What began as a simple request has become a 34-year tradition. A friend of a friend asked me if we would host a young French enology student during harvest. Because Sarah and I were interns in France in 1981, the answer was easy… yes, of course! Fast forward 34 years and we have our 35th intern, Pierre Bardinet. Pierre comes from a winemaking family in St. Emilion, so he brings a fun perspective. He has become part of our family, and our dogs, Annie and Millie, especially adore him since he takes them to the pool and plays in the caves with them. To say that we will miss Pierre when he leaves is an understatement, but we know we will see him again, either here or in France.

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Last week found me on my semi-annual trip to Los Angeles to work with wine directors and sommeliers. 3 days, 26 restaurants, 452 miles. What did I hear? Consistent praise about the quality of Hafner wine and appreciation for Parke’s winemaking philosophy which favors balance and finesse over power and punch. These wine buyers are scouting for wines that complement their chefs’ cuisine, rather than competing with it.  I also heard about the value Hafner wines offer. My favorite quote? “Hafner overdelivers quality for the price.”

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It may come as no surprise that we enjoy reading and referencing wine books. Viticulture and enology have a rich history with plenty to learn. Here are my top 5 wine books. They include a narrative about the Russian River and its influence in our region, a story of the famous Paris Tasting which put California on the "wine map", a history of Argentina's wine industry and its rise of Malbec, a grape varietal encyclopedia that you could spend days reading and the ever-trustworthy wine atlas. Happy reading!

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Wine tasting can be intimidating, but with a few hints, tasting wine can be lot of fun. And remember, there isn’t a right or wrong answer…it’s your preference. All you need is a little knowledge to back up your opinion and you’ll wow your friends with your tasting skills. I share 3 steps on how to taste wine along with flavor and aroma descriptors plus a downloadable wine descriptions chart. We hope you have fun learning how to taste wine and look forward to hearing your thoughts.

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