Judith Smelser Tastings, Wine Experiences, Wine News, Wine Reviews, Winemakers, Wineries

Hidden Wine Country: Napa’ School House Vineyard Keeps Things Quietly Classic

All photos by Steve Mort

Napa and Sonoma, the two counties at the heart of California wine country, are famous for lavish tasting rooms, Michelin star restaurants, and deluxe accommodations. Drive even a few hundred yards along Napa’s main thoroughfare, Highway 29, and you’re likely to pass five or six big name wineries ready to put on an impressive, pricey, and often thoroughly enjoyable show for you.

But hidden behind them, there’s another world — a place that’s more about passion than money, more about soil than manipulation, more about history than trends, and more about experimentation than safe bets. You have to look a little harder for this hidden Wine Country, drive a little farther to get there, and pay a little more attention when you arrive. But it’s well worth the effort.

Part 1 of this series takes us to School House Vineyard, a Napa stalwart making elegant wines that remain largely unknown, even to many of the Valley’s most ardent fans.

Continue reading “Hidden Wine Country: Napa’ School House Vineyard Keeps Things Quietly Classic” →

Judith Smelser Tastings, Wine Experiences, Winemakers

This Week’s Orlando Wine Events are Sweet, Cool & Blind

Welcome to summer, Orlando! Who am I kidding, we all know it’s been summer here for months, but now the calendar has officially caught up to our weather. It’s time to take refuge from the heat with some wine events that will keep you cool and quenched. Read on for the highlights of …

ORLANDO’S WEEK IN WINE

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Judith Smelser Beyond Central Florida, Wine News

Albarino in my Bordeaux? Climate Change Forces One of France’s Oldest Wine Regions to Consider New Grapes

When it comes to wine, it doesn’t get much more traditional than Bordeaux.

The region has been making wine since Roman times. It’s been favored by European royalty for centuries, and Thomas Jefferson was a big fan.

Bordeaux has been highly regulated and tightly controlled since the Classification of 1855, when the region’s producers were sorted by quality into First through Fifth “Growths.” For more than eight decades, the appellation has allowed only ten grapes to be used in wines bearing its name.

But that may be about to change.

The reason? Climate change.

Continue reading “Albarino in my Bordeaux? Climate Change Forces One of France’s Oldest Wine Regions to Consider New Grapes” →

Judith Smelser Tastings, Wine Experiences

Slipping Slowly into Summer Wine Season

Temperatures continue to warm in the City Beautiful, and I can feel the tempo beginning to slow down on the wine scene, as Central Florida slips into its languid summer pace. But there are still plenty of events to enjoy and plenty of recurring events to check out too.

Given the slower pace, I’ll go ahead and share event highlights for the next two weeks. It works out well, since I’ll also be a little busy in the coming days. As I write this, I’m winging my way to California wine country – be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook for updates on my adventures!

Without further ado, here are …

ORLANDO’S NEXT TWO WEEKS IN WINE:

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Judith Smelser Tastings, Wine Experiences, Winemakers

California, Italy, and Argentina on Tap for This Week’s Wine Events

It’s that time of year when the thermometer starts to inch up, but Orlando’s wine calendar shows no sign of cooling down. This week, hang with a winemaker from Santa Barbara, sample wines from Mount Vesuvius, sip some classic Napa cab, and much more. Here are some highlights of …

ORLANDO’S WEEK IN WINE

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Judith Smelser Wine News

This Month in Edible Orlando: Six Orlando Wine Bars to Quench Your Thirst for Knowledge

Photo credit: AaronVan

My latest Edible Orlando wine column shines a spotlight on six locally-owned wine bars across the Orlando metro area that are dedicated to educating consumers, creating community, and raising the bar for Central Florida’s wine scene.

These are places I’ve written about individually, that feature regularly on the Calendar Page and in weekly events posts, and that are listed on the Orlando Wine Bar Guide page … but until now, I haven’t brought them all together in a feature post.

Edible Orlando‘s “Drinks Issue” gave me the excuse, not only to bring them together in print, but also to bring most of their proprietors together for a crazy, fun photo shoot. The results are this article and the great photo above, taken by local food photographer AaronVan.

With one exception, all of these wine bars are under five years old – a testament to just how much our wine scene has exploded in recent years. I expect a few more standouts to join them by this time next year.

Of course, this is by no means an exhaustive list of wine establishments in Central Florida. Many more are included on the Wine Bar Guide, so be sure to check that out too. But if you’re visiting Orlando, new to the area, or just starting out on your wine journey, I promise you will not go wrong by starting with these six.

Cheers, Orlando!