![[Gourmand Next Door] Grande! Grande! Grande!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/33/50334374-93a7-4cf9-ba69-d7d51c63be2a/content/images/size/w600/2026/08/gourmand815.png)
The Gourmand Next Door
The number of grapes that grow naturally within Italy and those transposed from other lands is astounding. And further still, there is a dearth of techniques utilized that is equally impressive.
![[The Gourmand Next Door] Summer Wine](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/33/50334374-93a7-4cf9-ba69-d7d51c63be2a/content/images/size/w600/2026/06/aleksandra-dementeva-NdcH-WxzWgo-unsplash.jpg)
The Gourmand Next Door
For your next informal affair or impromptu gathering, here’s a quartet under $25 a pop that’ll enhance any sun-drenched fête.
![[The Gourmand Next Door] Home Sweet Home](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/33/50334374-93a7-4cf9-ba69-d7d51c63be2a/content/images/size/w600/2026/06/gourmand618.png)
The Gourmand Next Door
For the last 50 years, our state’s wine production and influence have been heavily tied to the success of Duplin. The tastes that have been developed in the intervening years from Prohibition have changed from the unctuous and luscious to drier, more acidic wines favored in Europe.
The Gourmand Next Door
East of the Cascades, Yakima and Walla Walla reveal why Washington has become one of America’s most important wine regions.
![[The Gourmand Next Door] Oregon, Exemplary Youth](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/33/50334374-93a7-4cf9-ba69-d7d51c63be2a/content/images/size/w600/2026/04/gourmandnextdoor430.png)
The Gourmand Next Door
"More than just good fortune makes good wine, and here we see it with the pioneers that came to plant this valley."
![[The Gourmand Next Door] Sonoma: Needles in a Haystack](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/33/50334374-93a7-4cf9-ba69-d7d51c63be2a/content/images/size/w600/2026/04/a-rafanelli-winery.jpg)
The Gourmand Next Door
Bigger, more varied, and often better value than Napa, Sonoma rewards drinkers who look beyond broad labels to its terroir-driven appellations and producers.
The Gourmand Next Door
A journey into the most famous appellation of California.
The Gourmand Next Door
As I’ve noted, Cab Sav tends to be quarrelsome as it begins life. If you are looking for an immediate bottle to drink, look to the past.
The Gourmand Next Door
Why does the same grape taste so different from California to Burgundy? That, my friend, is the million (or billion) euro question. To my estimation there are three major factors at play here, geography, climate, and method.
The Gourmand Next Door
While the French have been making wine for more than 1,500 years, California wasn’t even admitted to the union until 1850. That leaves us with a limited history to draw upon.
The Gourmand Next Door
How to make sure you bring the right bottle to the holiday party.
The Gourmand Next Door
What to eat on Turkey Day when you don't want turkey.