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4 days ago | 
baltimoresun.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
We don’t know what Kurt Beitler was thinking when he decided to pursue mechanical engineering and finance at Santa Clara University in California. Wine was in his blood. His grandfather, Charlie Wagner, founded Caymus Vineyard. His uncle, Chuck, launched Conundrum and Mer Soleil. Even before then he had ancestors involved in Beaulieu Vineyards and Inglenook. Beitler’s destiny wasn’t pushing pencils or investing money — his destiny was growing grapes and making wine. He came to his senses.
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5 days ago | 
southfloridareporter.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
By Tom Marquardt And Patrick Darr We don't know what Kurt Beitler was thinking when he decided to pursue mechanical engineering and finance at Santa Clara University. Wine was in his blood. His grandfather, Charlie Wagner, founded Caymus Vineyard. His uncle Chuck launched Conundrum and Mer Soleil. Even before then, he had ancestors involved in Beaulieu Vineyards and Inglenook. Kurt's destiny wasn't pushing pencils or investing money; his destiny was growing grapes and making wine.
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1 week ago | 
baltimoresun.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
There are few family histories in California’s Santa Lucia Highlands as legendary as the Pisonis. Sure, we know of the Mondavi family that pioneered winemaking in Napa Valley, but in the Santa Lucia Highlands the Pisoni family gives definition and legacy to pinot noir. Well-respected producers such as Kosta Brown and Patz & Hall use grapes from the Pisoni ranch.
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1 week ago | 
southfloridareporter.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
By Tom Marquardt And Patrick Darr There are few family histories in the Santa Lucia Highlands as legendary as that of the Pisonis. Sure, we know of the Mondavi family that pioneered winemaking in Napa Valley, but in the Santa Lucia Highlands, the Pisoni family gives definition and legacy to pinot noir. Well-respected producers, such as Kosta Brown and Patz & Hall, use grapes from the Pisoni ranch.
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2 weeks ago | 
baltimoresun.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
Wine, etc.: Here are some options for the perfect gift for dad | COMMENTARY
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2 weeks ago | 
capitalgazette.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
File photo / Capital Gazette Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr have been writing a weekly, syndicated wine column since 1985. See their blog at moreaboutwine.com. They can be reached at [email protected]. PUBLISHED: June 10, 2025 at 6:00 AM EDTHere are some options for the perfect gift for dad Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To log in, click here.
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3 weeks ago | 
baltimoresun.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
When people hear the word clone they might think of Dolly, the sheep, or some sci-fi movie that kept them awake at night. Don’t worry: no humans have been cloned yet. In the plant world, though, clones are not freaks of nature. In the vineyards, clones are a result of taking cuttings from a grapevine and propagating them to create a genetically identical plant. This process saved the French wine industry when healthy vines from California were grafted onto infested French rootstock.
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3 weeks ago | 
southfloridareporter.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
By TOM MARQUARDT and PATRICK DARR When people hear the word clone they may think of Dolly, the sheep, or some sci-fi movie that kept them awake at night. Don't worry: no humans have been cloned yet. In the plant world, though, clones are not freaks of nature. In the vineyards, clones are a result of taking cuttings from a grapevine and propagating them to create a genetically identical plant.
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1 month ago | 
capitalgazette.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
File photo / Capital Gazette Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr have been writing a weekly, syndicated wine column since 1985. See their blog at moreaboutwine.com. They can be reached at [email protected]. PUBLISHED: May 27, 2025 at 5:00 AM EDTNo region can exclusively claim title to chardonnay, although it was first grown in the Chardonnay village in the Maconnais area of France.
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1 month ago | 
capitalgazette.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
PUBLISHED: May 20, 2025 at 6:00 AM EDTWe feel so fortunate to have traveled to many wine-growing regions in Europe. Not only has it been rewarding to soak in the beautiful environment that makes a wine so special, but it has been educational to learn a region’s wine history. Only when we travel overseas do we appreciate the youth of our own country. One region that should be on your bucket list is France’s Loire Valley.
