Over the years, people have tried to decipher Pedro Ximenéz (also known as Pedro Jiménez or Pedro), the emblematic grape from the south of Spain for its viscous wines with rich density rarely seen in other corners of the world. Internationally renowned for its use in making Sherry, Pedro Ximenez’s origins have been hotly debated. [...] More info at www.catavino.net...

Filed under: Wine , Fruit , Pork , Newspapers , How To , America , in sixty seconds We are a little late with the San Francisco Chronicle's Wine section - their changing the section from Thursday to Friday is throwing us off! But we plunge ahead with their feature article, which explains the rigorous process of becoming a Master fo Wine. The credential comes after a four day test, years...

Filed under: Wine , West Coast , Vegetables , Cheese , Recipes , Fruit , Newspapers , America , in sixty seconds We're no strangers to blends, but we're probably far more familiar with wines that have been made from blending different grapes in the fermentation tank. However, wines made ...

Filed under: Wine , West Coast , Beef , Cheese , Raves & Reviews , Newspapers , How To , America , in sixty seconds The San Francisco Chronicle Wine section has officially moved from Thursday to Friday. Wine tasting isn't exactly a cheap pastime, but still, California wineries drew more visitors than Major League Baseball in 2003 . Because tasting rooms are a critical source of income...

Filed under: Wine , Dinner , West Coast , Beef , Cheese , Recipes , Cocktails , Rum , Spirit of Summer , Newspapers , America , Spirits , in sixty seconds This week, the feature story is not on wine, but cocktails . Rather than relying on the standard, ...

Filed under: Wine , Lunch , Dinner , West Coast , Cheese , Newspapers , New Products , America , in sixty seconds , Meat If this isn't an American dream story, I don't know what is. Ulises Valdez left the tiny village of Los Cuachalalates, Mexico, for Mexico City ...

Essential? A blogger’s necessity? Total nuisance? Tacky? Read on. (To any Chronicle readers who may be reading here for the first time … welcome!)

Filed under: Wine , Lunch , Dinner , West Coast , Cheese , America , France , Meat Three old-school wineries in the Russian River Valley, Rochioli Vineyards & Winery, Williams Selyem Winery and Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery , show the rest how Pinot Noir is done . In ...

Filed under: Tastings , Wine , West Coast The annual big splash that is the Family Winemakers Tasting is coming - Sunday, August 20th to be precise. This year the venue is Festival Pavilion at Fort Mason Center with tickets for the general public set at $35 in advance; $45 ...

A view over the vineyard. Even in winter the grass is green between the rows.Viña San Pedro in Región del Maule, Chile. Viña San Pedro is the second largest wine producer in Chile. They produce 3 million cases every year of their basic wine, Gato Cabernet Sauvignon. In total ... a single plot of 1200 hectares. The best wine from San Pedro is the prestigious Cabo de Horno...