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The California Gold Rush in the mid-19th century was the catalyst that transformed Napa Valley from a sleepy agricultural area into a booming viticulture region, with over 140 wineries in operation until the beginning of the sad chapter of Prohibition in 1920. With Prohibition in effect for 14 long years, many growers decided to tear

Christmas time is finally upon us and we can feel our communities swell with yuletide cheer. Are you still thinking about what that perfect gift may be? Stop thinking! We have you covered at the Wine Club with special Christmas packs that will make you incredibly popular this season. Every pack comes with three bottles

Written by Michael V. Reyes Among my two favorite wine destinations to visit in the world are the charming medieval village of Saint Emilion in the heart of the world famous Bordeaux wine region in France and of course Napa Valley.  It has been a while since my last trip to Saint Emilion, but I

Written by Michael W. Reyes It is finally time for the Wine Club’s biggest sales of the year, our 11/11 clearance sale. It is the perfect opportunity to load up on high quality American wine for the Holidays (because we all know how fast that goes during festivities). This year, we have 11 excellent wines

Napa Valley’s rich winemaking history began well before the California Gold Rush in the mid 19th century. The early pioneers established the first commercial winery in 1861, and its success and leadership sparked a wave of new growth. By 1889 there were more than 140 wineries in operation.  This tremendous expansion, however, was soon brought

What is one of the most notable things about wine? I would argue it is the glassware. The cool looking bulb on a stem that houses the exquisite  nectar just feels right. Imagine having wine in a water glass – it just would not do. Besides the spectacle , there is actually a scientific reason

The hardest part about drinking wine is reading the label. Wine producers and regulators are notorious for having nuanced labeling practices which often confuse more than clarify. In the recent decades New World producers and regulators, specifically in the US and Australia, have taken major strides in simplifying labeling practices, but there are still small

On a recent sunny Napa morning, Janet and I were invited to the new Quilt Wine Lounge in Downtown Napa for a wonderful tasting of Joe Wagner’s line-up of current releases from his Coppercane portfolio.  Joe, of course, is the son of Caymus Vineyards’ Chuck Wagner, and creator of the famed Meiomi Pinot Noir, which

Almost 3 decades ago, just before moving my young family from Los Angeles to Hawaii, I organized a wine dinner with friends with a silly theme – Parker or Spectator 98 pts and above and a stipulation that the vintage was at least 10 years old.  Of course, most of the bottles brought were the usual

Our semi-annual visits to Napa Valley are remiss without a visit to Caymus Vineyards. Nestled in a bucolic area in the Rutherford Bench formerly known as Rancho Caymus, the name derives from the native American Wappo Indians that inhabited most of present day Napa Valley. Rutherford is considered the historical heart of Napa Valley, known