If there is one thing I love above almost anything else in the craft food and beverage market, it is innovation that creates an experience for the imbiber. That's how I felt after trying Pech Merle Winery's inaugural release of Linea, a "solera" blend that features five vintages of cabernet sauvignon, starting with a 2008 from Garden Creek Vineyard. This wine is special to both the winery as well as to Pech Merle wine club members like myself because this isn't about creating something arbitrarily fancy just to pull a few extra dollars from our pockets. This is quite literally a love letter written by the winemaker to all of the Pech Merle fans that have supported them over the past 13 years.

With the 2022 Summer Olympic Games underway in Tokyo we're looking for our own ways to support Team USA as well as our passion for fun and unique wines. Lucky for us, those two things came together fabulously when we got a chance to learn more about The Vice Wine. These guys are fun and experimental as well as very personal and approachable, so we are extremely excited to see what else they come up with in the future.

In case you hadn't noticed, canned wines are becoming a big deal. While wine industry purists reject the format in favor of glass bottles served by trained sommeliers, we embrace the innovation. Canned wines allow us to take wine places where they weren't able to go previously and they also add a layer of fun and frivolity that frankly the wine industry sometimes needs to shake things up. The story isn't all good though, like any emerging market space there are some things that work... and some things that don't. Here's what we found during our review of five different nationally available canned wines.

Whether you live by the beach or are planning a vacation, there is nothing more enjoyable than sharing a picnic on the sand. Whether you want a fun outing with the entire family, or a romantic evening getaway with your sweetheart, it will require a little planning. Here are some things to consider as you make your plan to help you have the perfect beach picnic happy hour.

They say that to become a good wine drinker, you must have the right mentors. If so, we will take you under our wing. We're here to make sure you know what you're talking about when it comes to wine. But don't worry, we'll keep it simple. Here are five things you need to know about wine if you're a budding connoisseur.

One of my absolute favorite parts of being a wine lover is the thrill of discovering new things. While my preferred method of discovery is through travel and visiting various wineries around the country but unfortunately that is pretty limiting. Sadly, I don't have an unlimited travel budget and so even wineries in Washington State and Texas escape my immediate plans, while New Zealand, South Africa, France, and Spain are even farther in the future. While I'm lucky to have some fantastic wine stores with talented staff here in San Diego, wine clubs like Firstleaf are a great option if you just want to try some different options from around the world and avoid spending a ton of money doing so.

Santa Maria is the last of the Central Coast wine regions for us to explore and after spending a few days here, I'm ready to head back... and I want to bring some guys with me! Santa Maria is situated at the north west end of Santa Barbara County and roughly half way between Santa Ynez Valley and San Luis Obispo. On the surface, it lacks the glamour of Santa Barbara and the prestige of Paso Robles and that's why we'd passed over it so many times before, just simply driving past. However, this might just be one of the most exciting destinations when it comes to planning a guys weekend getaway anywhere on the Central Coast.

Chardonnay is one of the most popular wine varietals around the world and in the United States, Chardonnay generally is the most popular choice for non-sparkling white wine (Moscato is the clear fav for white overall). For me though, I've never been a fan since the dominant style seems to be the iconic "Kendal Jackson" style that some simply refer to now as "California Chardonnay". It is iconic for being both buttery and a bit oaky with a medium balanced body. For me though, that just means you are sacrificing easy drinking for being able to truly enjoy the grapes. Recently though we had a chance to work with Center of Effort winery in Edna Valley, California who opened my eyes as to the diversity that Chardonnay grapes could provide. 

Tucked away in the northwestern portion in the Commonwealth of Virginia is the Monticello AVA, or American Viticultural Area. This AVA is nestled southeast of Charlottesville, and northwest of the capital, Richmond. This particular AVA stands out among most others because of the history in the area along with the great wine. Any true American oenophile should have this region on their list of places they must visit.

Ventura California is one of those iconic Southern California "surf towns" that you probably have heard of from classic rock songs like, "Ventura Highway" or seen in countless TV shows and movies. It's essentially the bridge between the laid back country living embodied by Central Coast California and everything you think you know about Los Angeles. Personally, I've driven through here several times on my way to somewhere else but never stopped. Last week I broke that cycle and now I'm wondering why I didn't visit earlier.

While we are nearing the end of this phase of the pandemic, hospitality businesses, including the wine industry are still needing our help and support. We spoke with entrepreneur and financial services innovation, Matthew Goldman about the work he's doing leading the team at Grand Reserve Rewards. 

The wine industry can be full of paradoxes sometimes and one of the ones that I currently enjoying the exploration of is Napa wines. At one level, this is the pinnacle of technical excellence in terms of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The region has reached the point where for most Americans, Napa is California wine country. It has rightfully earned it's place as one of the world's best wine producing regions and that has led to high prices and attracted a lot of wine snobs. However, tucked beneath the surface are stories such as that of winemaker Joe Harden of Nickel & Nickel.

Sideways is one of the greatest Guys Weekend movies as far as I'm concerned. It's raw and fun - without being stupid and silly like tends to be the the case all too often. Most of all though, it highlighted one of the most fabulous parts of the country - the Santa Ynez Valley, including Santa Barbara and Solvang. This is an absolutely gorgeous part of California that is located just far enough away from Los Angeles to be a different world... but still close enough for a quick getaway. Let's take a look at how you can walk in the footsteps of Miles (Paul Giamonte) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church).

Almost every month a friend or associate talks about visiting, or wanting to visit "California Wine Country". Inevitably this is their way of saying they are coming out to see Napa but the reality is that California has 160,000 square miles of vineyards and more than 1,200 wineries. This "California Wine Country" stretches from the Mexican border in the south, to near the Oregon border in the north. While I'm in love with all of the areas that I've explored so far, Sonoma is possibly my favorite to visit and I can't wait to plan another visit there later this year. It offers a blend of some of the world's best winemaking and viticultural talent, phenomenal soil and environment for growing grapes, and yet it is able to maintain a casual and laid back atmosphere that is all about celebrating life.

You've probably had sparkling wine from California, prosecco from Italy, and maybe even authentic Champagne from France... but did you know some of the world's best sparkling wine comes from just across the channel in England? I didn't either till the folks at Nyetimber sent me a bottle to try recently. Not only was it absolutely phenomenal but I'm absolutely in love with the heritage and story since it is unlike anything I've encountered before.

Napa has a reputation for being snooty and unapproachable but there are some gems that manage to produce exceptional wines while maintaining that approachable atmosphere that makes winemaking special. Wine is a luxury good and to some, that means it has to be something only accessible to the "right people" with the "right pallets". What I enjoy about the folks at Kenefick Ranch is that they are different and that's why I was excited to try Chris's Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon and share the experience with you guys.

Merlot has gotten a bad name in recent years and much of that stems from the famous line in the movie, Sideways, "If anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving". Miles from the movie quite literally changed the popularity of this varietal of wine for millions of American wine drinkers - and indeed created a world-wide impact as well. Merlot isn't that bad but its reputation still suffers in the face of popular red wine alternatives including Cabernet Sauvignon and of course, Pinot Noir.  Let's take a deeper look at merlot and how you can better appreciate it once you get an opportunity to sample it at your favorite winery or wine bar.

Paso Robles is an interesting example of the secret side of California. To many folks who have never visited the state, they think only of LA and San Francisco as well as possibly places like Yosemite and Tahoe. When it comes to "wine country" Napa and Sonoma are the go-to places that everyone thinks about. California's Central Coast region however is a completely unique area with wines that are just as good - and depending on your preferred varietal - maybe even better than those areas. However, what makes it truly unique is the backdrop of ranches and a feeling that you are in a completely different world than the rest of the state. That translates into wine tasting for sure... but also other great guys weekend activities such as hiking, off-road driving, and hunting too.

Tolosa Winery, located in San Luis Obispo's Edna Valley is a manages to match beautiful landscapes and a gorgeous tasting garden with some of Central Coast California's best wines.

Red wine is notorious for causing stains in clothing and fabric but the other day while sitting in a vineyard drinking a grenache of rose I began to wonder... will rose cause a wine stain too?  Sadly, the answer is yes but it will be less noticeable than with a deep heavy red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or a Malbec.