Holiday Preview
Coming Soon on Wine Wanderings
Coming Soon on Wine Wanderings:
It’s the holiday season. Our most comprehensive articles appear during this time including guides for food and wine pairing, Champagne terms, bottle sizes, and dosage levels, and recommendations for parties and all the big family events. This Friday I am hosting a Bi-Coastal Wine Tasting in my home, a party you can throw, too. Watch for that article soon which will include gaming score sheets.
Later this winter I’ll be LIVE from Paso Robles and its Blendfest. Paso is perhaps one of the the three most celebrated wine regions in California. I am on PTO this week prepping for the wine tasting and baking gifts. See the Best Ever Pumpkin Bread recipe below along with a dessert wine pairing. Happy Fall Back.
If You Are Baking This Week
I highly recommend the Blue Bowl recipe: Best Ever Pumpkin Bread with Pecan Streusel and Maple Glaze Topping. It makes 2 large loaves, but I made six smaller ones for gift-giving. Add a little Sparkle Sugar Sprinkles on top to make it even more festive. These loaves can be frozen, then given as an inexpensive, but heart-felt gift wrapped in Brown Paper Gift Bag with Transparent Window. Add a custom label ( I make mine on Vistaprint) and attach a ribbon to match the holiday vibe.
The best dessert wine pairing for the Pumpkin Bread: Royal Tokaji 6 Puttonyos Gold Label (Decanter Magazine, 95 Points) for a range of prices from $65-$100. I’ll be LIVE from Hungarian wine country this May, 2026 where we’ll be sampling Royal Tokaji. Tokaji Aszú was considered the “King of Wines” by Louis XIV of France in the 17th century. Royal Tokaji Wine Company was founded in 1990, and is a prominent producer that aims to restore and elevate this legendary wine known for its rich history, complexity, and luxurious sweetness.
Wine Wanderings Editorial Calendar 2025
A Thanksgiving Table: Wine and Food Pairing from Two Coasts
Hosting A Bi-Coastal Wine Tasting in Your Home
Holiday Gifting for the Wine & Cocktail Lover
Sparkling Wines for the Holidays
The Sparkling Wine Leader of Texas: Heath Family Brands
LIVE from the Paso Robles Wine Region: Rhône Rangers Riding Strong at Blendfest
Touring Portugal: An Oporto Tasting
LIVE from the Danube River with Wölffer Estate Winery: Old World vs. New World Wines
Meeting the “King of Wines,” Tokaji Aszú, Touring Budapest
The Venice of Portugal
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In Case You Missed It in the Wine News:
WINESPEED newsletter, October 17, 2025, Don’t miss the interview between Karen MacNeil, author, The Wine Bible, and Dr. Laura Catena, M.D. and Co-Owner, Catena Zapata Winery, Mendoza, Argentina. The topic is “Wine and Health.”
Travel Opportunities
Editor’s Note: I will be cruising on AmaWaterways this April 20, 2026, on the Romantic Danube Cruise. Wine Wanderings subscribers: Come and join me and Wölffer Estate Winery’s Roman Roth, Winemaker/Partner on the Danube River. We will be visiting Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and Hungary with a special post-cruise excursion for 4 days in Hungarian wine country.
Cruise the Danube on AmaWaterways with Wine Wanderings and Wölffer Estate Winery April 20, 2026, Romantic Danube.
“Enticing Douro River Cruise” with Dr. Bob Young, Co-Owner, Bending Branch Winery, AmaWaterways, April 6-13, 2027
