Taste of Wine and Food’s Top 10 Wines of 2024
This year has been remarkable for Taste of Wine and Food. Reflecting on the past decade, I can confidently say 2024 has been a banner...
wine
Vittorio’s hosts Justin Vineyards wine dinner
Vittorio’s proprietor, Victor Magalhaes, and executive chef Angel Gijon created a four-course wine dinner paired with Justin Vineyards wines. Sommelier David Sheline, sales consultant for...
Family Winemakers of California holds annual tasting in Del Mar
Family Winemakers of California, described as an “organization that reflects the small producer’s point of view,” has been the voice for small family wineries for...
Taste of Wine and Food’s Top 10 Wines of 2023
Another year and another opportunity for Frank and I to review hundreds of wines and present our Top 10 Wine List of 2023. In 2023,...
Paso Robles standout Justin Vineyards comes to Vittorio’s
Justin Baldwin, owner of Justin Vineyards and Winery, was an investment banker in the finance industry with a love for French Bordeaux wines, including his...
Cakebread wines meet culinary creativity at The Butcher Shop
Seeing Cakebread Cellars featured on the wine dinner lineup at Sal Ercolano’s The Butcher Shop filled me with anticipation. Not only is Cakebread a fantastic...
Gianni Buonomo picnic highlights Blaufränkisch, Neapolitan pizza
Gianni Buonomo Vintners, an urban winery in Ocean Beach, secured its sixth consecutive Best of 2023 Readers’ Choice award from San Diego Magazine. GB Vintners...
Temecula Wine Tour: Falkner Winery and Pinnacle Restaurant
This week’s column featuring Falkner Winery and the Pinnacle Restaurant concludes our summer tour of Temecula wine country. After retiring from his position as a...
Temecula Wine Tour: Marshall Stuart Wines
This week’s column continues our summer tour of Temecula wineries by featuring Marshall Stuart Wines. The final part will highlight Falkner Winery and Pinnacle restaurant....
Temecula Wine Tour: Halter Ranch
Frank and I were long overdue to visit some Temecula wineries, starting with Halter Ranch Temecula, formerly Hart Winery. Part 2 will feature Marshall Stuart...
California Wine Festival celebrates 20 years with Park Hyatt Aviara launch
The 20th California Wine Festival, led by Executive Director Emily Kaufmann, kicked off June 23 and 24 at Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in Carlsbad. The...
Daou Vineyard’s flagship wine dinner at Del Mar’s West End
When guests walked into Sal Ercolano’s West End with sweeping panoramic views of Del Mar’s wetlands and coast, they also had another view. This second...
Vittorio’s hosts top-rated US winery Hope Family Wines
When I learned that Victor Magalhaes, owner of Vittorio’s Italian Trattoria, was hosting the Wine Enthusiast 2022 American Winery of the Year, Hope Family Wines,...
Wines of the World at San Diego’s Westgate Hotel
Descobres and Winebow Imports teamed up to curate a true Wines of the World tasting. Of the 34 brands represented at the show, only two...
Bubbles flowing at Vittorio’s sparkling wine dinner
Victor Magalhaes, owner of Vittorio’s Italian Trattoria in San Diego’s Highland Village, hosted a celebratory Champagne and sparking wine dinner to close out his 2022...