“Stubborn Old Man.” Review: Silverado Vineyards GEO Cab Sauv 2013
My father turned 70 years old today, and tonight I took him — as well as my mom, my wife, and our son, out for dinner. He ordered a terrific […]
Author Archives: Mark & Sonja Gudgel
“Coming Home.” Review: Ballentine Vineyards Malvasia Bianca 2014
After a week in the Napa Valley, wherein I had visited more than twenty wineries, taken and passed my level one exams, and shared seemingly countless excellent dinners with friends […]
“Blinded”
I’ve gotten into a bit of an awkward habit lately. Here’s how it goes down: I go into a bar I don’t regularly frequent, probably a beer n’ whisky joint […]
“Hurry up and wait.” Review: Silverado Vineyards Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Our daughter isn’t here yet. What happened to science? What happened to modern medicine? What happened, even, to my hopeless romanticism? Yesterday, April 16, was not only my birthday as […]
“Happy Beaster!” Review: Buena Vista la Victoire Champagne NV
Only a few times in my life has my birthday fallen upon Easter, and today as I turn 36 on Easter Sunday, I took a moment to reflect back upon […]
“Spring has sprung!” Review: Silverado Vineyards Sangiovese Rosato 2016
Last night, after dinner, we sat out on the patio for the first time in a long time and enjoyed the feeling of the advent of spring. The pear trees […]
WSET II: An Aussie State of Mind
I continue to work on my wine knowledge in preparation for taking my next WSET exam. I take somewhere between one and three 50-question practice exams a day, and, for […]
Review: Barnard Griffin Reserve Cab Sauv 2010
I had a call with Rob Griffin last week, regarding an article I’m writing about him. I’m always impressed with how down-to-earth and relatable the masters of the wine […]
“Worth the Wait.” Review: Optima Gewürztraminer 2016
Last year, Sonoma County legend Mike Duffy released his first ever Gewürztraminer. I heard a lot of stories about how that came to be, who asked him to make it, […]
“Three’s Company.” Review: Criterion Collection Coonawarra Reserve Cab Sauv 2013
Our Air BnB guests arrived on time just after 8pm, their plan to spend the weekend in Omaha underway. As we stood around talking in the kitchen for a bit, […]
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