the Vendange Hotel And Twisted Roots Winery By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger You have to appreciate where you are, I always say. Whether it's in Switzerland or Salinas, CA. And in a mere two weeks I've been to both places and enjoyed each one of them. Tho in both different yet similar ways. Switzerland is so … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Post: Temptations From Switzerland’s Lake Geneva Region
Wine and Dine Me at The Matterhorn, Swiss Festivals, On The Glacier Express Train and Wine Tasting In A Castle By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I've been transported, in a senses-stimulating kind of way, to Switzerland's Lake Geneva Region. A pair of press events has presented this nice area of the world to me, and it seems there's quite a bit … [Read more...]
Georgo’s Wine Makes Good Greek Wines – A Blogger’s Review
A Blend Of Grapes From Greece And Sonoma County Winemaking By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Wine Blogger When I was a youngster, our Greek neighbors called all us kids over to their house to do something that sounded like would get us in a lot of trouble with our parents. So we immediately raced over there, of course. They wanted to use us to stomp grapes for wine … [Read more...]
Uncorked Hermosa Beach Hosting 6th Anniversary Party Date & Details
Wine Shop Celebrates With Wine Tasting Event On Upper Pier Ave. By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.co South Bay Blogger Uncorked Wine Shop is uncorking several of its wines for its six-year anniversary party on Sunday, Oct. 22. The speciality wine shop in Hermosa Beach, CA, is hosting an event that people who have been to in the past have raved about … [Read more...]
Carmel Winery Giving A Free Tasting For Wine Country Fires Donations
Dawn's Dream Collecting Items To Help Victims In Santa Rosa By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Carmel winery Dawn's Dream is raising a hand – and you can raise a glass – to help victims of the California wine country fires that have destroyed part of Napa Valley, Somoma County and the town of Santa Rosa. It is offering a free wine tasting at its … [Read more...]
National Wine Day Thursday May 25 2017 Calendar Date
WHAT: A good reason for #winelovers to drink more wine. In 2016, this is on a Wednesday, perfect because it's the social media hashtag of #winewednesday. PARTY SCENE: Hump Day makes it kind of tough, but pick a good restaurant/bar that's lively at Happy Hour. SINGLES SCENE: Get out there and make it happen! Women love wine and what a conversation-starter in the bars. MORE ON … [Read more...]
Vero Beach Wine + Film Festival 2017 Dates, Information & Ticket Prices
Tastings Are Paired With Independent Films In This South Florida City Wine can pretty much be enjoyed anywhere and the city of Vero Beach, FL, has paired it with a four-day festival featuring screenings of independent films. The Vero Beach Wine + Film Festival (VBWFF), the new ‘’Summer Sundance,” is scheduled for June 8-11. It is the only U.S. wine and film festival of … [Read more...]
Is Paying For A VIP Ticket Worth The Extra Cost At Wine, Beer & Food Festivals?
The Pros & Cons Of Early Entry & Benefits Vs. General Admission By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Nightlife Blogger One of the questions that almost always comes up when people are discussing getting tickets to wine, beer and food festivals is this one: "shall we go for the VIP?" There are, of course, pros and cons to either side and I examine both in this … [Read more...]
Two Buck Chuck Celebrates 15 Years At Trader Joe’s Stores
Nearly A Billion Bottles Or Charles Shaw Wines Have Been Sold At TJs It is an icon, a symbol of great value and the signature item of a speciality food store. Two Buck Chuck, the venerable cheap wine that's good enough to drink and even brag about and use at house parties, turned 15 in 2017. Introduced by Trader Joe's in 2012 it's become one of the most popular wines of … [Read more...]
The $28,000 Bottle Of Wine (And We’re Not Kidding!)
Wally's Beverly Hills Has A High-Priced Wine Cellar You Won't Believe That Includes The Coveted Chevel Blanc By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Blogger If you are one, like me, to dream of the occasional extravagant lifestyle, where money is never a consideration for anything you do or anything you buy, then step inside this place with me in one of the richest places on … [Read more...]
What’s In Your Glass For National Wine Day May 25 – Top Tips For Celebrating
National Wine Day is May 25 so what are you drinking that day and where are you drinking it – at home, at a bar, restaurant or perhaps a winery? If it helps you to decide, May 25 in 2023 is on a Thursday, which the thirsty people on social media know as #ThirstyThursday. No doubt it will be a widely-used hashtag that day. National Wine Day is a day to fill your glass, to … [Read more...]
Since When Did Two Buck Chuck Become Three Buck Chuck?
Trader Joe's Beloved Wines Now $2.99, Even In California By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Wine Blogger Did I miss the announcement? When Two Buck Chuck increased its price from its long-standing original price of $2 to $2.50 a few years ago, it made national news. But when did it go up to three dollars!? I just discovered this the other day while in Trader … [Read more...]
San Diego Bay WIne & Food Festival 2016 Top Events
Grand Tasting & SommCon The Best Of The Best, Especially For Singles There are almost as as many smiles as there is wine, a fine pairing in a fun city filled with fun people. The San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival – Nov. 14-20 in 2016 and its always the week prior to Thanksgiving – is the most anticipated event here in the fall, and there's good reason for … [Read more...]
Top Twitter Wine Chats For Wine Lovers & Bloggers
Calling All #WineLovers For Meeting On Social Media If you like wine and like talking about it – or, rather, Tweeting about it – then check out these chats that are specific to wines and wine lovers. They are Twitter chats and each week they focus on different aspects of wine. The participants are wine lovers, bloggers and wine industry pros. So they are a great way to … [Read more...]
A Toast To Tennessee Nashville Wine Festival 2016 Details
Wineries Pouring At Nashville Shores Amusement Park There's more than country music and beer in Nashville. There's also wine, and one heck of a fun wine festival – in an amusement park! Called "A Toast To Tennessee," it features wines from 25 Tennessee wineries and the location is unique in what it provides to wine lovers. It's at the waterpark of Nashville Shores … [Read more...]
Tennessee Wine Tasting Festivals: Upper Cumberland 2016 Details
Granville #WneLovers Festival Also Includes An Antique Car Show Not far from Nashville, in the Cumberland Plateau region of the Volunteer state, there's a taste of Tennessee that many folks may not know exists. It's a wine tasting festival. Yes, a wine tasting festival in Tennessee. This one takes place in the historic town of Granville. It's the Upper Cumberland … [Read more...]
Gatlinburg Wine Festival 2016 Date & Tasting Information
Smoky Mountain Wine Fest Is For #WineLovers In Tennessee When it comes to the Smoky Mountains, moonshine is the best-known beverage in the area. But there's wine, as well. And on Saturday, April 9, there's an event for wine lovers, the Gatlinburg Smoky Mountain Wine Fest featuring wineries from all over Tennessee. And yes, there are wineries in Tennessee. Sanctioned by … [Read more...]
Why It’s Okay For Men To Drink Rose Wines
New #WineLover Gets An Education From Holman Ranch Winery The second thing that Carla, a friend giving me my initial wine education, said to me was "don't ever drink rose in public." Her point was that rose, being a blend of red and white grapes, was a clear indication to girls that a guy drinking it was not a good decision maker. And girls like take-charge, confident … [Read more...]
How El Nino Is Affecting California Wine Production & Quality
Holman Ranch Winemaker Predicts A Good Year For Wines El Nino has been great for the ski resorts – Mammoth has had more than 250 inches of snow as of early March – but what affect is it having on California's wine country, wine production and wine quality? Greg Vita, winemaker at Holman Ranch winery in Carmel Valley, said that if certain conditions occur, this could be … [Read more...]
Super Bowl 50 Has A Wine Country At Super Bowl City
Taste Of Sonoma Lounge Offers Wine Tastings From Wineries You can't – or more appropriately shouldn't – have a Super Bowl in San Francisco without highlighting the area's wine regions and wineries. With Sonoma County being a destination sponsor of the game, it has a set up a wine tasting area as part of Super Bowl City in downtown San Francisco. More than 50 wineries … [Read more...]
French Domaine Grosset Is The Best Wine I Had All Year
Rustic, Old-World Red Is From The South Of France Of all the wines I had during 2015, the one I liked the best was a French wine, Domaine Grossett. It was a 2008 Brotte. A dark red, it had a rustic, old-world taste to it. This is not one for lovers of light reds, it's one for those who like a wine that makes a statement. Yet it also proved to be smooth; it went down … [Read more...]
Wine Room Added To Coppola Resorts Turtle Inn Belize
#WineLovers Have A Place To Drink In The Tropics When in Belize, you may be drinking rum and beer because of the tropical environment. Unless you are at the Turtle Inn. That's a Family Coppola Resort and since Francis Ford Coppola has two wineries in Sonoma County, CA, this is a fine place for wine and wine lovers. And now, the Turtle Inn has added a wine room. It features … [Read more...]
Alaska Airlines Expands Service To Sonoma County Wine Country
New Direct Flight From John Wayne Airport To Santa Rosa Getting to the Wine Country in Northern California now a bit easier for those in Southern California. Alaska Airlines has a direct flight from John Wayne Airport in Orange County to the Sonoma County Airport. Flights from Orange County depart at 12:15 p.m. and arrive in Santa Rosa at 1:46 p.m. Flights from Santa Rosa … [Read more...]
Holman Ranch Winery Offers Free 1-Year Wine Club
Holiday Gift Cards For Carmel Valley Tasting Room Membership Holman Ranch winery, located in Carmel Valley, CA, is in the spirit of the holiday season. It is giving away a one-year membership to its Estate Club. Those who purchase a wine club as a holiday gift will be entered into a drawing for the complimentary membership. The winner will be drawn on Dec. 23. Holman Ranch … [Read more...]
Oakland Urban Wine Trail Is Wine Tasting In A City
Wine Lovers Have A Napa & Sonoma Bay Area Alternative When you think of wine tasting in the Bay Area, Napa Valley and Sonoma come immediately to mind. You most certainly don't think about Oakland. But the city across the bay has wineries, 11 of them, in fact. And you can visit them as part of the Oakland Urban Wine Trail, a self-guided tour downtown. Oakland's urban … [Read more...]
San Diego Wine & Food Festival 2015 A Top Singles Event
Grand Tasting On Embarcadero Highlights A Week Of Fun Events Take notice of the name. It's the San Diego Wine & Food Festival, not the other way around. Wine before dine. That in itself says a lot about this annual event, which is held the third week of November. In its 12 years, it has become the largest such event in Southern California (and there are a lot of these … [Read more...]
Red Wine Gets More Proof It’s Good For Your Health
Study Shows Benefits For Those With Type 2 Diabetes A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine provided another boost for red wine and it's health benefits. It revealed that a glass of red wine could be good for people with Type 2 diabetes. A two-year study by Israeli researchers involved 224 people being given mineral water, red wine and white wine … [Read more...]
San Diego Wine & Food Festival 2016 Tickets Now On Sale
12th Annual Event Features Pairings & Popular Tastings • November 15-22 The multi-day San Diego WIne & Food Festival, which reaches a peak with a Grand Tasting on Saturday afternoon, is one of the area's top events and one of the best wine and food events in all of California. So you had better get your tickets now, for they are on sale. The price for the … [Read more...]
Monterey CA Wine Tasting Rooms Locations & Reviews
By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger One of the biggest drawbacks to wine tasting is either having to find a designated driver (good luck!) or join a tour or hire a driver, both of which can be expensive ($100 and up, per person). But in Monterey, CA, you can go wine tasting while walking. Sampling while strolling. And while not only being within the width of a … [Read more...]
Holman Ranch Carmel A Top Wedding & Events Location
Reviewing This Luxury Family-Run Private Venue In an area this beautiful and romantic, there are dozens of locations to host a wedding (or a private function or corporate event) that people will be talking about for years, almost as much as the event itself. One of those places is Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley. Situated on sunny, rolling hills overlooking the valley, this … [Read more...]
Vendange Inn Carmel Features Rooms Decorated By Monterey Wineries
Monterey B&B Highlights Monterey County Wines There is a place in Carmel, CA, where the hotel is as much of a destination as the area. It's called Vendange Inn & Suites and it's more than just a place to stay, it's a thrilling adventure. In the subdued Carmel kind of way. Vendange is unique in that it has taken what is all around it – namely, several wineries of … [Read more...]
Twisted Roots Winery Carmel Village Tasting Room Review
A Perfect Pairing Of Wines, Hospitality – And Great Pizza With a dozen tasting rooms within a three-block walking area, the Carmel Valley Village is a wine drinker's paradise. One area you don't want to overlook is Del Fino Place, a small road behind the Shell Station (it's a U-turn if you are coming from Carmel) that has a few tasting rooms, a couple of … [Read more...]
Dawn’s Dream Winery Carmel Tasting Room Thursday Happy Hour
Tasting Room Wines & A Bathtub Selfie The best selfie spot of the Carmel, CA, wine tasting rooms has come up with another way to draw in visitors: a Happy Hour! On the third Thursday of every month, Dawn's Dream Winery features $5 wines-by-the-glass and small bites of food, from 5-7 p.m. Dawn's Dream, which is part of the Carmel Wine Walk, is one of the more … [Read more...]
A Complete Guide To The Carmel Wine Walk Passport Tasting Rooms
Visiting Monterey County's Wineries Without Leaving Town Wine tasting rooms have become a big trend for wineries and towns in California. In quaint Carmel, there are 15 places people can go wine tasting. To put some order to this, the city of Carmel By-The-Sea has created the Wine Walk Passport. It involves nine tasting rooms for $65. With most tasting rooms … [Read more...]
Jack’s Monterey Portola Hotel Bar Wines & Happy Hour
Local Wines Are Paired With Napa & Sonoma Selections First of all, congratulations to Jack's Restaurant and Lounge in Monterey (CA)'s Portola Hotel for having won a Wine Spectator award for its wines. Jacks Restaurant & Lounge has undergone a complete overhaul of its wine list within the last two years. The wine program includes a selection of eclectic wines that … [Read more...]
Switzerland Wineries Lake Geneva Wine Country Ultimate Travel Guide
Complete Wine Tasting Guide Near Lausanne A wine country in Switzerland? What are we drinking, right? Well, hold onto your chalice. Not only is there a wine country in Switzerland, there are a couple of them. And the one visited by PubClub.com is spectacular, with sights surpassing those of many more renowned places, including some in France and California. … [Read more...]
Switzerland’s Domaine du Daley Winery Tour Wines Review
Touring & Tasting At The Country's Oldest Winery Your first thought when arriving at the Domaine du Daley winery in Switzerland is likely to be this: "I hope the wine is as good as this view!" It is, so not to worry. Still, the sparkle comes not from the wine – it doesn't make champagne – but from the look on your face when you're at the winery. Domaine du Daley is one … [Read more...]
Switzerland Travel Blog: Hiking To A Restaurant In The Swiss Alps
A Great Meal In The Middle Of A Meadow By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger The day was lovely. Not the kind of stunning lovely day one might expect to find in late summer in Switzerland – clouds kept us from seeing the famous reflection of the Matterhorn shining in a pond, the image which has graced a thousand postcards – but lovely none-the-less. We were … [Read more...]
Holman Ranch Carmel Valley Wine Tasting Room Good Review
Family-Run Winery Specializes In Pinot Noir Wines There are dozens of wine tasting rooms in Carmel Village – about a 20-minute drive from even more tasting rooms in the town of Carmel-By-The-Sea – so how do you choose which ones to visit? Well here's one that PubClub.com recommends. It's the tasting room for a small, local and family-run winery called Holman Ranch. In fact, … [Read more...]
Top 5 Reasons Switzerland’s Wines Are Like Swiss Women
Both Treats Are Delicious And Delectable, Each With An Accent Here's another reason to fall in love with Switzerland. Everyone knows Switzerland has a lot of attractions – the Alps, its ski slopes, neat villages, incredibly scenic lakes and rivers and vibrant cities – but it also has a pair of things that are not quite as recognized by the world. And that's … [Read more...]
A Guide To California Wineries And Wine Tasting Rooms
To experience wine tasting in California, you no longer have to go to the wineries. Instead, a number of wineries have opened tasting rooms in smaller cities and towns, and that is something that gets a big "cheers" from PubClub.com. The cool thing is that it's not just one tasting room, but several. So you can bounce around to four, five or, in the case of Santa Barbara and … [Read more...]
The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Guide To Buying & Drinking Wine
Tips For Men On How To Seem Like A #WineLover You love beer. So, too, does PubClub.com. But there are times when you – we – need to drink wine. Corporate gatherings, a private dinner party, a friend's birthday celebration at a restaurant, weddings and, of course, trying to act classy with the wife, girlfriend or attempting to impress a new date or even the boss or … [Read more...]
The Changing Attitudes About Pairing Wines With Food
White Wine With Fish And Reds With Meat Not A Drinking Rule There's a long-standing philosophy that says "white wine with fish, red wine with meat." The theory has been white wine paring with fish, chicken and turkey, while red wines were better suited for dark meats; steak, ribs, etc. But in reality, that's not the case; it was more about matching colors than … [Read more...]
The Single Guy’s Guide To Meeting Girls At Wine Festivals
Tips For Beer Drinkers At Wine Events Don't be turned off going a wine festival just because you are a beer drinker. There are several reasons to go to wine festivals – other than being dragged to one by a spouse or significant other – and the #1 reason is that wine festivals get a lot of girls! But you just can't show up to these things. You have to look the part … [Read more...]
Super Bowl 50 San Francisco Names Sonoma County Official Wines
Wine Lounge To Be Part Of Fans Village Sonoma County, not Napa Valley, has been awarded the title of Official Wine Supplier of the 2016 Super Bowl 50, taking place in the San Francisco Bay Area Feb. 7 of that year. With so many wine areas to choose from – including Monterey to the south and Mendocino to the north – it's a win-wine situation for the Super Bowl and fans. This … [Read more...]
September Is California Wine Month, A Fine Time For #WineLovers
Wineries, Tasting Rooms & Events Highlight Harvest Season In the eyes of some, every month in wine month in California. After all, the state has several wine growing regions – Napa, Sonoma, emerging areas in Monterey and Paso Robles, as well as Santa Barbara, Temecula and even Malibu in Southern California – and has thousands of wineries. But the Golden State's … [Read more...]
Gettysburg Has Not Only Civil War History But Wineries & Wine Events
A Guide To Events, Tastings & Wineries At An Historic U.S. Destination One of the most historical cities in the United States may be best known for a famous Civil War battle, but things are much more civil these days. In fact, Gettysburg, PA, is a place where you can go on scenic drives, walks or bike rides through its vast apple, peach, apricot and pear trees, … [Read more...]
CellarPass Your Ticket To California Wine Events & Tasting Rooms
Putting A Cork On The Worries Of Visiting Wineries Wine is a drink for relaxation, but it's easy to have an anxiety attack when you're trying to get tickets to a wine festival and even wine tasting rooms at popular wineries. But with a website called CellarPass, you can put a cork on the worries, as it is a tasting room and food and wine events search and reservation … [Read more...]
#WineWedneday Hashtag A Good Excuse For Midweek #WineLovers
I'll Drink (Wine) To This Weekly Social Media 'Holiday' Sometimes, I get the feeling that certain social media hashtags were created not because there is something important to share, but as an excuse to justify behavior that normally would seem a bit off kilter. Or, in the case of #WineWednesday, a midweek celebration of wine when such a thing is usually reserved … [Read more...]
A Night Of Luxury At Vendange, Carmel’s Wine-Themed Hotel
Savoring Unique Accommodations In Monterey Bay, CA Wine and Carmel, CA, go together like golf and Pebble Beach. But to put them together in a hotel? A themed hotel? In Carmel!? What a brilliant idea! That's what the owners of Vendange Inn & Suites have done and much to their credit the execution is as grand as the idea. I can tell you this because I've had a … [Read more...]
A Big Cheers To These 2013 San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival Events
Blogger's Review Of The Grand Tasting, Vault Reserve, Belgian Beer Luncheon & Stella Artois 10th Anniversary Celebration You just don't go to one event at the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival. You treat it like a feast. The event is really a series of events, lasting from a Monday thru Sunday and the fact that it annually occurs the week before Thanksgiving … [Read more...]
Looking Forward To The 2013 San Diego Wine & Food Festival
Annual Event Features Great Wines, Food, Beer – And Socializing It is upon us again. One of San Diego's top events of the year – a "must-do" on anyone's social calendar – is taking place the weekend of Nov. 21-22. It's the San Diego Wine & Food Festival and it is something I look forward to each and every year. Even though I don't even live in San Diego! Yet I drive … [Read more...]
It’s Party Time At An Australian Wine Festival
A Day On The Green At Siromet Winery In Brisbane More Like A Music Festival I'm going to a wine festival today. In Australia! And this is not just any wine festival, it's a rock concert with wine. There are several local bands playing, the event takes place in a big field. It goes from 3-10 p.m. It's called A Day On The Green at it takes place Siromet Winery In … [Read more...]
Get Your Tickets Now For The 2013 San Diego Wine & Food Festival
Grand Tasting On Embarcadero Highlights 10th Annual Event Nov. 18-24 You know you want to go, so get out the dough. Or, rather the credit card. The dough – and what's made with it – comes later. The 10th annual San Diego Wine & Food Festival is Nov. 18-24. And while it may seem a bit of advance planning overkill to get tickets in October, before you've even thought … [Read more...]
5th Annual Trump National Wine & Beer Festival 2013 Review
Sun Shines And The Fun Atmosphere Gets A Toast From This Blogger In what has become one of the top events in the South Bay Beach Cities, the fifth annual Trump National Wine & Beer Festival did something that's often difficult for repeat events: it met and, perhaps even exceeded, expectations. And those expectations were as high as the Palos Verdes cliff where … [Read more...]
Trump National Wine & Beer Festival 2013 Date is Aug. 25
Tickets Now On Sale For 5th Annual Event Featuring Craft Beers And California Wines Get out your smart phone, put in the date and set the reminder. The Trump National Wine & Beer Festival is Sunday, Aug. 25. Now in its fifth year, the Trump Wine & Beer Festival has become one of the top social events of the South Bay, as well as parts beyond. People go not just … [Read more...]
Paris Travel Blog: Walking The City of Lights, Drinking Wine And Eating In Cafes
By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger À votre santé! My first look at Paris upon emerging from the Metro onto the streets of Paris was of a McDonalds. Great, I thought. Here I am in one of the world's most vibrant and oldest cities and the first thing I see is America's great contribution to world culture, the fast-food hamburger franchise. A day later, I was … [Read more...]
Venetian Las Vegas Featuring Rum, Tequila & Wine Events For Carnevale
Italian Summer Festival Comes To Vegas With Several Fun Cocktail Happenings Carnevale, the biggest of the numerous festivals that take place in the small villages and towns of Italy throughout the summer, is coming to the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. It's a three-month celebration running from May 27-Sept. 8. The highlights, at least for me, are events featuring rum, … [Read more...]
Galante Is My Favorite Tasting Room On The Carmel Wine Walk
Good Wines Combine With Friendly Conversation In This California Gem Of all the fine wine tasting rooms as part of the Carmel Wine Walk, Galante is my favorite. That's because the hostess, Jenna, is lively and lovely, mildly sassy, loves Jimmy Buffett, will have wine herself with you, breaks out cheese and crackers and doesn't mind giving you an extra pour if you are … [Read more...]
Wine Tasting In The South Bay Goes From Bottle Inn To Baleen To FishBar
A Tasting By The Beach, Half-Priced Wines By The Harbor And Reverse Happy Hour I went on a wine tasting tour recently in California. It was not in Napa Valley, Sonoma, Paso Robles, Santa Ynez Valley or even Monterey or Mendocino County. Instead, it was a tour of my own design and right here where I live, in the South Bay Beach Cities of Los Angeles. Inspired by a Tweet … [Read more...]
Beer vs. Wine: When To Choose Which One To Drink
Beer Is For Partying While Wine Is For Reflecting Beer and wine, two great things in life to be sure. But beer verses wine? I love them both, but sometimes I feel like having a beer and at other times I prefer to be drinking wine. So what determines which will be quenching my thirst's desire? Well, it's really a mood thing. When I'm in the wild whoop-it-up frame of … [Read more...]
Corks And Oak Barrels Are Things I’m Learning About Drinking Wine
This Beer Drinker's Palate Is Starting To Adapting To Vino I'm a beer drinker who is learning about wine. And two things I have learned of late have nothing to do with what I know about the taste and quality of beers. Oh, these wines are indeed so complex! One has to do with corks. And the other is the oak barrels in which the wine is stored. One I inquired about and the … [Read more...]
Tennessee Votes Down Wine In Grocery Stores By One Vote
A Rocky Failure For Rocky Top's Arcane State Liquor Laws My first reaction when I learned that Tennessee – my home state – had failed by one vote a provision that could have allowed wine to be sold in grocery stores was "why are they still living in the 1800s!?" Then I saw that the one vote that was expected to have put it over the top came from a representative from … [Read more...]
California Party Weekend In Carmel, Santa Cruz And Wine Tasting
Four Fun Days In Three Great And Gorgeous Coastal Cities As great as the beach life is in Southern California, I also enjoying heading up the coast on occasion to the upper central coast of the state. And so on this particular weekend I was invited on a press trip for two nights in Carmel. Well, it's a 6-hour driver from Los Angeles on the 101 Highway (a scenic six … [Read more...]
Price of Trader Joe’s Two Buck Chuck Wine Rising In California
Increase Goes From $1.99 to $2.49; Well It Was Good While It Lasted Two Buck Chuck, the Charles Shaw signature wine of the affordable and loveable gourmet grocery store Trader Joe's, is now Two-And-A-Half Buck Chuck in California. Effective Jan. 16, the price of a bottle rose from a buck-99 to $2.49. “We work hard to have every item in the store at an intersection of … [Read more...]
James King Shows Wine The Fun Way at LA Travel & Adventure Show
Learning How To Drink Wine Before Enjoying A Wine Tasting Is wine complicated? Intimidating to order in a restaurant? It can be, but doesn't have to be, says wine consultant James King. In fact, he's got a simple solution. "The only way to learn about wine is to drink wine," he said. "So the more you drink, the more you learn." Now that sounds like instructions the … [Read more...]
California Cultures Mix at Mendocino Crab Wine & Beer Festival 2013
It goes without saying that cracking crabs and drinking beer go together. That's commonplace along the East Coast, particularly in Maryland, home of crab cakes and beer. But it also happens in California. Except people in this part of the country – in particular in the northern part of the Golden State – must always put their own special touch on things. So when they host a … [Read more...]
Switzerland Matterhorn Lake Geneva Region Travel Promotion
Swiss Host A Fun Boat Party For Los Angeles Journalists I like hearing about great places to travel almost as much as I love being at great travel places. When someone does it right – through words, pictures or video, or a combination of all three – it's like hearing Clapton play guitar, seeing Daniel Day-Lewis acting as Lincoln, witnessing Tom Brady throw a touchdown … [Read more...]
Having A Blast At The San Diego Wine & Food Festival
Celebrity Chefs Love The Party Scene, Too One night and one event, and I'm already having a blast. I'm in San Diego's Gaslamp for the annual Wine & Food Festival and this is an event I highly recommend. And I've not even gone to any of the wine tasting events yet! And that's the thing about the San Diego Wine & Food Festival (first of all, note the name of the … [Read more...]
Ready to Party At The San Diego Wine & Food Festival
One Needs To Be In Shape For Whirlwind Of Fun Events Bring it on. I'm ready. Up to the challenge. I've been working out, doing deep breathing exercises, practicing curls with wine glasses. The reason for all this preparation is the San Diego Wine & Food Festival, a multi-day event of saturation and satisfaction. Of indulgence and inspiration. This is one of the … [Read more...]