One course in particular caught my eye: guests wanting the green curry shrimp with smoked collard greens will be offered the Beckmen, Garnache [sic] from the Santa Ynez. might just hold on to that Riesling from the previous course if I were seated next to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Jhumpa Lhiri, Bobby Jindal or Steven Spielberg tonight. MORE >>

Even the most jaded journalist can always learn something new, and of course new associations can always be made. Chronicle's Michael Bauer, Bon Appetite's Heather John, and Thomas Ulrich, of the Journalism Department of California State University. This year Tuesday kicked off with optional visits to To Kalon or Cade vineyards. MORE >>

An American wine will be paired with each course. All of the courses are subtly infused with the perennial and annual. The first course reflects a cornucopia of spring harvest, aptly. The tuna in the second course is from Hawaii. The main course. The apples are from Maryland, the raisins from California and the. MORE >>

Of course, tasting is a matter of opinion and others have expressed their views (captured, in part, in our tweet roundup ). Writing in the Financial Times, Jancis Robinson compared the ripeness and high alcohols she experienced to California, remarking “I have never written the word “Napa” so often in my tasting notes.&# MORE >>

Of course, I’ve had many European wines with age in recent months that have been stunning. But I think it’s worth pausing on California wines since it gets to the question of young people and old wine. The trouble is that they have to be sought out and treated with care and do, of course, carry more storage risks. MORE >>