The Tasting Panel - deborahparkerwong

Thatcher's Imports highlights the producers of "New Spain"

Impressions of New Spain

September 13, 2026 deborahparkerwong Spain, Sommeliers, The Tasting Panel, Wine

And even after repeated visits, Spanish wine culture will continue to surprise and delight you with its old vines and innovative ways. Such was the case for three San Francisco-based wine directors – Beyza Yildirim of Mister Jiu’s, Daniel Alday of Verjus, and Joseph DiGrigoli of Kitchen Istanbul – who joined a group of colleagues from around the country to drink in Spain’s terroirs during a four-day visit with producers in the Thatcher’s Imports portfolio.

Benjamen Montpetit is the Marvin Sands Endowed Chair in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis.

Meet UC Davis Yeast Biologist Benjamen Montpetit

September 10, 2025 deborahparkerwong Education, The Tasting Panel, Wine

The University of California, Davis, has a long history of groundbreaking research that has significantly impacted the global wine industry.[…]

Wine cellar at PRESS restaurant in St. Helena, CA.

Napa Valley’s Vincent Morrow Looks to Tomorrow

November 13, 2024 deborahparkerwong Napa Valley, Slow Wine Guide USA, Sommeliers, Sonoma, The Tasting Panel, Wine, Zinfandel

Morrow, who received MICHELIN’s California Sommelier Award in 2022, oversees the wine cellar at PRESS, which houses the largest collection of Napa Valley wines in the world and is focused on library wines. When adding a new bottling to the list, he looks for winemakers who have worked their way up at acclaimed producers and then started their own labels.

Champagne Palmer has sourced from the same Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards in the Montagne de Reims region of Champagne for 50 years.

Rare perpetural reserve a hallmark at Champagne Palmer

September 14, 2024 deborahparkerwong Champagne, The Tasting Panel, Winemaking

Beyond the soleras and the enviable Montagne de Reims terroir, the wines of Champagne Palmer’s Vintage Collection reveal a third strength: The cooperative of seven producers has not altered its vineyard sourcing since its founding in 1947, forming what Vervier calls the “DNA of the brand.”