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Continue reading →: Frizzante Tannat
When it comes to finding the ideal wine to enhance your summer gatherings, look no further than the 2021 Passaggio Frizzante Tannat. This vibrant and bubbly red offers bold flavors and a refreshing twist, making it a standout choice for warm-weather enjoyment. From the very first pour, the Passaggio Frizzante…
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Continue reading →: 2023 Cab Franc Blanc
Uncorking, or should we say unscrewing) the Unconventional In the world of wine, conventions often reign supreme. Red grapes produce red wines, while white grapes give birth to white wines, right? Well, not always! Cabernet Franc Blanc, may be a rebel of the wine world, breaking norms and teasing taste…
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Continue reading →: 2022 Navarro Grüner Veltliner
This wine is like a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered. Gruner Veltliner, a grape variety primarily associated with Austria, has found a new home in the cool climate of Anderson Valley and is definitely made with love, by the winemakers, at Navarro Vineyards. To produce the Grüner, Navarro winemakers…
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Continue reading →: Odonata 2016 Sangiovese Rosé
Don’t you just love it when a good friend (someone who knows wine) gives you a bottle to try? I do! I invited a few friends for a barrel tasting before the Passaggio Wines Club Release party on Saturday the 24th. My good friends David and Laurie Razzari showed up…
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Continue reading →: Cochon Old Vine 2016 RoséIt’s not everyday you find a rosé that is a blend of several different varietals. Well…I found one! This rose is 40% Cinsault, 30% Mourvedre, 20% Carignane, 10% Grenache. A very interesting blend indeed. Adam Webb, winemaker and owner, has produced a lovely rosé of these Rhone varietals. I picked this…
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Continue reading →: Freemark Abbey 2012 Cabernet Franc
There are times when you are searching in your wine cabinet for a special something. It was just a Friday evening but I wanted something unusual. Found it! Cab Franc! I pulled out the 2012 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Franc, Napa Valley. Gotta love that… Cab Franc is usually thought of…
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Continue reading →: West Of Temperance 2013 Teroldego
This past Tuesday I got up at 4:30am to make the trip to Lodi from Sonoma. I was picking up the Roussanne grapes from Hux Vineyard. I love this vineyard and the owner, Barbara Hueckstead. I have known Barbara now for three years. I first got her Roussanne in 2014. Last…
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Continue reading →: Etude 2013 Heirloom Pinot Noir
Sometimes you open a bottle of wine with great anticipation of being one of the best bottles you’ve opened that month. You want the wine to be great. You’ve been thinking about it all day. You also think, “what should I pair with it for dinner?” Think of a hard…
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Continue reading →: Trousseau Gris
Trousseau Gris, also known as Gray Riesling, has become one of my favorite wine geeky wines to produce. This is a very meaty, grey grape. The 2016 skins were tough and the juice did not flow very easily when pressed. But oh, did it taste good. So good! The 2015…
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Continue reading →: Dracaena 2013 Cabernet FrancMeeting new friends. One of my favorite things in life, especially when we have the passion of wine in common. I met Mike and Lori (wine makers and owners of Dracaena Wines) through a mutual friend, David Razzari. I also met Kristi Riley Chewing. We all knew each other on…
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Continue reading →: 2014 Protea Chenin BlancHave you ever tried to find a wine that knocked your socks off? I have been in search for a Chenin Blanc that I could really say “wow, this wine is great!” Having gone through several bottles of various labels, I finally found one that I could actually sit and…
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Continue reading →: HL Vineyards 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
How does one choose a wine highlight of the week? I try to pick one wine I’ve had during the week and post about it. If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you know I do try a lot of wines during the week. 😉 and believe me, I…
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Continue reading →: Whispering Angel 2014 Rosé
It has been a very exciting summer so far for 2015. Visiting family is always a highlight. This year I went back to Virginia, at the beginning of July, to spend time with my grandson, Levi. He’s three years old. We got to spend some wonderful time together. My son…
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Continue reading →: Passaggio 2014 Sauvignon Blanc and 2012 Chardonnay
Well I’d have to say the highlight of my week was the Broadway Under the Stars. On Sunday, June 28th, the Passaggio Wine Club members and the MacLaren Wine Club members met at the Jack London State Park for a fantastic evening. We gathered under the shade trees about 5pm…
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Continue reading →: Balletto 2014 Rosé
I believe there comes a time in everyone’s life when we get too busy. I love writing this blog but my other passions just got in the way. A good friend of mine Jeff Kralik, whom I met on Social Media, writes a wonderful blog. If you haven’t heard of…
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Continue reading →: BRYTER Estates 2012 Chardonnay
I have thought about this whole blogging thing. I looked back on this particular site of mine and couldn’t believe I hadn’t blogged about any wine since April of 2014. Now that could mean a couple of things. One, I have been pretty busy. Two, I lost interest. Or three,…
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Continue reading →: Greyscale 2010 Napa Valley Cabernet
It was a pleasure for me when Jean Rowe, proprietor of Greyscale Wines, emailed and wanted to come by the winery for a visit. I had not seen Jean in a few years. Jean and her sister, Anne, came by this past week and we had a wonderful time tasting…
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Continue reading →: Passaggio 2011 Unoaked Chardonnay
Every now and then I do enjoy a glass (or two) of my own wine…what winemaker doesn’t? So for St Patrick’s Day I decided to follow the rainbow. When I got to the end I found liquid gold. Well…maybe not real gold, but it was a very nice glass of…
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Continue reading →: Dragonette Cellars 2011 Seven
I had the privilege of taking a mini vacation to Pismo Beach a couple of weeks ago. What a beautiful place! Of course I visited several wineries in the area. Along with the beautiful sunsets, I ran across several wines I thoroughly enjoyed. This wine is from seven different vineyards.…
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Continue reading →: Dogpatch WineWorks 2011 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
It’s not every day that you find a wine that’s only sold in the tasting room. You can’t get this wine anywhere else. If I were you, I’d find a way to 2455 Third Street, San Francisco, CA and taste the Dogpatch WineWorks 2011 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. You can thank…
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Continue reading →: Jean Edwards Cellars 2010 Napa Cabernet
It’s always fun getting together with friends you haven’t seen for a while. Being invited to dinner is even better. 😉 It was a great evening catching up with Karen and John Troisi. We have been friends for some time now. They live in New Jersey and just bought another…
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Continue reading →: Donkey and Goat 2012 Grenache Blanc
This year I made a promise to buy more small lot Artisan wines. Support the little guy…right? Jared Brandt, a friend of mine, who makes wine in Berkeley, CA, is the winemaker/owner of Donkey and Goat. He makes wonderful Rhone varietals, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. He was named one of the…
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Continue reading →: DEFINE Wines 2012 Rosé
I met, David James, the wine maker for DEFINE Wines Rosé at my wine release party a few months back. He and Carrie Maudlin came to enjoy some sips of Passaggio Wines. We had a great time and I enjoyed their company that evening. In December, I noticed the new…
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Continue reading →: Joel Gott 2012 Unoaked Chardonnay
2014 has arrived and I’m embracing the new year…it is truly a time for new beginnings. It’s been awhile since my last review on Fifty Shades of Wine. 2013 ended with some personally tough months. I lost, Mattie, my Airedale to cancer. She was 8 years old and words cannot…
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Continue reading →: Rainstorm 2012 Oregon Pinot Gris
Sometimes you just have to buy a wine for the label! I saw this bottle in the grocery store and just had to try it. I couldn’t help but look up their website too. www.PinotPassion.com – When I opened the wine I found a very refreshing Oregon wine. An interesting…
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Continue reading →: Line 39 2012 Sauvignon Blanc
Line 39 2012 Sauvignon Blanc Although they have California on the label, this wine comes from Lake County. Alc by volume 13.1%. I purchased this wine at BevMo for $8.99 Orange, grapefruit, stone fruit, slight floral and grassy with minerality on the nose. Layers of orange, grapefruit, and…
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Continue reading →: Dry Creek Vineyard 2012 Sonoma County Fumé Blanc
It’s been a long harvest so far!!! Well…from my perspective anyway! Balancing harvest with taking care of Mattie has been a challenge. She is doing better though and is learning to walk on three legs. Sometimes she forgets and takes off running and falls…breaks my heart every time it happens.…
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Continue reading →: Settecieli 2012 Pinot Grigio
I am trying out this new app I discovered called Pressgram. I believe I’m gonna like it 🙂 Let’s see how this works out… I picked this wine up (two bottles) at BevMo for $14.95. (Nickel sale) Only 12% alc by volume. It’s aroma was a little linear but had…
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Continue reading →: Chateau St Jean 2008 Cinq Cepages #CabernetDay
Who would have thought we’d be celebrating such a thing as Cabernet Day! Well…why not! It’s been a tiring week but it’s finally Friday. If you would like to know what’s been happening in the life of this winemaker you can check it out here. Things are pretty hectic and, Mattie,…
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Continue reading →: VINTJS Knights Valley 2012 Sauvignon Blanc
I’ve been in Virginia the past couple weeks visiting family. I am loving it!! My twenty-two month old grandson is so adorable I can hardly stand it 😉 You can see some of the photos and videos on my facebook page. My daughter-in-law has made some amazing dinners and wine pairings…
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Continue reading →: Alpha Omega 2012 Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley
Alpha Omega…(the beginning and the end) Love the name!!! I have been a bit slack on reading the blogs I follow. So I apologize for that. I sat down this morning to write about the Alpha Omega 2012 Sauvignon Blanc. I ended up reading through all the blogs I follow.…
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Continue reading →: Domaine Carneros Avant Garde 2012 Pinot Noir Rosé
First of all, the name of this wine is quite a mouthful to say. For simplicity and to save my fingers, let’s just keep it to “Domaine Carneros 2012 Rosé”…LOL. Second, I can’t believe Domaine Carneros took this long to come out with their first still wine rosé! Once I…
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Continue reading →: Five Rivers 2003 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon
It was quite the dinner I was invited to! Headed to my Pastor’s house with two bottles of wine…hmmmm. I had no idea what was going to be served…all I was told was to bring two bottles of wine, so I decided to take the Passaggio 2012 Pinot Grigio and…
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Continue reading →: Tyler Florence 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Cruising the Mediterranean and sipping on Napa Cab….LOL. One evening on the cruise ship during dinner, I was looking through the wine list and found Tyler Florence Napa Cabernet. I am not a big Cab drinker but, of course, we had to order it. What else would we have with…
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Continue reading →: Principi di Sicilia Grillo Zibibbo
Now that’s a mouthful to say…LOL I recently was given the opportunity to take a cruise through the Mediterranean and I got to try some great wines of the region. This just happened to be one of those wines “in my glass tonight” in Sicily. (except it was during lunch…LOL) Sicily…
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Continue reading →: Passaggio 2012 UNMARKED Sauv Blanc
Aw…you say she is talking about her own wine? Well, frankly…I am! I just got back from a wonderful cruise in the Mediterranean. We sailed from Rome to Venice. It was a fantastic vacation and I can’t wait to go back. We visited Rome, Sorrento, Sicily, Zakynthos and Corfu, Dubrovnik…
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Continue reading →: Simi 2011 Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc
Harvest…it’s a wonderful, exhausting time and each harvest brings unique memories. I remember working one harvest in Sonoma. I had an opportunity to work for Elizabeth Vianna, winemaker at Chimney Rock…she can make an amazing Elevage! The work was hard, but intensely rewarding. That harvest I stayed with friends in Sonoma.…
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Continue reading →: Fairview Cellars 2010 Two Hoots Red Wine
I just finished the most wonderful vacation on the east coast with my beautiful grandson, Levi! It was such a joy every morning waking to a little guy calling me, his grandma, “Me-Me.” Yep, he came up with that name all by himself…smart young fella! Now I can tell you…
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Continue reading →: Fetzer Echo Ridge 2011 Sauvignon Blanc
This blog was a tough one to write, not because of the wine I chose but because of the tough start of my day. As I was writing, I found I’d write a sentence, then hit the back space to erase the words…I did that about four times until my…
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Continue reading →: Mer Soleil Silver 2011 Unoaked Chardonnay
Cheers to a GREAT day of bottling…I can still hear Dave Gifford’s bottling cheer in my head – “I love bottling yes I do, I love bottling how about you…?” Thanks, Dave!! After 7 hours of bottling my Passaggio Wines 2012 white wines and the ensuing clean-up, it was time…
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Continue reading →: Clos Du Bois 2011 Pinot Grigio
I took Mattie on her first post-surgery walk today around the neighborhood. Another beautiful day in East Bay, CA. All is right in the world again now that Mattie, my Airedale, is on the mend from her surgery. When I got home, I was thinking it was time to relax and decide…
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Continue reading →: Cline Cellars 2012 Mourvedre Rosé
It was a beautiful day in Sonoma. I visited a friend who works at Cline Cellars, and of course while I was there, tasted some wines. The winery and tasting room was just awesome as ever and the people who work there are always very friendly. I tasted through about…
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Continue reading →: Luna Sei Moon Mix 2010 Red Table Wine
It’s not every day six of your most wonderful friends give you a bottle of wine they made in their micro winery. (actually in their garage :-)) These six friends, who live in Sonoma, get together most week-ends and have fun tending to their vineyards and making wine. They have…
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Continue reading →: Chateau St Jean 2011 Pinot Gris
What a beautiful Sunday. The sun was shining…it was about 65 degrees in sunny east bay California. This was a great day to pop open the Chateau St Jean 2011 Pinot Gris. I did happen to find this wine at my local grocery store for $8.87. It regularly sales for…
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Continue reading →: Artesa 2010 Carneros Chardonnay
Every year at the end of February, I take part in a charity bowling event in Napa. It’s called the Gutter Ball Classic benefiting a wine industry scholarship fund. The first tournament was founded by Riccardo Gaudino and Margrit Biever Mondavi to commemorate the “immigrant” American Dream on the 100th Anniversary of…
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Continue reading →: Sidewood 2011 Pinot Gris
What do you get when you add red carpet, beautiful gowns, handsome suits, gold trophies, and lots of gossip? The Oscars!!! Being invited to my neighbor’s house each year to watch the Oscars is always a treat. She always has beautiful table with great snacks to munch on while we…
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Continue reading →: Chateau St Jean 2007 Reserve Malbec
It’s not every day I open a reserve wine. It’s been a tough few days with Mattie (my Airedale) who I rushed to the vet on Wednesday. After a full day of tests and observation, the vet confirmed she had two tumors on her spleen…no choice but to remove the…
Hello,
I’m Cynthia
Step into my world of “Direct to Press,” where an evening unveils a new chapter in the delightful narrative of wine. As dusk settles and the day’s hustle fades into the background, there’s a certain allure in uncorking a bottle and allowing its contents to breathe, to open up a world of aromas and flavors waiting to be explored. So, pour yourself a glass, let it swirl and breathe, and join me on this voyage through “Direct to Press.” Together, we’ll unlock the mysteries and pleasures found within each bottle, one sip at a time. Cheers to the journey ahead!
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