SOMI CELLAR – CORK BOARD MEMORIES
While brainstorming the topic for this article, I found myself staring at the humongous corkboard hanging on my living-room wall. Many corks were reminders of personal memories, while others had no significance, and oddly enough those had the most meaning. I’ll explain. After years of working in the wine industry, I had collected quite a ... Read more
SOMI CELLARS – THE COLORS OF WINE
When I was a little girl, my mother used to sit at the kitchen counter with two empty bowls and a bag of grapes. One-by-one she would peel the skins off, transforming the colorful green and purple fruit into colorless fleshy beads, place the bowl in the freezer, and later sit under the terrace eating ... Read more
SOMI CELLARS – WINEMAKER FOR A DAY
Napa Valley is one of the smallest winemaking regions on the globe, yet its geographic diversity is unmatched by other wine regions worldwide. In this 30-mile by 5-mile district, there are nearly 500 wineries growing an array of grape varietals. The landscape is composed of half of the world’s soil types – from volcanic rock ... Read more
SOMI CELLAR – MAGICAL GARNACHA
PRIORAT AND ITS MAGICAL GARNACHA Driving through Priorat was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life for its breathtaking beauty, augmented by the fear of never finding a way out of that mountain range. Then again, why would I want to? Priorat is a region in northeastern Spain and home to some of ... Read more
SOMI CELLARS
GRAPE CROSSES & HYBRIDS I was looking through family albums and came across a photo of my parents picnicking with a baby in diapers holding a beer bottle. As I stared closer, I noticed the baby was me! “Mom,” I said, “did you intoxicate your first born?” She laughed and said, “No, you intoxicated yourself!” ... Read more
SOMI CELLARS – PORT SIMPLIFIED
Last year I flew to Europe with my uncle and 85-year-old grandparents to sightsee and visit our distant relatives. The trip was so incredible we prohibited my grandparents from dying to ensure an annual family trip. Recently, during our usual Sunday lunch, we ate a global feast to help determine the next country to visit: ... Read more
SOMI CELLARS – RIESLING
THE MISUNDERSTOOD GRAPE Riesling is one of the most prized grape varietals worldwide, respected by winemakers for its stylized possibilities and gastronomic versatility. In the United States, however, Riesling has been misunderstood for decades as being just another cheap, sweet wine. More often than not, I hear people say “I don’t like Riesling because it’s ... Read more
SOMI CELLAR – MY FIRST WINERY
I’ll never forget the first time I visited a winery when I was in my early 20s. Every year growing up, I would visit my dad’s family in California, but only stayed in Los Angeles. On this particular visit, my family asked if there was anything specific I wanted to do. “That’s easy,” I thought ... Read more
SOMI CELLAR
When I was a little girl, my mother used to sit at the kitchen counter with two empty bowls and a bag of grapes. One-by-one she would peel the skins off, transforming the colorful green and purple fruit into colorless fleshy beads, place the bowl in the freezer, and later sit under the terrace eating ... Read more
SOMI CELLAR – Aged in Oak
The grape harvest season for most of the United States and Europe is now complete! Grapes are ripe for picking from August through October for vineyards in the Northern Hemisphere. The decision of when to harvest is dependent upon the weather, grape varietal, and vision of a winemaker. For example, lesser-ripe grapes are picked earlier ... Read more