Bacchus began as Bakchos, a Greek title for Dionysus — not a Roman invention. From Bronze Age clay tablets to Anacreon’s drinking songs, Euripides’ Bacchae, a Roman Senate crackdown, and Keats, the three-thousand-year story of the wine god’s names.
Dionysus to Bacchus: How the Greek God of Wine Changed His Name Read More »
The red volcanic hill where modern Oregon Pinot Noir began — Jory soil, the first plantings, and the day Burgundy moved in next door.
The Dundee Hills AVA: Birthplace of Oregon Pinot Noir Read More »
An aerospace engineer who designed rockets, co-founded Oregon’s first craft brewery, and refined a Pinot Noir technique that traveled all the way to Burgundy.
Dick Ponzi: The Rocket Engineer Behind Oregon Pinot (and Its First Brewery) Read More »
Wine can feel like a subject with a thousand doors and no obvious way in. The good news: a few well-chosen books will take you from nervous to confident faster than you’d think. KWWritten & edited by Ken Wytsma, Wine History ToursWillamette Valley wine-tour hosts Everyone starts somewhere. If you’ve ever stared at a wine
Best Wine Books for Beginners: Our Top Picks! Read More »
That whisper of vanilla and spice in a good red? It often comes not from the grape but from the barrel. Here’s what oak actually does — and what really happens as a wine ages. KWWritten & edited by Ken Wytsma, Wine History ToursWillamette Valley wine-tour hosts Aging is where wine is shaped after fermentation
Barrels and Beyond: The Science and Art of Aging Wine Read More »
The most famous story in wine — a monk crying “I am drinking stars!” — is almost entirely a myth. The true history of Champagne is stranger, and features an English scientist and a widow who changed the drink forever. KWReviewed & edited by Ken Wytsma · Fact-checked June 2026Researched and fact-checked against independent sources,
Bubbling Over: The History and Impact of Champagne Read More »
“Wine is bottled poetry,” wrote Robert Louis Stevenson — and for three thousand years, poets and painters have agreed, reaching for the glass whenever they wanted to talk about pleasure, power, and what it means to be mortal. KWReviewed & edited by Ken Wytsma · Fact-checked June 2026Researched and fact-checked against independent sources, with AI
Bottled Poetry: Wine in Literature and Art Through the Ages Read More »
Every one of Italy’s twenty regions makes wine — from Alpine foothills to Sicilian volcano slopes. No other country packs so much vinous history, or so many native grapes, into one boot-shaped peninsula. KWReviewed & edited by Ken Wytsma · Fact-checked June 2026Researched and fact-checked against independent sources, with AI assistance.✓ Verified Italy is not
The Rich Geographical History of Italy’s Wine Regions Read More »
Italy has more wine regions than you could see in a lifetime, which makes the planning the hard part. Here is a simple framework for turning the daydream into a trip that actually works. KWReviewed & edited by Ken Wytsma · Fact-checked June 2026Researched and fact-checked against independent sources, with AI assistance.✓ Verified You have
How to Plan Your Italian Wine Vacation Read More »
The magic of a great meal often lives in the match — the way the right wine makes the food sing, and vice versa. These ten books teach you how to make that happen at your own table. KWWritten & edited by Ken Wytsma, Wine History ToursWillamette Valley wine-tour hosts Wine and food are made
Top 10 Wine Pairing Cookbooks Read More »