BOOK REVIEW ~ “Professional Drinking,” by Jim Schleckser
Jim Schleckser is a Certified Sommelier, and he’s also a best-selling author. Borrowed from his Website: He is an energetic and popular speaker at national business conferences and corporate events, focusing on the leverage points to improve your business performance. What he’s not is in the wine business. He is, however, so passionate about wine […]
A New Air is About, at this 110 Year Old Farm
New Air meets old air, in this charming farmhouse, built in 1910. There’s a sense of renewed spirit passing through. Old houses can hold such historical charm and a lingering culture of the times that each family has lived there, along the way. Around the homes are treasures of the past, with elements of metal, […]
Touring a Chateau, Don’tcha Know, Inside and Out ~ Château des Capitans Juliénas of Beaujolais
In an effort to pay homage to all of the wineries and vineyards visited last July in France, I continue with my experiences, as a guest of both Les Vins Georges Duboeuf and Château Roubine. This story started in Northern Beaujolais, scheduled by Georges Duboeuf. The black and mustard-yellow, decorative roof (in this photo) is […]
Long Time Coming Story ~ Castello di Amorosa
It seems like so long ago, from now, when I visited Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga, Napa Valley, on a whim. My husband Jose and I had just attended a media tasting for a Rutherford Dust event, and I decided that I wanted to not pass by Castello di Amorosa, as I had so many […]
Carneros Wine Alliance Annual Spring Barrel Tasting ~ 2019
Who can define a regional American Viticultural Area (AVA) better: The collective marketing decisions from a gaggle of people, and a Webmaster who simply needs content? Or, the historian who did the research and development? I always begin my searches with the organizations. In this case, it’s the Carneros Wine Alliance and the Sonoma […]
When It’s Traditional and It’s in Tuscany ~ Day 2
I was the guest of Castello di Meleto in Gaiole ~ In the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany. Hosted by Antonia Caserta (sales manager), their winemaker Matteo Menicacci, and their agronomist Giovanni Maria Farina. Antonia translated, and I was also in the company of Michael Yurch (Bluest Sky Group) and Michael Apstein from Apstein On […]
If You Love Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District, This Event Has Your Name All Over It
An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated, wine grape-growing region in the United States,and has been for the nearly 39 years. The Augusta AVA surrounds the area in and around the town of Augusta, Missouri, which was the first recognized AVA recognized in the US, gaining their status on June 20, 1980. Stags Leap’s […]
Petaluma Gap Wines ~ Wildly Flavorful
[PHOTO: Dr. Mark Greenspan, borrowed from his Advanced Viticulture Website] From the famed viticulture expert Dr. Mark Greenspan in a Petaluma Gap Newsletter: According to viticulturist Mark Greenspan in this Wine Business Monthly article, “Wind is a significant factor in many regions [including] the Petaluma Gap of Sonoma County… We see thicker skins and more intense color in […]
When Opportunity Knocked ~ Siena Italy Was at the Door
[ALL PHOTO: Jo Diaz, unless noted otherwise. Shop in Sienna, Italy] PART 1 ~ CULTURE LEADS TO WINE AND FOOD In October of 2018, a door was opened for me by Bluest Sky Group, when I was invited to join a group of wine professionals traveling in Italy. We would be exploring the central wine regions of […]
Romancing the Grape ~ Relationship Selling for Hospitality Professionals
SAMPLE COPY from Lynda R. Paulson ~ PHOTO: Jo Diaz Romancing the Grape ~ Relationship Selling for Hospitality Professionals by Lynda R. Paulson should be mandatory reading for all winery tasting room personnel. This is always how I sold wine, while working in a tasting room, because my studies and background are in PR. That said, […]
