Sip This: Bubble Shack Brut Rose

The Bubble Shack Fesstivity Brut Rosé 2014: Fesstivity should be the clue — this sparkling is an effort of Fess Parker family siblings Ashley Parker-Snider (executive vice president) and Eli Parker (currently director of vineyard operations). With more than 600 acres to tap, there’s plenty of vineyard to manage, and luckily some of the best led to this wine, as it’s sourced from pinot noir grown in the Rio Vista Vineyard of the Sta. Rita Hills.

Want to read the rest then do so at the Independent's site.

Wines for the Winter Holidays

As the last of the year's days turn more to darkness, we fill our calendars with holidays celebrating the solar return. Let there be light: Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, even Festivus, for an airing of grievances is really just one more way to make things brighter. Until that happens though, we might want some extra-warming wines, even here in California, where winter is the chance to happily gaze at distant, snow-capped mountains. That means wines with some serious alcohol levels, which has been a bone of big contention in the wine world for the last few years. (Check out the In Pursuit of Balance manifesto as one salvo in the direction of moderation.)

Want to read the rest then do so at KCET's Food Blog.