29 Mar 2020 8 Comments
in Humor Tags: Anchor Steam, beer, Bruce Patch Wines, coronavirus, COVID19, mezcal, whiskey sour, wine
I was going through my phone deleting recent photos, when I noticed a troubling trend developing in the photos I’d been taking during the second half of March.
Whiskey sour
These were all photos I took in the afternoon when I was virtually toasting one friend or other. Fortunately they aren’t all from the same day.
You’ll be able to spot the theme.
Is anyone else having a similar experience?
04 May 2018 6 Comments
in Eating Out, On the Road Tags: Baja wine region, Ensenada, La Ruta, Mexico, Santo Tomas, Valle de Guadalupe, Villa Montefiori, Vinacola Castillo Ferrer, wine
I was recently in Mexico — again. (My brother when he later saw me asked, “Do you have your Mexican citizenship yet?”)
This time, it was with the family — and two of my favorite other families. My birthday this year happened to coincide with the kids’ spring break. So what better opportunity to rent a beautiful beach house half an hour south of the border to relax, cook, eat, sip tequila and celebrate?
The girls in the Valle de Guadalupe
One of the main attractions of the trip was going to be a visit to the much heralded Valle de Guadalupe — Baja Mexico’s buzzy wine region, extolled in publications from the New York Times to Wine Spectator. I’d been reading about the valley for years, had tried many of the wines, and was looking forward to a visit. More
05 Aug 2016 7 Comments
in On the Road, Recipes Tags: aperitifs, Edith Piaf, France, La Vie En Rose, Paris, rosé, Saint-Genis-Pouilly, spritz, wine
In France these days, nobody is drinking red wine. I brought a nice Cotes du Rhone to the home of friends in Paris; they thanked me, tucked it away, and brought out the rosé.
“It is hot,” friend Sebastien offered by way of an explanation, “We are not drinking red wine.” More
13 May 2016 13 Comments
in Starlets, Yoga Students & Quinoa (stories) Tags: Bruce Patch, California, Dry Creek Valley, Robert Parker, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, wine, Wine Guerrilla, Wine Spectator, zinfandel
Awhile back, I shared the unfortunate story of how my family’s wine business had been usurped by an unsavory investor whom I had dubbed “The Onceler,” after Dr. Seuss’ famously greedy villain from the cautionary tale, “The Lorax.”
Today — many months and several legal actions later — I have the pleasure of writing a new story. And introducing our new family winery, Bruce Patch Wines. More
13 Dec 2013 11 Comments
in Markets & Stores, On the Road Tags: California, Forestville, Nightingale Breads, Russian River Valley, Sonoma, wine, Wine Guerrilla, wine tasting, zinfandel
As many of you know and some have tasted, my family has a wine business. Specifically, we make a zinfandel called Wine Guerrilla.
Downtown Forestville from the Wine Guerrilla tasting room
It began as a project of my mom’s longtime boyfriend, Bruce, but soon many of us were involved. Our main contribution from Southern California, besides being avid proponents and consumers, has been the marketing. The labels feature my artwork and my wife’s graphic design — a brand that we have extended with some success to merchandise, marketing materials and promotions. More
skinny girls & mayonnaise 