by Nicole MacKay | Jul 31, 2025 | Wine
In a dusty corner of Naramata Bench, 1 Mill Road winemaker Ben Bryant stumbled upon a mystery that perfectly encapsulates Okanagan Chardonnay’s evolution. While scrambling for replacement fruit after his planned vineyard was compromised by disease, he discovered...
by Nicole MacKay | Jun 20, 2025 | Wine
As I sit to write this, it’s been exactly one year since I stood at the highest point of the vineyard on Gorgona Island. The remote, wind-brushed outpost off Italy’s Tuscan coast required a couple of flights, a bus to Livorno, and finally, a boat out to...
by Nicole MacKay | May 10, 2025 | Wine
You don’t expect a Chardonnay from Napa Valley to end up in a cocktail shaker. But that’s exactly where Frank Family Vineyards’ Carneros Chardonnay is headed, and surprisingly, it works. Wine cocktails have been flying under the radar for years,...
by Nicole MacKay | Apr 27, 2025 | Wine
Some places in the wine world feel like myth until you stand on them. Hermitage Hill, perched nobly above the Rhône River, is one of them. During a press trip for Découvertes en Vallée du Rhône in March 2025, I was fortunate to scratch it from my bucket list. Even in...
by Nicole MacKay | Feb 11, 2025 | Wine
Livermore Valley represent one of California’s earliest viticultural traditions, with roots stretching back to the 1840s in this historic region just east of San Francisco. While these wines have long earned acclaim for their exceptional quality, a renewed focus...
by Nicole MacKay | Dec 26, 2024 | Wine
The 2024 Rhône Valley vintage demands attention — not for its ease, but for the extraordinary dedication it required from its vignerons. While some vintages unfold effortlessly, 2024 tested every winemaker’s resolve, yielding remarkable wines through...
