From space to the vineyard, life has taken many spins around this earth for Don Hagge of Vidon Vineyard. Visiting his hideaway gem of a vineyard with its magnificent views of the Willamette Valley, one would never know that Don had played a specific role in the Apollo space mission. You might call Don an

Memorial Day Wine: Spring into Summer Wine
As I think about the ideal wine to serve this Memorial day weekend, I am reminded that Memorial weekend signifies the time we start to light up the barbeque as we move from spring to summer weather. We switch from the big, bold, more moody wines of winter to the brighter livelier wines of summer.

Delve into Oregon’s Eola-Amity Hills AVA
Recently while on a wine adventure to the Willamette Valley, I explored wineries in several of the seven Willamette Valley AVAs. There are enough wineries in each appellation for a weekend escape to each one. This article focuses on the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, including things to do in the surrounding vicinity other than wine tasting.

NZ Wine Navigator: Elevating the bar on New Zealand Wine
When we think of New Zealand wine most American’s are familiar with the big wineries that make their way to the United States, but many do not realize an effort is being made to bring notoriety to some small boutique wineries. One company forging the way to make these wineries known to us is NZ

The Cycles of Life Express Antiquum Farm Wines
At the southern tip of the Willamette Valley just north of Eugene, Oregon, and west of Junction City, one finds Antiquum Farm, one of Oregon’s hidden gem wineries. The winery hums with life because for Stephen Hagen, the owner, the cycles of life frame his farming philosophy creating a unique vision of sustainable farming and

South African Wine: Exploring the Western Cape
The South African Consulate-General Los Angeles presented a South African Wine Lunch. Wines of South Africa partnered with the consulate for this luncheon at A.O.C. Jim Clarke, Marketing Director for Wines of South Africa, was our host along with the wines served at the luncheon. Most vineyards in South Africa are located in the Western

Alloro Vineyard: Defining the Chehalem Mountains AVA
Visiting Alloro Vineyard, one gets a good sense of what the Chehalem Mountains AVA is all about. Located west of Portland in Sherwood, a portion of the Tualatin Valley, the winery also sits in the northern part of the Willamette Valley. The Chehalem Mountains AVA was established in 2006. The soils consist of three types:

It’s the season for Autumn Wine
As the vineyard’s leaves turn shades of red, yellow and orange, we know autumn is in our midst. The food on our table begins to change to a heartier cuisine. Thus it becomes time to consider the best Autumn wine to complement our meal. Here is a selection of autumn wine to grace your table:

Wine Watch: Wine for Thanksgiving 2018
Well, as we have seen, walking into any retail store about now after finishing Halloween – they are not only ramped up for the Thanksgiving 2018 holidays – but Christmas is on the floor front and center. Let’s take a long deep breath, and a minute to think about wines for Thanksgiving 2018 now, as