January 2014 – THE GRAPE BELT

Don Riley — Pioneer and Mentor

I spend my days talking, reading, and writing about wine, and occasionally selling it, because my brother, Donald, got me excited about wine in 1980 when I was in college. Don died last week at the age of 69. Far too young. But he’d been sick for a while and now I know his suffering […]

by Tom Riley

East Bay Craft Beer Scene Just Got That Much Better

Perhaps the most compelling evidence that beer is where it’s at is to be found in Alameda, where Du Vin Fine Wines, an established player in the local wine scene for the past 12 years, has just morphed into Craft Beer & Wine. For more on this exciting change, read on! **Photo courtesy of Du […]

by Tom Riley

Sydney — What’s Not To Love?

I‘ll admit right up front that Sydney was Mary’s idea. I thought it would be an okay place to visit but from the start my enthusiasm for it was so-so. Probably because she had done all the research for this portion of the trip and I was just going along for the ride. It was […]

by Tom Riley

The Wines Of Portugal — The Next Big Thing?

The typical American wine lover is driven by the love of discovery and the desire to find unbeatable bargains. In light of these twin motivations, the wines of Portugal just might be the next big thing. Until recently the Portuguese wine market was predominantly a domestic one, with a large percentage of its production filling […]

by Tom Riley

The Great Ocean Road and Points West

After a few days enjoying Melbourne, we hopped in our rental (look right! look right!) and headed out to drive the Great Ocean Road. This 151-mile stretch of rolling macadam from Torquay to Allansford is the world’s largest war memorial, dedicated to soldiers killed in World War I and built by Australian troops who had […]