Blogs

W hen it comes to serving wine, there is nothing sexier than decanting. The pop…

We get asked this question a LOT and the answer always is – ‘it depends.’…

Headache or Hangover? Many of us have been there, you wake up the next morning…

A t Koi Zen Cellars, we are constantly trying to make the world a better…

O ne day you find a great Koi Zen Cellars wine that you just love…

A s the days get hotter, the harvest gets closer and the more a winemaker…

L ast week we talked about how sulfites probably aren’t causing your headache – so…

“Contains Sulfites” – this little phrase cases a lot of concern and confusion – most…

We have pulled out of June gloom and now with the temperatures rising, the fruit…

Storing Wine: As the weather warms, it is time to think about your wine collection…

Aging: Last time I talked about how varietals that grow together go together – most…

Review: Last week we talked about how are we going to take 8 barrels of…

Blending wine is easy: Gather some barrels of wine, Gather some friends to taste the…

I sit by the pond meditating. My body is relaxed, breathing is smooth and easy….

Last Sunday morning a group of us met at the winery and caravanned up to…

About 10 days ago, I was up in Sonoma drinking some fine wine and hanging…

I spent last weekend hanging out in Sonoma with some friends planning some really cool…

5 years ago, I stood in the parking lot puffing on what was to be…

On Monday, Lisa was opening the winery for a yoga class and discovered that the…

I have heard the expression “hurry up and wait” over and over while working with…

Earlier in the month, the NASS (National Agricultural Statistics Service) released the 2018 Grape Crush…

Pre-dawn one cold morning last November, Steve and I were standing in the Camp Four…

As the weather warms and the winter clouds begin to fade, the grape vines are…

As spring rolls in, it’s time to rack and roll in the cellar. The 2017…

L ast week we talked about barrels, but what about bottles? Starting about 6,000 BCE…

A s a winemaker, I smell a lot of wine. Some wines are very aromatic…

Next week a small armada of Koi Zen Cellars folks will be converging in Sacramento….

The 2018 harvest is about to start and Mother Nature has decided she is not…

We are so happy to announce that we will be releasing our 2016 Syrah during…

This year we are contracting for 5 tons of Grenache which is a new varietal…

[ct_definition title=”def” ] “Hurrying and delaying are similar ways of trying to resist the present”…

On July 1, 1863, the Union and Confederate forces met head to head outside of…

L ast night we hosted the Rancho Bernardo Business Association which drew a large crowd…

Our girls have graduated from college and now have their own apartments; however, a lot…

I have been meditating seriously for about 3 months now. Once per day, I find…

O ver the last few months I have put on some weight, well maybe more…

I was in the winery a few weeks ago and there were two ladies sitting…

H ave you heard that Gov. Gary Herbert of Utah signed the “free-range parenting” bill…

I have met many wine snobs who think they know everything there is to know…

T hey say if you want to gain empathy with someone, you need to walk…

L ast night Lisa and I got up at 5:00 am and watched the Super…

Budai: You can find the Happy Buddha – Budai everywhere in China and it is…

Blame your great-great-great-grandparents for the cost of wine! Between the years of 1920 to 1033,…

A Stroke of Luck I woke up not feeling very well. My body was stiff…

What are Wine Ratings? If you have been following this series for the last few…

My Head Hurts: Is your aching head caused by a hangover or intolerance to wine?…

So far we have Seen, Swirled, Smelled, Sipped and now we get to Savoring the…

Tannins Drying your Tounge Out? Tannic Acid So you sip that…

Many people grab a glass of wine and just chuck it back while in mid-sentence…

Bacteria can cause wine to have a Funk Is there a…

I hope you all had a chance to take a moment to LOOK at your…

Photo Credit: Wine Folly If you are wine tasting, or just…

Last weekend we had a small bottling run and bottled about 105 cases of Mourvedre…

Last week Lisa and I took an afternoon and investigated the northern half of the…

On April 24th, 2016 Koi Zen Cellars celebrated our 1 year anniversary. We planned 5…

Cork Production, Sustainability and Carbon Footprint: This week we will be exploring natural corks and…

Last week I wrote about how wine generally can be classified as either Old World,…

Old meets new at the Judgement of Paris 40 years ago. On May 24, 1976,…

Lisa and I just spent two wonderful days in Paso Robles exploring wine country and…

Is Global Warming causing early Bud Break? A lot of people ask me how the…

During our Parties, we have been having a lot of fun over @KoiZenCellars; here is…

Terroir is a French word with no literal translation in English and the closes we…

If you haven’t tried our 2014 Pinot Gris from Monterey then you haven’t had to…

Check out our new Ferrari convertible! Our Ferrari is a manual corking machine made in…

LOCAL ARTIST GALLERY SHOWING SAVE THE DATE: Friday February 5, 2016 We are so exited…

We have been having so much fun hosting meetings and meet-ups at the winery. There…

We have been so blessed by all of the great people who have come into…

Thank You!!!! We cannot extend enough gratitude to everyone who attended our grand opening week,…

Hi All: Photography Update: Even though the studio has been completely transformed into an Urban…

Update – Winery Construction Efforts: This is an update on the winery construction project that…

Today we are all about Valentines, celebrate with a cool wine pairing technique.   Wine…

Hi All, Breaking News: We have just been informed that our TTB federal application is…

Hi All, This month was all about getting our CA ABC winery license and our…

We can’t wait to tell you about the status of our first vintage! Syrah Grapes We just wanted to let you know…