Category Archives: Travels

Appellation, Event, Food, Sommelier, Sonoma County Vintners, Tasting, Travels, Varietal, Vineyards, Wine, Winery

Pour+Explore Four Valleys on May 21st!

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As featured above in Dry Creek Valley, and below in Knights Valley, Russian River Valley & Alexander Valley– these four valleys are the focus of our next Pour+Explore at Paradise Ridge Vineyards on Thursday, May 21, from 5:30–7:30 PM: An unforgettable setting known for its sweeping vineyard views and refined wine country ambiance.

Get your TICKETS for this is a unique opportunity to compare styles, explore different growing regions, and discover new favorites all in one place. As you explore, enjoy light bites and engage with the vintners who bring these exceptional wines to life.

Featured Wineries include:

Dry Creek Valley
A. Rafanelli, Breathless Wines, Hawley Winery, Kenneth Carl Estate, Mascarin Family Wines, Mill Creek Vineyards, Portalupi Wine, Solo Nostro, Terra Amata Vineyards, We Know Jack, West Wines

Russian River Valley
Domaine Della, Emeritus Vinyeards, Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery, Limerick Lane Cellars, Martinelli Winery, Merriam Vineyards, Paradise Ridge Winery, Vaughn Duffy Wines, Wren Hop Vineyards

Knights Valley
Anakota, Brandon Gregory Estate, Ehret Winery, En Garde Winery, Knights Bridge Winery, Peter Michael Winery, Ross Ranch & Vineyards

Alexander Valley 
Alexander Valley Vineyards, Bedarra Vineyards, Stuhlmuller Vineyards, Thumbprint Cellars

  • Paradise Ridge Winery
  • Russian River Valley
  • Knights Valley
  • Alexander Valley
  • Sonoma County AVA Map
Awards, Charity, Competition, Event, Food, Judging, Sommelier, Tasting, Travels

Fifty Shades of Pink! A Fundraiser with Rosé, Sunday, May 17th

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Every year, AFWC presents Fifty Shades of Pink, as a follow-up fundraising event to THE Rosé Competition. It is a fantastic opportunity to sip incredible wine, taste fabulous food, listen to cool sounds, and help raise funds for important causes.

The 2026 Fifty Shades of Pink is open to the public and will take place on Sunday, May 17th, at the Fort Lauderdale Women’s Club: A late-afternoon-into-the-evening fun. Pouring more than 150 beautiful rosé wines and dozens of award-winning wines from The Invitational – amazing reds & whites – plus wineries will be there pouring other wines. Local restaurants are also invited to showcase their creations. Get your TICKETS!

When your winery registers for THE Rosé Competition, your wines will also be shared at this benefit event, which attracts hundreds of business professionals: An opportunity to showcase wines and meet these enthusiastic attendees. Wineries register HERE!

Awards, Competition, Event, Judging, Sommelier, Travels, Varietal, Wine

Time to Enter! THE Rosé Competition From AFWC

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The American Fine Wine Competition announces THE Rosé Competition 2026, the 13th edition, taking place at the Fort Lauderdale Women’s Club on May 16, 2026.

REGISTER YOUR WINES HERE! The fee is $70.00 per wine entered.  Registered wines will be accepted through May 1st, 2026. Both International and domestic rosé wines are invited to participate. This includes sparkling, dry, and sweet wine categories.

We require four bottles of each wine entered, two for the competition, one to promote your wine at our annual “Fifty Shades of Pink” public fundraising event (info coming soon), and one signed bottle for our charity auction.

Why Enter THE Rosé Competition? THE Rosé Competition is International and features world-renowned judges from across the country who are professionals in the wine industry: They include chefs, sommeliers, retailers, writers, retailers & educators.

  • Winning medals can help boost sales and brand awareness.
  • Give your brand pride, prestige and bragging rights.
  • Gain recognition with consumers, distributors and retailers.
  • Wines awarded medals receive a beautiful Medal/Ribbon to display.
  • Digital medals are provided for promotions, online marketing, and social media.
  • Medals help you sell more wine!

We promote the results through our media partners and at our trade and consumer tasting events throughout the year. Complete results are listed on the AFWC website.

Thank you and we look forward to sharing your wines! Shari & Chris

Competition, History, Judging, People, Sommelier, Tasting, Travels, Virtual, Wine

Wilfred Wong – A TVS Fine Wine Gem!

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Talking about wine and it’s history with one of California’s great minds on those subjects, San Francisco’s own Wilfred Wong! Enjoy this video and the conversation we have about the recent SF Chronicle Wine Tasting and the old and rare wine gems we taste from Marimar Estate, Chateau Montelena and Lancaster Estate.

Event, Sommelier, Tasting, Travels, Varietal, Wine

Caribbean & Bahamas cruise With Sawyer Somm in December 2026!

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Set sail on a one-of-a-kind experience to the Caribbean and experience multiple tasting events with expert Sommelier Christopher Sawyer: Caribbean and Bahamas: Kirkland Signature Pinot In Paradise Wine Cruise

Starting December 5th, 2026, this 7-night Celebrity Apex cruise departs from Port Canaveral in Orlando, Florida; with stops in Puerto Plata, Saint Thomas & Basseterre.

Event, People, Sommelier, Tasting, Travels, Video, Virtual, Vlog, Wine

Stuck In LODI With Randy & Mark On THE VARIETAL SHOW!

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It’s been a minute since our last YouTube content of THE VARIETAL SHOW, with lots of interim shorts on Instagram, but never fear, we will always be back!

Kicking things off we celebrate the accomplishments of Lodi Wine with star wine writer & sommelier Randy Caparoso and former Lodi Mayor and Wine Commission Director Mark Chandler! Together we share wines from Birichino, Ironstone & St. Amant.

LIKE, SHARE & FOLLOW my You Tube channel, for notification about upcoming episodes, most Tuesdays @11am PST! Email me about featuring your winery on #THEVARIETALSHOW

Charity, Competition, Event, Food, Music, Sommelier, Tasting, Travels, Varietal, Wine

Fifty Shades of Pink – June 1st, Tasting & Fundraiser!

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Get ready to sip, swirl, and celebrate –Fifty Shades of Pink is back—bigger, bolder, and bursting with flavor!

Join us Sunday June 1st, from 4–7 PM, at the beautiful Fort Lauderdale Woman’s Club (20 South Andrews Avenue Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301) for an unforgettable afternoon of Rosé, Red & White Wines, Tasty Bites, Music & Auction Festivities

As do all AFWC events, a charity benefits, this will benefit the Joel Feigenheiner Endowment Fund, which offers scholarships for students in need.

With hundreds of award winning wines to taste & some wineries pouring, local restaurants showcasing their creations, and a cause worth toasting, this is the summer kickoff you don’t want to miss – get your TICKETS while they last!


Awards, Farm, History, Judging, Sommelier, Tasting, Travels, Varietal, Virtual, Wine, Winery

A Visit With Mohr-Fry Ranches on THE VARIETAL SHOW

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Stuck in Lodi again? HELL yeah!Join THE VARIETAL SHOW for this special visit with Mohr-Fry Ranches, recently awarded 2025 Vineyard of the Year by California State Fair for  “Marian’s Vineyard”. We discuss gnarly old Zinfandel vines, the amazing Fry family who care for this famous vineyard planted in 1901, and a collection of seven other wonderful old Zinfandel plantings.

Joining us are my great friends Lodi Mayor Emeritus Mark Chandler, Stuart Spencer of St. Amant Winery (whose family has worked with the precious fruit from this historic vineyard for over three decades), and Fry family father Jerry, son Bruce and granddaughter Morgan (holding my camera).

Art, Event, Festivals, Food, Sommelier, Tasting, Travels, Wine

Getting A Bump At Puerto Rico Wine & Food Festival!

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In case you missed this IG post, it was the final hurrah at Puerto Rico Wine & Food Festival that happened April 3-6! Our joyous version of a caviar orgy at the Bubbles & Brilliance: A Champagne & Caviar Experience with my dear pals star Chef Todd English, my fellow Somms team, and the small group of our wonderful guests, who stayed around to taste more caviar with us at this magnificent seminar before the Grand Tasting happened in the historic section of San Juan . . . and yes, that’s me standing on a chair above everyone and we ate the whole can of caviar after Chef Todd popped it open. (Never doubt Chef’s McGyver skills!)

Event, Festivals, Film, Food, People, Travels, Video

THE VARIETAL SHOW AT SIFF With Chef Yoshinori Ishii

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Talking fine Japanese cuisine on THE VARIETAL SHOW with superstar Two-Star Michelin awarded Chef Yoshinori Ishii of Auberge Tokito in Tokyo, whose documentaries “Tokito: The 540-Day Journey of a Culinary Maverick” and “Tanagokoro” showed at the 2025 Sonoma International Film Festival!