WineTasteTV.com - Laura's Line on Wine

Madeira, Mysterious Madeira

Laura — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:02:00 PST

Most people don't get it and can't follow it but this wonderful oxidized wine, often a blend of several indigenous grapes, can taste like nectar,

C House Restaurant in the Affinia Hotel, Chicago

Laura — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 17:09:00 PST

Nice to find such a fascinating wine list, and for the most part, reasonably priced.....

A Social Network Off-Shoot

Laura — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:42:00 PST

Please be my friend!

Wine 2.0-- where wine meets technology

Laura — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:07:00 PST

Well, it was quite a bash! Bringing together some great winemakers with some techno-geeks and new media specialists!

Ulises Valdez Vineyard-- a Chardonnay harvest

Laura — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:45:00 PST

This is one of the prized Russian River Valley Chardonnay vineyards from with Paul Hobbs makes his Chardonnay, and Ulises bottles his own wine as well.

Paul Hobbs in the Morning Harvest

Laura — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:16:00 PST

Crack of dawn at Paul Hobbs where the Pinot Noir harvest is in swing, on a beautiful late September day.

The Grapes Have Arrived!

Laura — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 05:59:00 PST

The grapes get to Freemark Abbey and the staff gets to work.

Harvest at Sycamore Vineyards

Laura — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 05:44:00 PST

Harvest 2008 was in full swing last week in Napa Valley. Watch it in full action....

Biking Up Valley on the Trail

Roger — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:15:00 PST

Some gems discoveries biking North of St. Helena on the Silverado Trail....

Up Howell Mountain-Viader and Cade, LEED Certification

Roger — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 05:38:00 PST

Heading up Howell Mountain, you get a different view of the Valley at Viader and Cade, and a word on LEED Green Building certification....

Mendocino and the RedWoods

Roger — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:38:00 PST

A weekend trip up the coast to Mendocino is something to be seen....

Golden Vineyards and Redwood Valley AVA

Roger — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:33:00 PST

Get an inside scoop on the sustainable practices and farming in Mendocino County with Julie Golden.

Food and Wine in Mendocino

Roger — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 07:05:00 PST

Take a look at the feast we cooked over a tiny little outdoor grill--and the Mendo wines we paired to it.

Laurent Gras's New Venture L20 in Chicago

Roger — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:46:00 PST

Just the pics for now but wow...this was true art on the plate, with ocean-fresh seafood and fish. Line-up of wines to come....

Mumm Harvest Celebration 2008!

Roger — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:35:00 PST

Hear about our journey to Roger's Vineyard to film Napa's first harvest of 2008; the Pinot Noir champagne grapes.

Visiting Oregon--the Willamette Valley

Roger — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 06:24:00 PST

It's our first filming trip to beautiful Oregon and we are on Day #1--join me for a host of entries on the sustainable farming that's more of the norm than the exception here in the Willamette Valley.

Bethel Heights and Oregon LIVE

Roger — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:13:00 PST

Come along and meet the entire family, and the pioneers of Low Impact Viticulture and Enology (LIVE).

Moving along --an Overview of Oregon Wine Country

Roger — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:54:00 PST

Before I take you to our next stop, thought it would be fun to share some info I learned on this wine region...a great place to visit. A few restaurant recs, too.

A Salmon Safe stop at Van Duzer

Roger — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:01:00 PST

Another stop of our journey to better understand Oregon wineries' sustainable and eco-friendly Salmon Safe rules at Van Duzer Winery.

Biodynamics at Momtazi Vineyards and Maysara Wines

Roger — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:12:00 PST

It's none other than Moe Momtazi, guiding us through the natural maze that's dubbed biodynamics. Fascinating.

Labor Day Barbeque Wine

Roger — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:35:00 PST

I found this lovely Rose from Bordeaux so will enjoy this on this very American holiday...Pink Criquet.

Vin-O-Pass Quite a Wine Education

Roger — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:38:00 PST

Strolling through my new local Whole Foods store, I was stunned and incredibly delighted by not only the Vin-O-Pass inside the wine department, but the selection loaded up!

Olvena Wines from Somontano (whereoe)

Roger — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:51:00 PST

I really do try to stay on top of the growing international wine market, but new regions and wines slip in at such warp speed. This weekend I was introduced to Sonomtano and the wines of Olvena.

Barossa Valley Never Tasted So Good....

Roger — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:51:00 PST

What happens when you are the winemaker of Grange for almost 30 years? You start your own label, no doubt, just what John Duval has done, not to mention launch projects in Washington state and Chile.

AO-- What is this place on Hwy 29oe

Laura — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 04:38:00 PST

Another new winery popped up on Hwy 29 in the heart of Napa Valley--Alpha Omega. What is this place?

Cakebread with a few surprises!

Laura — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 05:23:00 PST

More discoveries while on the road in Napa-- a stop at Cakebread

The One Who Knows About Wine

Laura — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 05:55:00 PST

My identity at a dinner table is usually "the one who knows about wine." So, generally speaking, most people defer to me for wine suggestions for. And I admit, I typically study the darn list, taking me into an anti-social zone for about 10 minutes... But tonight, at the new McCormick and Shmick's here in suburban Chicagoland, my mom actually took a scan at the wine list and told me a quick story.

Apple Store Geniuses and Bordeaux

Laura — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 05:12:00 PST

Once again, wine comes into play in yet another interesting way. Being a regular at my Apple store isn't necessarily something I'm proud of. It's a little geeky but I need to know all the ins and outs of this slender brushed metal piece of technology, and learning Final Cut editing software is no day at a picnic. I go for my one-on-one session at least twice a month so I know most of the Geniuses. At this point, the guys in the store know that my business is wine TV, and I found out today, even with the coolest techno-Apple dudes, wine is a social lubricant, and that's without even drinking it.

Revelations on Food and Wine pairings...or not

Laura — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:00:00 PST

When you have some good friends for diner and you know you will linger on the deck afterwards, I feel it's always worth opening something you might now otherwise drink on a weeknight. Such was the case with that '02 Calistoga Cellars-a pleasant surprise, since I can't recall exactly where I got it or who gave it to me. Ends up my dinner guest and friend Jen had just recently bought a couple of bottles of the '05 Calistoga Cellars, saying it was such a good California Cab for the price. Coincidence in this vast world of wine...

Craving Wine

Laura — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:44:00 PST

Whenever I get going cooking, I get this craving feeling, like I NEED a glass of wine. I simply can't cook without one. So, let's see, what's down here in the cellar tonight? Yikes, 2002 Calistoga Cellars Cab. Geez that sounds like it could be me..... I'm not exactly sure where this bottle came from, sitting there gathering dust in the cellar. In my own geeky way,I generally Google a wine before opening it. Hmmm, 2005 Calistoga Cellars Cabernet 2005, on the market now at about $32.00? Ok, the few extra years could be just right for this bottle and I happen to be having friends and family over for din-din anyhow. But the chipotle chicken burgers might have found a better pair. Well, let's try and see.

Laura's Line on Wine

Laura — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 05:28:00 PST

Why is it that everywhere I go, from a kid's baseball game to a black-tie event, the conversations with either acquaintances or total strangers always comes back around to wine? The floodgates open once I mention my work – I'm a wine journalist and lifelong student of all things wine. 'How did you learn so much about wine?' 'What's your favorite wine?' or 'You've got the best job in the world,' are the common responses. It often amuses and gratifies me that I'll be chatting with my Dentist or my mother's Cardiologist, or even the CEO of a major firm on a plane ride, and once my profession is revealed, it's the only topic of conversation. And believe me, I'm not one who favors talking about myself. What I do like is that wine talk brings down any barrier to communication since I generally end of demystifying some aspect of wine, and darn it, I get a little respect.