Allison Levine

Not every bottle of wine needs a special occasion to be opened. When Madroña Vineyards described their El Tinto as a “Tuesday wine you can open on Saturday,” I knew it was perfect for a…

From Long Island to the Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes, New York winemakers are embracing Cabernet Franc as the red grape that brings their diverse wine regions together.

On Communication: Understanding another perspective doesn't require accepting it.

Madroña — Where the Mountains Shape the Wine What happens when vineyards rise to 3,000 feet above sea level, where mountain air, deep soils, and a remarkable diversity of grapes come together? In this episode of Wine Soundtrack USA, host Allison…

Barbera is one of those red grapes that I love for its versatility with food. With bright acidity, juicy fruit, and relatively soft tannins, it can complement everything from tomato-based pasta dis…

Three caviars, four Roederer L’Ermitage sparkling wines, and twelve possible pairings. Add a renovated tasting room, peaceful vineyard views, and a new food menu, and there are plenty of reasons to…

The Russian River Valley winery that helped shape my early understanding of Pinot Noir enters a new chapter in Anderson Valley.

On Communication: We don't have to agree to keep the conversation going.

I headed to Livermore Valley this past weekend for the Livermore Valley Wine Experience. The first event, Taste Our Terroir, brought together 20 wineries and 20 restaurants, each presenting a wine …

Element 79 Vineyards — A Love Story Written in Gold What if a love story could become a vineyard—and every bottle could carry a piece of a life built together? In this episode of Wine Soundtrack USA, host Allison Levine meets Les Heinsen of Element…

On Communication: The same words can mean different things depending on where we stand.

Site — Where the Vineyard Leads the Winemaker What if the best way to make wine is to forget about having a formula? In this episode of Wine Soundtrack USA, host Allison Levine sits down with Jeremy Weintraub, the winemaker behind Site, to discover a…

More than two decades after one of my first wine dinners with Claude Taittinger, a Champagne dinner with his nephew Rodolphe Frerejean Taittinger brought my wine journey full circle.

On Communication: What we see doesn't always tell us what we need to know.

Bumgarner Winery — Where Family and Terroir Tell the Story What happens when a family decides that great wine should do more than taste good—it should tell the story of the land? In this episode of Wine Soundtrack USA, our host Allison Levine sits…

I recently spent a weekend visiting friends who lives in Geyserville, high in the hills above Healdsburg with beautiful views across the valley. Their neighbors happen to be Kerry and Daisy Damskey…

Fall Updates: Travel, Wine & New Adventures from Please The Palate 🍷✈️ – The Please The Palate October 2026 Newsletter Is Here

Three caviars, four sparkling wines, and a new food menu offer another reason to head north and linger at this Anderson Valley sparkling wine estate.

The value of asking before assuming.

Think Australian Shiraz and you might think of the old-school style of big, bold, jammy, and high in alcohol. Barossa Valley Shiraz and fresh in the same sentence is less often heard together. But …