When we are looking to find some new and exciting wines we look to our new sponsor Winc! Spelled W-I-N-C.  Winc makes it easy to discover great wine.

It doesn’t get much easier. Winc has experts that know how to match your taste preferences with their wines and they ship it right to your door is included as long as you purchase 4 bottles or more!

Head to TryWinc.com/Winephabet to get $20 off your first shipment! 

Welcome to Winephabet Street! 

Is it before January 29th? Can you please take a moment to vote for my wine blog? I am one of three finalists in the Millesima Blog Awards and the post with the most votes wins a trip to Bordeaux! 

CLICK TO VOTE FOR DRACAENA WINES 

Thank you! 

Now onto Horse Heaven Hills

 Horse Heaven Hills is a 570,000-acre stretch of land located in South Central Washington state along the Columbia River. First established in 2005, the Horse Heaven Hills AVA is part of the larger Columbia Valley AVA. Surrounded by the Yakima Valley AVA on the north and the Columbia River on the south, HHH has elevations that range from 200 feet above sea level in the south to 1,800 feet above sea level at the northern boundary. 

If you are a historical buff, you will be familiar with this area as it was described by Lewis and Clark in their journal from October 1805. "In every direction from the junction of those rivers the Country is one Continued plain low and rises from the water gradually, except a range of high Country which runs from S. W & N E and is on the opposite Side about 2 miles distant from the Columbia and keeping its direction S W until it joins a S W. range of mountains." In fact, their campsite was at the junction of the Snake River and the Columbia River which is now the location of Washington's Sacajawea State Park.

The name, Horse Heaven Hills, was given thanks to James Gordon Kenny in 1867  who proclaimed, “This is surely a horse heaven” and termed the phrase, Horse Heaven Hills. Throughout the years, wild horses roamed the area. In the 1920s with the hard times, many people decided to release the horses in to the wild, rather than continue to pay the upkeep. As more people moved into the area, the wild horses began to be seen as pests and in 1939 Time magazine reported one company in Portland was said to have killed 350,000 horses in the area, and shipped the meat overseas. But their numbers still remained. During the 1960s, the government gave the order to get rid of them and in less than three decades, they were gone.

When we are looking to find some new and exciting wines we look to our new sponsor Winc! Spelled W-I-N-C.  Winc makes it easy to discover great wine.

It doesn’t get much easier. Winc has experts that know how to match your taste preferences with their wines and they ship it right to your door is included as long as you purchase 4 bottles or more!

Head to TryWinc.com/Winephabet to get $20 off your first shipment! 

Welcome to Winephabet Street! 

Welcome to Winephabet Street! Grab a glass and join Lori and Debbie as they take you through the world of wine one letter at a time. Each episode will be a new letter and a new wine. Learn the characteristics and history of the grape, as well as suggested wine pairings. So uncork, unscrew or saber that bottle and connect with us as we chat, laugh and drink wine all in a laid back atmosphere. Today, the letter of the day is G and it stands for Gruner Veltliner.

Gruner Veltliner is a dry white wine that grows almost only in Austria. With flavors of green pepper and lime, Gruner Veltliner is an exotic alternative to Sauvignon Blanc. The name translates to "Green wine of Veltlin." Veltlin was an area in the lower Alps during the 1600s that is now part of Valtellina, Italy. 

Join us for our next episode of Winephabet Street Live on Monday January 15th at 8pm EST where the letter of the day is H and stands for Horse Heaven Hills, a region in Washington state. Register for free here.

If you like what you hear, please give us a 5 star review, so that others can find us! We appreciate your support.

Our Wines + Your Moments = Great Memories

Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at[email protected].

Please like our Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/dracaenawines

Find us on Twitter, 

Mike and I fell in love with Paso Robles on our first visit ten years ago. We knew immediately we had found our home, not only for the winery but for us.  I love to support local and small business and in this episode I get to do both at once.  Join me as I talk with three small business owners in Paso Robles. 

The Wine Boss - Thomas Booth

1317 Park St. Paso Robles, CA     

 Mon-Wed: CLOSED
 Thurs:   4PM - 9PM        

 Fri/Sat: 4PM - Midnight Sun:  3PM - 8PM

Earth and Fire Brewing Company -  Nick Vega

825 Riverside Dr. Suite 1 Paso Robles, CA

Friday 4PM - 9PM

Saturday 12PM - 9PM

Sunday 12PM - 6PM

Farmstead Kitchen and Catering - Nancy McDevitt

1344 Park St. Paso Robles, CA

(805) 538-3865

If you like what you hear, please give us a 5 star review, so that others can find us! We appreciate your support.

Our Wines + Your Moments = Great Memories

Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at [email protected].

Please like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dracaenawines

Find us on Twitter, Instagram , Pinterest, Google

This year's wine bloggers conference was held November 9th through the 12th in Santa Rosa, California. The conference is scheduled a year in advance, so we were all waiting on baited breath to hear if it would still be held after the wildfires that travelled through in early October.

We were thrilled to hear that the conference was still on and were curious to see the devistation for ourselves.  What I can say is that the media totally blew it out of proportion.  We did see areas of homes and businesses that were burned to the ground, but the majority of the area is still in tact. The wineries and vineyards are still open and ready for your business. Don't be afraid to book a trip and enjoy this beautiful area of the country. 

In this episode, I sat down with several of my wine blogger colleagues in a live stream event, that you can view on our YouTube Channel and we discussed what we thought were the highlights, lowlights, and most memorable wines of the conference.  We also discuss how  the best way to support the wine region is to visit and to buy wine.  There was a mass injustice done to the wine industry of Sonoma , Napa and Calistoga by the media. Although many people lost their homes and businesses, the general view of the media was that wine country was devastated. We, having spent a long weekend there, discuss how this couldn't be farther from the truth.

Here's the link to my favorite wine of the conference: Naked Winery's Oh! Orgasmic Sangiovese If you would like to watch the video of this conversation, click here to be taken to our YouTube channel. 

To clarify on the conversation about types of winery licenses: An 02 (what we have) is a winegrower/winery. They produce wine under their own label and must have equipment to convert fruit into wine. They may sell to retail or consumer. The license that allows you to purchase bulk wine or shiners and place your label on the bottle is known as a custom crush. The 1720 allows the sale of this wine to a retailer. 

If you like what you hear, please give us a 5 star review, so that others can find us! We appreciate your support.

Our Wines + Your Moments = Great Memories

Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at [email protected].

Please like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dracaenawines

Find us on Twitter, Instagram , Pinterest

When we are looking to find some new and exciting wines we look to our new sponsor Winc! Spelled W-I-N-C.  Winc makes it easy to discover great wine.

It doesn’t get much easier. Winc has experts that know how to match your taste preferences with their wines and they ship it right to your door is included as long as you purchase 4 bottles or more!

Head to TryWinc.com/Winephabet to get $20 off your first shipment! 

Welcome to Winephabet Street! 

Welcome to Winephabet Street! Grab a glass and join Lori and Debbie as they take you through the world of wine one letter at a time. Each episode will be a new letter and a new wine. Learn the characteristics and history of the grape, as well as suggested wine pairings. So uncork, unscrew or saber that bottle and connect with us as we chat, laugh and drink wine all in a laid back atmosphere. Today, the letter of the day is F and is stands for Furmint! 

Furmint is considered a superior Hungarian white grape variety and is igenous to the Tokaji region. Over 70% of all plantings in this region are Furmint. Tokaji, itself, dates back tot he early 18th century, but according to the UNESCO World Heritage site, Tokaji-Hegyalja, which is located in the northeastern region of Hungary and the souteastern region of Slovakia had been establshed hundreds of years prior.

If you are listening to this prior to December 4th! Please grab yourself a bottle of Cabernet Franc and join in the conversation on twitter to support #CabFrancDay. It is #MoreThanABlendingGrape!  If you would like to try our award winning Caberent Franc, you will find us online.

 Join us for our next episode of Winephabet Street Live on Monday December 18th at 8pm EST. Register for free here.

If you like what you hear, please give us a 5 star review, so that others can find us! We appreciate your support.

Our Wines + Your Moments = Great Memories

Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at

I took advantage of my #WinephabetStreet co-host's, Debbie Gioquindo aka HVWineGoddess, expertise and spint the weekend in the Hudson Valley. It is less than an hour and a half drive from New Jersey and the scenery is amazing. There is so much to see and do, and in Debbie's book, Tapping the Hudson Valley, she shares it all with you.

I began my weekend at Angry Orchard. We enjoyed some cider while playing cornhole, jenga and even connect four.  I tried to get an interview, however, since they are "corporate" there was no one there with legal clearance. BUT, I did become close friends with the security guard, Willly, in the treehouse. Yes, you heard that right- treehouse!

Next up was Bad Seed Cider. As we pulled up, we were told to ask for Devin. On his card it states "Chief Everything Officer." I think that is the perfect title. This is a two man venture and I highly recommend stopping in!  On our visit, they were celebrating the Fall Festival.  For $30, you could sit at one of two bars and listen to live music. There was also a food truck. The cider was good and the cost was well worth it. 

The final stop before heading to our bed and breakfast was at Benmarl Winery. The views! Oh my goodness the views!!! I had the pleasure of interviewing the proprietor, Victor Spaccarelli, Jr was just the sweetest man EVER!!! You can just hear his passion in the interview. 

It was finally time to head to our castle for the night! Yep, castle.  We stayed at Wing's Castle in Millbrook, NY. The story behind this is a true story of Passion! 

If you like what you hear, please give us a 5 star review, so that others can find us! We appreciate your support.

Our Wines + Your Moments = Great Memories

Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at [email protected].

Please like our Facebook page at

When we are looking to find some new and exciting wines we look to our new sponsor Winc! Spelled W-I-N-C.  Winc makes it easy to discover great wine.

It doesn’t get much easier. Winc has experts that know how to match your taste preferences with their wines and they ship it right to your door is included as long as you purchase 4 bottles or more!

Head to TryWinc.com/Winephabet to get $20 off your first shipment! 

Welcome to Winephabet Street! 

If you like what you hear, please give us a 5 star review, so that others can find us! We appreciate your support.

In this episode of Winephabet Street, we discuss Etna. The wine region located in Sicily that creates and exceptional wine, but is at the mercy of the most active volcano on the planet. 

Locally called "Mongibello," Mt. Etna is Europe's largest and most active volcano. Its frequent eruptions are often accompanied by large lava flows, but rarely pose danger to inhabited regions.

Primary wine producing zone rises up the slopes of Mt. Etna to an elevation of 2,000-6,500 feet above sea level- the highest commercial vineyards in the world. 

The wines of the Etna region are primarily dry red and white blends. Etna Rosso (red) must have a minimum of 80% Nerello Mascalese and a minimum of Nerello Cappuccio (max. 20%). Expect spicy, red berry elegant red wines. 

Etna Biano (white) must have a minimum of 60% Carricante while 40% of the blend can consist of other approved whites, but is often Carricante. Expect lean, crisp and acidic white wines from this region

Our Wines + Your Moments = Great Memories

Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at [email protected].

Please like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dracaenawines

F

Lori sits down with Nick Berube to discuss what it is like to be a brand manager for a winery (or two)
I first met Nick because he is from Fresno. He grew up in Fresno, but has since moved on to bigger and better things. Nick is the Marketing and Branding Manager at Duck Pond Cellars and Desert Wind Winery Fries Family Wines ( Duck Pond Cellars / Desert Wind Winery ) 

We disuss a lot of things in this episode, but while we are enjoying ourselves, our friends to the north are dealing with a horrific situation with the Napa/Sonoma fires.  If you would like to contribute to help them rebuild here is a link: https://www.gofundme.com/napa-sonoma-fires

We discuss how Lodi wine region is self regulating themselves, the wine courses offered in San Franciso's Wine School, the amount of discipline required to be successful in the wine industry, including passing the classes in order to get those letters after your name, the Fresno Grizzlies and me being the springboard to jump off of for #CabFrancDay! 

If you like what you hear, please give us a 5 star review, so that others can find us! We appreciate your support. 

Our Wines + Your Moments = Great Memories

Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at [email protected].

Please like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dracaenawines

Find us on Twitter, Instagram , Pinterest, Google + and Snapchat (@dracaenawines)

Want to watch some pretty cool livestream events and wine related videos. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Find out more about us and our award winning Paso Robles wines on our website.

Looking for some interesting recipes and wine pairings? Then head over to our wine pairing website.

I was invited to attend Spain's Great Match event in Chelsea, NYC hosted by Wines From Spain on October 4, 2017. 

Spain is broken into seven main regions:

Green Spain

Duoro River Valley

Ebro River Valley

Meseta

Mediterranean Coast

Andalucia

The Islands

In this podcast, I speak to Helen Gregory as we discuss DOP Cariñena and one of my favorite regions Rias Baixas. Alfonso Martinez DO Somontano. I even found some craft beer from Mahou and learned about the "permanent head." And finally Missy Bello Pinedo from DO Bierzo, who hit home with me since she named her winery after her dog! 

Want to find out more? Here are all the sites you need! 

D.O.P. Carinena

[email protected]

D.O. Rias Baixas

[email protected]

D.O. Somontano

[email protected]

Mahou Cervezas Alhambra

[email protected]

D.O. Bierzo

http://bodegamartinezyebra.es

https://www.facebook.com/BodegaMartinezYebra/

https://www.instagram.com/bodega.martinez.yebra/

Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at [email protected].

When we are looking to find some new and exciting wines we look to our new sponsor Winc! Spelled W-I-N-C.  Winc makes it easy to discover great wine.

It doesn’t get much easier. Winc has experts that know how to match your taste preferences with their wines and they ship it right to your door is included as long as you purchase 4 bottles or more!

Head to TryWinc.com/Winephabet to get $20 off your first shipment! 

Welcome to Winephabet Street! 

Grab a glass and join Lori and Debbie as they take you through the world of wine one letter at a time. Each episode will be a new letter and a new wine. Learn the characteristics and history of the grape, as well as suggested wine pairings. So uncork, unscrew or saber that bottle and connect with us as we chat, laugh and drink wine all in a laid back atmosphere.
Connect with us:
Lori Budd - http://dracaenawines.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Dracaenawineshttps://twitter.com/dracaenawines https://www.instagram.com/dracaenawines/ 
Debbie Gioquindo - http://hudsonvalleywinegoddess.com/ https://www.facebook.com/HudsonValley...https://twitter.com/hvwinegoddess https://www.instagram.com/hvwinegoddess/

Often viewed as Piedmont’s third red-wine grape, Dolcetto is like the poor cousin to Nebbiolo and Barbera.