… So I just had a fabulous lunch at Avra in NYC with Nicholas Miller, whose family owns the Bien Nacido brand (Pinot Noir and Syrah) and Solomon Hills brand (Chardonnay) in Santa Maria, California. “Bien Nacido means ‘born with a silver spoon’ – or some such in Spanish,” says Nicholas. As the scion of [...]

  It’s always fun to compare wines from the same vineyard and different years. Recently I received two chardonnays from Fess Parker (both Ashley’s / Sta Rita Hills) The 2007 is a pretty medium gold color, with a nose of melted butter and ripe apples. On the palate, more melted butter and apples and a [...]