One person's name may appear as the author of a book, but many other people help, from providing inspiration to contributing talent. At the top of my list of people to acknowledge and thank for helping me write "The Signature Wines of Superior California: 50 Wines...

In the wake of the George Floyd killing and the wave of protests that followed, Rodney and Susan Tipton asked themselves what they could do to help improve race relations. It was a discussion likely occurring in homes across the country, but the Tiptons were well...

The late Tim Spencer, winemaker for his family's St. Amant Winery of Lodi, was pretty much a traditionalist when it came to making and marketing one of his favorite styles of wine, Port. He was one of the earlier if not the earliest California grape grower to...

I’m a fan of Molly Young’s lively New York Times newsletter “Read Like the Wind,” her guide to older, forgotten and just generally overlooked books. Her tone is personable, funny, smart and helpful. Her enthusiasm almost invariably sends me to the library, AbeBooks or...

About midway through our first day of judging at the Sonoma Harvest Fair commercial wine competition last week, fellow panelist Mark Elcombe, “homeplace manager” for Sonoma-Cutrer winery of Healdsburg, mused that competitions maybe should come up with a clearer term...

Yes, I am spoiled. Even in a relatively small city like Sacramento, I  can walk or cycle just a short distance to find an interesting wine for dinner. Some 15 farmers markets, grocery stores and wine shops are that close. They range from neighborhood corner stores...