What? No fires? Our number one concern entering 2021 never materialized in the North Coast growing region. While our neighbors in the...

Version 2.0 When asked to jot a few words down that define Prima Materia’s philosophy regarding Sangiovese, I am struck by how simple and...

What. A. Year. The wine world is a very diverse web, and grasping the totality of it, even just within California, is a lot to ask. But...

The 2019 vintage was a snapshot of extremes. A cold, wet and lingering Spring dropped over an inch of thunderstorm-powered rain June 1st

Pietro's 3-hour wine seminar covering tasting, descriptors, vineyard practices, winemaking, and food pairings.

10 ways to use fish sauce to make cooking a bit better

I recently spent several days deep in fried chicken R&D for a consulting project and thought I would share a few insights. This recipe...

This recipe has gone through many iterations (as have I) since I started working it in 2007. It was originally based on recipes from...

If you like wine, this is something cool, something almost no one ever sees. Think you know grapes do you? Well this is the modern...

Vine Budding and Grafting Friday night we had a guest lecturer, the very highly respected field graft expert, Daniel Robledo. He learned...

Greco di Tufo - the TTB has spoken and is wrong I have just received the TTB's judgement on my petition to recognize Greco (Bianco or...

I recently opened a restaurant for an unprepared owner. It was an interesting project, but even a small 40-seat opening is very tough and...

I did the snoopy dance when I heard about it. Deep in Napa Valley, on a warm afternoon we gathered at Silenus to discuss making - wait...

Here is a hint for those who like to cook - use oxtail. Yes, it looks like a giant denuded penis and yes, it is actually the tail which...

I remember my first espelette. I am only about 50% on the anniversary, and sometimes the car is not where it was left, but I remember...

Because I fear Mr. Heimoff's tattooed and sleek gym-toned forearms reigning blows upon me I will simply link to his blog exchange with...

This is a rare personal post from 2012 - you have been warned. I hate eating and I hate food. Sometimes. I am getting over it. The best...

Arneis was not on the original road map for this season (see left), but being flexible is part of the fun. Based in the Roero in...

Yup, 17 days of 100F or above in July, so in conjunction with a little water nervousness it has been toasty here in Kelseyville.We are...

A friend recently asked a flurry of questions about rosé wines, wondering who, what and where they were royally made. Here are a couple...