Stories

When the calendar flips to November, most of us turn our thoughts to the holidays, winter weather, and…Wine Improvement Districts? Believe it or not, the proposed Sonoma County Wine Improvement District (WID)—a dominant pre-harvest talking point—remains on pause. And while “letting sleeping dogs lie” is almost always the sensible approach, I’ve rarely been celebrated for…

(Inspired by Taylor Swift’s controversial new single) Taylor Swift has received some grief for her song “Wood” and it’s not-so-subtle references. Little do those critics know that, in the wine world, we’ve been bragging about the wood we get for decades. Thanks, Taylor, for the inspiration for this column. I remember it like it was…

After being one of last year’s most popular wines, BABS has returned – and at AN AMAZING PRICE! REGULARLY $39 PER BOTTLE – MIX & MATCH 6+ BOTTLES OF THESE TWO WINES AND GET THEM FOR ONLY $19 A BOTTLE INCLUDING TAX AND GROUND SHIPPING! BUT HURRY – THIS SPECIAL ONLY LASTS UNTIL HALLOWEEN! ENTER…

Preface I want to preface my comments with a little bit of my personal story. I first visited Sonoma County as a college student in the Summer of 1986. I was spending a summer in Walnut Creek with a girlfriend (ah, young love) and would take weekend trips to Napa Valley where I became convinced…

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been tasting through a lot of 2024 Pinot Noirs—Morét’s full lineup and my Clarice wines from tank. And here’s the thing: they’re making me rethink the vintage—at least when it comes to our wines. Heading into harvest, 2024 looked primed to be an “immediate gratification” year—a vintage full of…

In the August 6, 2025 San Francisco Chronicle, Joe Bartolomei—co-owner of Forestville’s Farmhouse Inn and the originator of the idea for a Sonoma County Wine Improvement District—was quoted as saying: “Things have never been more dire than they are right now and I feel like we’ve got to try. It’s a proven model that generates…

On August 4, 2025, I had the opportunity to address an unusually packed meeting of the Sonoma County Winegrowers Association as we discussed the proposed Wine Improvement District (WID), which would impose a 1-2% assessment (tax) on all Direct-to-Consumer wine sales originating from Sonoma County. I’ve been involved in leading the effort to oppose this…

Clarice was my grandmother—born in 1896 in Giddings, Texas—and she was my best friend growing up. My dad, Howard Lee, was born on July 11, 1921. I still smile thinking about him making my grandfather the butt of a gentle joke, just to make Clarice laugh (picture below). When I started Clarice Wine Company, I…

Morét’s wine journey began in the tasting room of Silver Oak – where Cabernet Sauvignon reigns supreme. Later, during her five-year tenure at HALL Wines, her connection to the varietal only deepened. So while she went on to launch her own Pinot-focused label, it was only a matter of time before Cabernet made its way…

In Christian theology, Felix Culpa refers to the “fortunate fall”—the idea that Adam’s original sin led to something ultimately good. In this case, the sin was Adam Lee’s: accidentally blending three sample bottles of Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir with one from the Russian River Valley. Each sample bottle represented a different barrel. He meant…

“We love wine. We hate cancer.” This was our first year attending the Nashville Wine Auction, and it was an absolute blast. The hospitality extended to us and the quality of food and wine was off the charts. We even walked away with an auction lot! We wanted to share a selection of our wines…

January 6, 2025 Dear Surgeon General Murthy, In 2023, you released a concerning and fascinating Advisory entitled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.” In this Advisory, you detailed your growing awareness of the sense of isolation that is felt by many Americans.  “When I first took office as Surgeon General in 2014, I didn’t view…

Wine Knerds Get-to-Know-Us-Special (and do a little good while you’re at it) Hey All, I’m so glad I couldn’t sleep and saw when Jeremy posted about wanting to help out Knerd businesses and allowing a commercial post every Tuesday and Thursday. Not until now did I think getting old AF and having to pee at…

Adoption is a deeply personal cause for me. In September 1964, I was born to a remarkable woman who, facing challenging circumstances, made the heart-wrenching choice to place me for adoption. Just a week after my birth, I was welcomed into the home of Howard and Vera Lee and given the name Adam. Years later,…

For Your Clients, Your Family, Your Friends, or even for Yourself. Let us help make your holiday table special! We’ve created 4 incredible Holiday Gift Packages – at extra cheerful pricing – to make your gift giving easy. Each Gift Package includes taxes and shipping within the continental United States. Each can be personalized with…

Some of you may remember a Facebook Ad I ran, comparing the 2022 Dial Tone Pinot Noir with the 2021 Meiomi Pinot Noir and declaring that there was less sugar in the 32 bottles of Dial Tone than in one bottle of Meiomi. Ultimately, my position was (and remains) that people should drink what they…

If you’re visiting this page, I imagine it is because you saw a picture comparing the 2022 Dial Tone Pinot Noir (which I make) with the 2022 Meomi Pinot Noir. Tested at ETSLabs, one of the world’s leading, independent, and accredited laboratories, the 2022 Dial Tone Pinot Noir was found to contain 0.6 grams per…

I will begin by apologizing for the length of this story – but for a great vineyard like Clos Pepe, it deserves to be told. I first started working with Clos Pepe Vineyard sometime in 1999 – which is remarkable since the first crop wasn’t until 2000. Thanks to a new phenomenon called “the Internet”…