It’s been a whirl-wind few months being back in Oregon. This fall, we moved two states, finally got into a new apartment, I started a new job, we’ve been searching for wedding venues for next year, and have spent lots of time on Oregon’s highways visiting friends and family. After two months on the go, it felt like I hadn’t spent a weekend in my new home in Hood River. So even though it was the New Year’s long holiday weekend and other people my age may have been out partying the and clinking glasses with friends, I decided to stay close to home – but that doesn’t mean I didn’t pop a cork of m ..read more

Somehow summer has come on hot and fast and my wine refrigerator is underprepared. It is filled to the brim with rich red wines made for cozy winter nights and dinner parties. While I love red wine year-round, the other day I was craving a cool white wine to enjoy as the evening started to enveloped the day-time heat. With nothing specific in mind, I picked up budget-friendly wine from a local grocery store. This 2020 barrel-select California Chardonnay by Anthony Koster was a mild, medium-body white wine and fit the bill for the night. Featuring honeysuckle and lemon on the nose, the chardonn ..read more

This bottle of wine has made a few trips around the sun. I first tasted it a few years after its harvest out at the winery’s quaint tasting room overlooking the lower Ribbon Ridge hills. It was hot. Hot enough to want to sit inside for us native north-westerners. Air conditioning was rare, and welcomed. As I tasted through their flight, this particular pour jumped out at me right away. Not many producers at the time made a single variety Grenache – this was maybe only my first or second time tasting it alone and not blended with another varietal for its beautiful color and body. Similar to a P ..read more

Before buying this bottle of wine I must admit that I had never had a red wine from Austria. I didn’t even know what types of red grapes grew in Austria. But that is one of my favorite things about drinking wine; it opens you up to the world and offers you the chance to learn about a new country and culture. In reality, Austria, the home to the famous wine glass markers Riedel, actually grows several different red wine varieties including Blauer Portugieser, Merlot, and Syrah. However, Zweigelt, a soft-tannis wine created in 1922 by crossing Blaufrankisch and St. Laurent, is the most populous ..read more

On my last trip out to Oregon, I enjoyed a day of wine tasting in the Umpqua Valley while traveling between the coast and central Oregon. It was a heavenly day with bright, warm sunshine, beautiful rolling vineyards, and some amazingly good wine. While I love visiting the tasting rooms and sampling their portfolio of wines, I shamefully admit that I’m not a big wine buyer. I’ll pick up a bottle here and a bottle there, but at this point in my life I can’t drop down the big bucks for a case (yet) and my wine budget is pretty small. So typically, I’m looking for a good deal for good wine; aroun ..read more

This past weekend, I got together with two of my girlfriends from college to watch our alma mater play football. While we no longer live in the same city, we try to still see each other on occasion. Life has gotten busy. We are aren’t the same college kids as when we met. But no matter how much we change, when we get together it’s like no time has passed. For the game, we decided to have a potluck and just watch it on television as my friend Bre has a little girl, who just learned to walk. Like always, I offered to bring some delicious dessert and a bottle of wine. One problem, they both only ..read more

While Utah is Zion to some, it’s a wine-lover’s hell. Going on a year and half in this desert oasis, I’ve been on a bit of a wine hiatus and missing it dreadfully. Luckily for me, I have some great friends around the country and few near some great wine. One of my oldest-friends who now lives in Baltimore, Amy, brought me two wines from the Finger Lakes region when we reconnected for a quick weekend over a friend’s wedding celebration in Oregon. And so far, I like what I’m tasting. I’ve never visited the Finger Lakes before and to my recollection have never tried any of this small wine regions ..read more

It’s wedding season! By the end of the summer my husband and I will have attended three weddings and two anniversary parties. Here are a few wine gifts I have in mind for my gift-giving celebrations. Box gift set of wine tools For a newly married couple, a gift set of wine tools could be a nice addition to their new home. Many sets include a corkscrew, foil cutter, pourer, wine collar, bottle thermometer and bottle stopper. Wine Chiller Stick This tool helps to keep wine cool (not to be confused with cold) on even the hottest days plus provides a spout and aerator. I particularly liked the chi ..read more

Fall is the best time to start some craft projects. The weather is cooling down and the rains keep you inside. Don’t get cabin fever this season with these holiday cork crafts! You needed another reason to open up another bottle of wine, right? Cork Picture Frame Save your favorite moments with this adorable picture frame. Buy it on Etsy through CorkCreationsbyK or make a similar one for yourself. Wine Cork Stamps Better extra crafty with these handmade cork stamps. Come up with your own design and go crazy! Here’s the tutorial thanks to Sweet Spot Cards. Wine Cork Pumpkins Nothing says ..read more

A fantastic wine with bold acidity and candied fruit flavors. On the first whiff, Brooks Wine’s 2012 Yamhill Riesling greets you like an expensive perfume with aromas of honeydew, tart peaches, and spring flowers. Then the boutique blossoms further with flavors of jolly rancher green apple and bright citrus. But what I loved most about this new-world wine was it vibrancy and ease to drink. I enjoyed the bottle (too good to share) over a camping weekend in Bend. Between summiting Broken Top, I sipped a glass or two at a picnic table in a high desert pine forest just off the Cascade Lakes Highw ..read more