The value of asking before assuming.

I sat down with Remi to catch up, record a new Wine Soundtrack interview, and enjoy a bite to eat. The Domaine Carneros 2022 Cuvée de la Pompadour Brut Rosé stood out as it paired perfectly with food and is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

Celebrating 50 years of Crémant d’Alsace with three wines that showcase the quality, diversity, and value behind its success

Four Ponds Estate Winery — A New Legacy Rooted in Family What if the place you are searching for all your life suddenly feels familiar the very first time you

Good wine, good food, good company, and good music - that is all you need for a memorable evening. When my brother put some meat in the smoker and invited me over for dinner, I picked the wine. Add some music playing in the background and the Vinyl Vineyards 2023 Jota Iberian Blend was the perfect choice. A wine inspired by the connection between wine and music, it hit all the right notes and is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

Sitting in a seminar on Franciacorta, May Matta-Aliah, DWS, Educational Brand Ambassador, asked the room, “Who knows Franciacorta?” Everyone raised their hands.

Lava Cap — Where Family, Fire & Wine MeetWhat if the secret to a great California wine was buried deep beneath the vineyard?In this episode of Wine Soundt

Gewürztraminer and Pinot Noir. They may not be the first two grapes you would think to put together. Gewürztraminer brings intense aromatics and floral notes, while Pinot Noir brings red fruit, freshness, and acidity. But sometimes opposites attract, and together they make a surprisingly good match. Add some skin contact from the white grape and remove skins from the red grape, and things get a little wild. The Pali Wine Co. 2025 Wild Series White Wine is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

I still remember one of my first wine dinners.

WINE SOUNDTRACK USA Tablas Creek — The Rhône Spirit in CaliforniaWhat happens when two legendary wine families in France decide that the soul of the Rhône m

I put my thumb on the perfect wine this week. As I poured the wine, the first thing that caught my attention about the Thumbprint Cellars 2024 NuVo Cabernet Franc was the color. Clear and almost translucent, it was the color of a cherry Jolly Rancher. Then I took a sip. Light, fresh, smooth, and incredibly easy to drink, it was the kind of wine I started sipping while preparing dinner and continued enjoying long after the meal was finished. That is why the Thumbprint Cellars 2024 NuVo Cabernet Franc from Dry Creek Valley is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

When you think about California wine, where do you think most of the grapes are grown? Most people would say Napa. After all, Napa is California's most famous wine region. But Napa accounts for only about 4 to 5 percent of California's wine grapes. Lodi, by comparison, grows approximately 21 percent. In other words, roughly one out of every five wine grapes grown in California comes from Lodi.

WINE SOUNDTRACK USA Absolution Cellars — Where Wine Becomes a Portrait of Place What happens when you leave behind a successful career, move across the countr

What does a California cheese company dating back to 1946 have in common with an award-winning winery in Paso Robles? The answer is family and Le Vigne Winery - An Unexpected Wine and Cheese Destination in Los Angeles.

Most people go to a store, buy a bottle of wine, and consume it within a few hours or days. But when you work in wine, bottles tend to accumulate. I am not an intentional wine collector but have amassed many bottles over the years. Every once in a while, I look through my wine fridges and wonder: Did I miss the drinking point? Will these wines still be good? Luckily, if it is a Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, or Syrah or another grape, from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, it likely has aging potential. And I can say this after experiencing it firsthand at a retrospective tasting during the 25th annual Sta. Rita Hills Wine & Fire.

This past week, I traveled to Lake County to interview Jonathan Walters, VP of Winemaking and Vineyard Operations at Brassfield Estate Winery, for the Wine Soundtrack podcast. Brassfield Estate sits rather remotely in the High Valley AVA, surrounded by mountains, wildlife, vineyards, and even a volcano. After recording the podcast and touring the property, we settled in for a casual dinner with Chinese food and, of course, opened a few bottles of wine. One of those wines was the Brassfield Estate 2023 Viognier. Viognier is known for its beautiful aromatics and rich texture, but it can sometimes lack the acidity needed to keep it fresh and balanced. Not this one. With beautiful texture, vibrant acidity, and enough weight to stand up to our dinner, the Brassfield Estate 2023 Viognier is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

The magic of wine is seductive: rolling vineyards, your name on a label, and the intoxicating idea of calling yourself a vintner. And once the wine bug bite ...

For years, wine drinkers have joked about the "ABC" of wine: Anything But Chardonnay. I have always preferred a different interpretation: Always Bring Chardonnay. That's exactly what I did when friends invited me over for dinner. I knew a well-made Chardonnay would be versatile enough to pair with the entire meal, and the Donum 2022 Russian River Valley Chardonnay proved me right. Elegant, balanced, and incredibly food-friendly, it is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

When it is hot and humid A.F. outside, you need a wine that is Fresh A.F. And that is exactly what I brought to dinner at a friend's house in Washington D.C. this week. Friends for more than 30 years, we do not get to see each other as often as we would like, so there was plenty of catching up to do. And as we talked and ate, we enjoyed the Unico Zelo 2024 Fresh A.F., a fresh, juicy, chillable red that was as fun to drink as its name suggests, making it the Please The Palate wine of the week.

When people think of Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon is almost always the first wine that comes to mind. But long before Cabernet dominated the landscape, Chenin Blanc dominated as the valley's most widely planted white grape. As someone who loves Chenin Blanc for its beautiful texture and vibrant acidity, I was excited to taste the Charles Krug 2025 Limited Release Chenin Blanc. Not only is it a delicious wine, but it also revives an important chapter in Napa Valley's winemaking heritage, making it the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

If you Google the question, "Does the wine glass really matter?" you'll quickly find that the answer is yes. Most experts agree that the shape of a wine glass affects how a wine tastes and smells. The bowl, the opening, and even the thickness of the rim influence how aromas are released, how the wine hits your palate, and ultimately how you experience it. But with Gabriel-Glas, One Glass Does It All.

A few weeks ago, I shared a Post & Vine Carignane from Contra Costa County that reminded me just how compelling this underappreciated grape can be. This week, I opened another bottle, this time from Mendocino County’s historic Testa Vineyard. I was once again impressed by the character and versatility of Carignane. Farmed by the same family for generations and grown using organic and biodynamic practices, the Post & Vine 2022 Carignane from Testa Vineyard in Mendocino is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

You do not need a passport or a plane ticket to escape to Spain (although that would be nice!). Instead, head to Santa Monica's Bar Xuntos, where you will be transported to Spain the moment you walk through the door. From the warm, inviting decor and welcoming staff to the thoughtfully curated menu and distinctly Spanish wine list, it feels less like a restaurant in Los Angeles and more like a neighborhood tapas bar somewhere in Spain.

What makes a vineyard truly exceptional? Is it the soil, the climate, the people—or the philosophy behind every bottle?In this episode, we take you to the b

As much as I love introducing my friends to new wines, I also love when they, especially those who are not in the wine industry, return the favor. A friend of mine, who is a big fan of rosé, insisted I try a wine she had fallen in love with. I love a good rosé wine, but when she told me it was a Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon, I was intrigued. I typically gravitate toward rosés made with Rhône varieties, so this was not a style I would normally choose. But the label caught my eye, and she insisted I take a bottle home. And during the heat advisory this past week, I decided to open it with my favorite salad. From the first sip, I was won over, which is why the Kanpai Wines Hi No Tori Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

For more than 50 years, The Habit Burger & Grill has been known for one thing: fresh, made-to-order chargrilled burgers. While those burgers remain at the heart of the brand, Habit has steadily expanded its menu with salads, wraps, sandwiches, and award-winning sides (tempura green beans), all while earning recognition as the #1 Fast Casual Restaurant in America. Beyond food, Habit established a partnership with the Los Angeles Dodgers and is now taking another step forward with the launch of Habit & Co. This new chef residency program brings celebrated culinary talent into the Habit kitchen.

With so many wine brands in the world, there are always new ones to discover. I had never heard of Right Turn Wine Co. until my friend Mike selected one of their Pinot Noirs for us to review on Wine Weirdos. From the first sip, I was intrigued. In fact, I liked the wine so much that I took the rest of the bottle home to enjoy with dinner. Sometimes the best discoveries happen when you take a right turn, and that's exactly why the Right Turn Wine Co. Pinot Noir is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

As someone who grew up in a Dodgers family, any excuse to combine baseball, good food, and giving back is one I can get behind. Grab a Burger, Support Children's Hospital Los Angeles: Habit Burger's One-Night Fundraiser on July 16.

A classic Fourth of July celebration means hamburgers on the grill. And while there are plenty of red wines that pair beautifully with a burger, I reached for something a little more special, a limited-production bottle of Syrah. With its savory character, vibrant acidity, and layered flavors, the Lyons Vineyard 2023 Syrah from the Los Olivos District was a delicious wine and an even better pairing, making it the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

I can’t believe another year has passed, but I’m ready to turn the page. 2025 was a challenging year on many levels. With continued shifts in the wine industry, I felt it in my work: events slowed, writing opportunities disappeared, and the landscape changed in real time. But I didn’t let that stop me, and won't. Enjoy the Please The Palate January 2026 Newsletter.

Discover six stunning Sicilian wine stays, from historic vineyard estates to volcanic Mount Etna retreats, worth exploring beyond the island’s beaches.

What does it take to become one of California's most respected winegrowers—and the first woman ever named Grape Grower of the Year in San Luis Obispo County?

I eat sushi for dinner at least once a week. Sometimes I go out, but more often I order in. One of the advantages of eating sushi at home is that I get to choose the wine pairing. This week, I reached for a red wine. I know Pinot Noir, especially one that is fresh, savory, and bring, can work beautifully with sushi, and the Marbeso 2023 Williams Ranch Pinot Noir from the Santa Cruz Mountains proved exactly that. Elegant, energetic, and quietly complex, it is the Please The Palate wine of the week.

Life can be hectic. Whether it is the news or work or family, it can be hard to slow down and stop. And even when you do, it is hard to turn off your mind and relax. After my travel experiences in Italy last year, and after three separate stays at vineyard retreats in Piemonte, Maremma (Tuscany), and Sicily, I was inspired to write a story about the art of quiet luxury.

Can Lambrusco become the next luxury sparkling wine? In this episode, we uncover the remarkable story behind Saint Enzo, the premium Lambrusco brand founded by

A perfect summer activity in Los Angeles is attending a concert at the Hollywood Bowl. This past weekend, I went to the opening-night concert, an evening of Broadway favorites with performances by Brian Stokes Mitchell, Lea Salonga, Halle Bailey, Darren Criss, Renée Elise Goldsberry, and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, followed by fireworks. My friend and I picked up a few snacks, and I was in charge of the wine. Knowing we would be enjoying the warm evening air, I chose a white wine and a bottle with a screw cap for easy opening and closing. Inside the bottle was the delicious 2025 Cabernet Franc Blanc from Armay Vineyards, the Please The Palate wine of the week.

Prosecco is typically thought of by style - fresh, fruity, and easy to enjoy. But in the hills of Valdobbiadene in northern Italy, it can be a reflection of place, as I recently discovered during a virtual tasting with Andreola, a family-run winery in the heart of Valdobbiadene DOCG.

What if the future of wine is cleaner, healthier, and more authentic than ever before?In this episode, we sit down with award-winning winemaker Vivian Valenzuel

I remember the first time I discovered Assyrtiko while traveling in Santorini. I was fascinated by how compelling the grape could be. So, with the warm summer days here, I decided to chill the bottle sitting on my counter. I was intrigued as this Assyrtiko was from Paso Robles, not Greece. But after the first sip, I was reminded exactly why this grape is so special, and that is why the Cairjn Wine Cellars 2024 Assyrtiko from Paso Robles is the Please The Palate wine of the week.

If you know me, you know I have A LOT of wine in my home. But with all of the wine bottles, I also have A LOT of wine glasses. In fact, I have shelves of glasses that I have amassed over the years. I have beautiful crystal glasses and branded glasses collected from wine events and winery visits. I have a few complete sets and pairs, but mostly odd sets and lonely single glasses. But the one thing they all have in common is the water spots. 

Encruzado is one of my favorite white grapes. Grown in Portugal’s Dão region, it produces wines that are fresh, mineral-driven, and structured, often reminding me of Chablis for its balance and precision. So when I had the opportunity to try the Taboadella Villae White 2023, a blend led by Encruzado and supported by Bical and Cerceal Branco, it immediately caught my attention and, and after tasting it, it is the Please The Palate wine of the week.

In the world of California Pinot Noir, few names carry the same cult-like reputation as Sea Smoke Winery. While collectors can get their hands on allocations, the average wine drinker may have more trouble tasting the wines. And visiting the estate itself is even rarer. So, when I got an invitation to attend a lunch with the Winemaker Don Schroeder and General Manager Matt Steel, I knew it was a rare opportunity. The answer was an immediate yes.

Post & Vine produces Carignane from three different vineyards, each with its own personality and sense of place. This week, I chose the Contra Costa County bottling from Sandy Lane Vineyard, a site with deep roots and a long history with this underappreciated grape. From its bright fruit to its savory character, the Post & Vine 2019 Carignane from Sandy Lane Vineyard is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

In Piemonte, Italy, the three best-known red grapes are Barbera, Dolcetto, and Nebbiolo. Of course, of those three, Nebbiolo is "king" and Barbera has long lived in its shadow. In fact, many locals will casually say that they "drink Barbera while waiting for Nebbiolo to be ready." But Barbera is far more than simply a wine to drink while waiting for Nebbiolo. Vibrant, approachable, and food-friendly, Barbera offers bright acidity, soft tannins, and generous fruit, making it one of Piemonte's most enjoyable everyday wines. And in Nizza, where Barbera takes center stage, the grape reaches an entirely different level of complexity and expression. That is the vision behind Frasca La Guaragna, a young winery rooted in the heart of Monferrato and dedicated to showcasing the depth and potential of Barbera from Nizza DOCG. I had the pleasure to meet winemaker Matteo Gerbi during a recent virtual tasting.

Malvasia is not a single grape but a large family of ancient varieties with a long and storied history in Europe. Within the diverse Malvasia family is Malvasia Bianca, known for producing highly aromatic, versatile wines ranging from bone-dry and crisp to sweet and sparkling. Aromatic yet dry, the Langhart & Hill 2023 Malvasia Bianca from Dry Creek Valley is lively, refreshing, and the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

I have spent more than two decades in the wine industry. And while wine is a product, a commodity, I have never thought of it only as that. Wine tells stories. Each bottle tells the story of a place, culture, family, and history, as well as the year and the people involved in bringing it to life. Some of my closest friendships, most memorable travels, and meaningful conversations have taken place around a table with wine. Wine has always been about connection.