Everyone feels a bit overwhelmed during the holiday season. There are parties to attend, families to visit, kids to shop for and...

I thoroughly enjoy selecting the Top 5 wines to share with you each month. I try to be impartial, focusing on wines that are new to the...

As Ridge Vineyards celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, it's important to remember the winery's humble beginnings. In 1959, three...

One of the things I love about wine is my palate is ever changing. As I discover new varietals, producers and regions, I continue to...

Cooler temperatures mean several things here in the Midwest. The kiddos are back in school, the leaves are beginning to fall, and your...

1. Broadbent, Vinho Verde, Portugal NV- $14.99 (Pictured far left) As soon as we started pouring this wine by the glass, I knew it would...

German wines have become an obsession. They are so versatile and pure. Clean and mineral driven in their youth. Luscious and full of...

The highlight of my day at SOMM Wines: educating guests. Whether we taste a new varietal, examine a preference for certain regions, or...

When guests ask if I ever miss working as a sommelier in Las Vegas, I answer, of course, because I miss the opportunity to TASTE NEW...

Today was no different than any other April day in Iowa. Slightly cloudy. Rain drizzling down with a generous gust of wind. Is that...

This time of year, the weather can be tricky business. One day, you're enjoying a walk on the bike trails, wearing jeans and a...

Decisions Decisions. Some days, I feel like my life is nothing more than a choose your own adventure book that I didn't write! As...

When customers first visit my store, SOMM Wines, they love to ask what brought me to Fairfield, Iowa. How does a sommelier from Las Vegas...

ValenWINE's Day is right around the corner. One might assume a sommelier would focus on the pink drink for this holiday. ROSÉ all day, or...

Anyone who has met me knows I am a HUGE John Cusack fan. The height of my crush was in the late 1990's. He was in his peak of his acting...

Most of us were taught from a very young age to avoid the following subjects at the dinner table: politics, money, and religion, not to...

VERY RARELY IN THE WINE BUSINESS DO YOU HEAR THE FOLLOWING WORDS, "Our assistant winemaker is from Fairfield!" HUH? Did I hear your...

JUST WHEN A GIRL FROM THE BIG CITY THINKS SHE HAS TASTED IT ALL... THESE QUIRKY WHITE WINES ARE PERFECT FOR THE WARMER DAYS AHEAD. I love...

TUSCANY'S BIBI GRAETZ DEFIES THE ODDS AND PRODUCES MEMORABLE TUSCAN WINES. One would think a degree in winemaking from California's UC...

TO DE-STEM... OR NOT DE-STEM THAT IS THE QUESTION! ​ Whole cluster wine making has been around for ages...literally centuries. ALL wine...