Where in the World is Bruliam Wines?

This spring finds me crisscrossing the United States to visit our restaurant partners in food friendly towns like San Antonio, TX, Savannah, GA, and Detroit, MI. While most of my sales work is trade-only, I do have some delicious public-facing events to share.

Everything is Bigger in Texas

I’ll be pouring at Southern Smoke Decanted, the inaugural wine and food festival benefitting the Southern Smoke Foundation. Featuring 40 wineries and decadent bites from Houston’s most drool-worthy culinary haunts, Decanted brings the H-town ethos to a spirited wine tasting & live auction. Even better? Auction funds provide emergency relief and mental health services to food and beverage workers nationwide.

April 20, 2024

Wind You Can Taste

I’m lucky to be included in many wine events. And year after year after year after year, our Santa Lucia Highlands AVA tasting ranks among my favorites. Why? Because the enthusiastic, wine-loving attendees are the most passionate cheerleaders for our SLH wines. Nothing beats the electric energy of wine makers watching wine lovers sip all their favorite pours. Our Sun, Wind, and Wine festival features 100+ of the most coveted, highly-rated, small production, and under-the-radar wines in California. Meet the winemakers and wine growers. Snack on awesome bites. Stroll among the barrels. And enjoy live music. It’s always a really, really good day.

May 18, 2024

Join me in the Cellar

Our Grand Cru Summertime Open House showcases my wines and my colleagues’ wines here at home, right in our own production facility. I’ll be pouring the new 2023 Rose of Pinot Noir, alongside some other surprises, to celebrate the start of summer. Local artisan vendors and food trucks round out the offerings. I always enjoy pouring wine alongside my buddies, and everything you sample is for sale. If you love small production, family wineries, please join me at the Grand Cru Open House.

June 1, 2024

March Madness: The Countdown Begins

March is synonymous with “March Madness,” that anxiety provoking countdown to budbreak. We all know vintage 2023 was seeded late, accumulating a mere 68% of the 2022 degree days by June 21. In contrast, vintage 2022 entered the bracket matrix awfully early…resulting in those craaaaaazy August harvest picks. So, what might these stats portend for vintage 2024? Will warm soil temperatures, sunshine, and sunny days be a slam dunk for an early vintage? Not so fast! Ample, persistent rain, grey skies, and near freezing conditions may push back bud break to a less dominant position. Then again, it might not be wise to bet against another back-to-back record late year. Only Mother Nature knows what’s in store for vintage 2024. All eyes are tuned to the vines.

Defying Intellectual Property Rights

I believe I let slip in a few thank you notes that I shared the 2022 Sangiacomo Roberts Road Pinot Noir with a reviewer who reacted favorably to her pour. Her write up of my 2022 pinots in The Wine Independent undermines all of my pleading hopes you’ll cellar your spring release wines until this time next year. So, I am kind of reluctant to share this news. Because once I share it, I can’t un-share it. Reading this news will bias you completely. And then you won’t want to listen to me anymore, like when I promise you that your 2022’s will keep improving with age. “How is it possible they will improve,” you ask, “when every wine in the allocation scored 94, 95+, 95+, and 96?” See, I told you so. My credibility is busted…    

spring allocation wines ship Monday, March 4

Please remember that someone over 21 needs to be on hand to sign for your order.

Thank you, as always, for your tremendous support of Bruliam Wines. When I’m not on the road, I’m ensconced at the winery. So, if you’re planning a trip to Sonoma County, I hope you’ll add a Bruliam visit to your itinerary.