Washington State’s wine community is grappling with the loss of respected winemaker Ross Andrew Mickel. The 47-year-old, along with his wife and young son, were among 10 people who were lost on Sept. 4 when a seaplane crashed near Whidbey Island in Washington State’s Puget Sound, just north of Seattle. The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for the missing …

Barragon has added a photo to the pool: Source : https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/41642032335/in/[email protected]

Napa’s recent forecast. In the San Francisco Chronicle, Esther Mobley reports on how the year’s temperature surge is impacting California vineyards. “What resulted, during the last week, was a race through the vineyards, as many Bay Area winemakers rushed to get grapes off the vines before they baked. Some wineries harvested so much fruit all at once that they risked …

Stunning, with incredible vibrancy and concentration to the orange sherbet, lemon curd and ruby grapefruit flavors at the core. Features fresh-grated ginger, lemon thyme and salted melon on the finish. Drink now. 5,000 cases made, 1,000 cases imported. Source : 2da0e509b002f955b36afaa38896eef8

A concentrated and suave style, with pepper- and graphite-laced plum and black cherry flavors that gather some muscle toward the finish, adding details of toasted herbs and violet on the finish around fine tannins. Drink now. 2,600 cases made, 2,000 cases imported. Source : 9e62c94271aa390b2c85ce2ad511b7ad

old_hippy1948 has added a photo to the pool: These Leon Millot are ripening quickly though it will likely be another 3 weeks before they get picked Source : https://www.flickr.com/photos/gary_constantine/52345332825/in/[email protected]

Barragon has added a photo to the pool: Source : https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/52338287877/in/[email protected]

Destiny Bay’s bowl-shaped amphitheatre of vineyards on Waiheke Island, off Auckland in New Zealand. Visitors to Auckland, New Zealand, known as the city of sails, usually have a list of activities they want to complete before leaving. Quite often this includes several days on Waiheke Island to enjoy the beaches, bush walks and great dining spots. And with more than …

Great value whisky I’m going to sound like one of those perpetually peeved old men you sometimes encounter in the pub, who vividly remember ‘when it was all fields down there’ – referring to a brand new estate of recently built houses. It pains me to say it, but whisky – particularly Scotch and Japanese – has become a very …