One thing I love about the wine world is being able to work with amazing people. Dan Dawson is one of the coolest wine people around. I’m excited to be partnering with him and his new venture, Dan Dawson’s Wine Advisor. I’ve always been a fan of Dan’s palate ever since I first met him at the Napa wine boutique he founded, Back Room Wines. He has a knack for finding exquisite wines — often at decent prices. Thanks Dan for turning me on to Stolpman Vineyards early on BTW! I’ve been a fan ever since.

Dan grew that business into the place to find great bottles for a Wednesday night or a special occasion. Now, he’s sharing his personal selections, not just from Napa, but from around the world, to help you discover that next great bottle of wine.

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Every July the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association unrolls Taste Our Terroir (TOT), a indulgent food and wine weekend across this East San Francisco Bay wine growing region.

Vinous and culinary deliciousness were on full display on July 26 at the TOT wine and food pairing competition. All of the wines had to be made with Livermore Valley grapes. Yours truly sipped, spit and noshed her way through 20 team offerings, along with 700 wine and food lovers, while a panel of three judges, ensconced away from the crowd, tasted them blind. I’m always fascinated to see how my favorites compare to the People’s Choice Awards and the Judges awards.

Here are my top picks — and you too can compare to the other results via links at the bottom of the post. This is always one of my favorite wine events, and I highly recommend you put it on your must do list for 2019.

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With summer in full swing, there’s no better time to fire up the grill and roast some hot dogs. Most of us grab an ice cold beer to wash down summertime’s quintessential food. While that’s a classic pairing, why not try something a little unexpected with that frankfurter?

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This week I was a guest on KRML Radio’s Vintners Minute show. Hosted by Jeff White, this regular feature airs in Monterey County (102.1 FM) Thursdays at 4 p.m., and streams online. I went to the little cabin studio in Carmel Valley and had a great chat with Jeff about being a wine journalist, taking part in the SLH Somm Tour this week, and about my soon to launch wine podcast, Sip Sip Hooray!

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Sangria, Spain’s famous spiked fruit punch, is summer’s go-to libation. This easy drinking party in a pitcher has come a long way since its humble beginnings. Centuries ago, Spaniards mixed red wine with fruit and spices as a safer alternative to often contaminated water.

Fast forward to New York’s 1964 World’s Fair, when the slightly sweet fruity red punch (its name is derived from sangre, the Spanish word for blood) made its official American debut at the Spanish Pavilion. Since then, sangria has evolved beyond the traditional red wine, fruit, brandy, sugar and orange juice recipe to white, rosé and sparkling wine versions.

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