Wine Docents

02/01/2026

Tonight
Marion and I end our 12-year relationship with the Boisset Collection of French and California premium wines. After more than a decade, it was time for new business decisions at Boisset, dissolving the role we had with the company.

It's been a good run. We gained a lot from it. At our peak, we were Senior Directors. We'll remain customers, primarily to have easy access to superior offerings of Boisset's French collection, especially those from Burgundy.

Many of you have been our customers on and off during these dozen years. We appreciate your support. You've probably already gotten emails explaining how you can continue as Boisset wine club members under the new structure. If (as most of you have told us) you love the wines, please continue enjoying them. If you were doing this mostly to support Marion and me, your continuing won't do that any longer (and, again, thank you for it).

You can still find us here on this Wine Docents page. We're both still available to give wine suggestions on a friendly basis, and for hire to create custom events for you. (We know a lot of wonderful wineries.) Just let us know what you'd like. Our commitment as always is to sharing the majesty of wine culture, and to exposing people to its pleasures and wisdom. Nothing so entwines the mind and passions like the reflective enjoyment of wine.

We especially thank Nancie Hemminger and MiShawn Williams, who opened the door and were always there, and to the fabulous Jean-Charles Boisset who brought Burgundy's wine heritage to our doorstep.

Life always brings a new vintage... I can't wait to see what comes next.

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01/02/2026

Wine has taught me a lot about life, including: You have to savor every vintage when it's young, seems full or promise, and you don't know yet where it's going... and as it reaches its spectacular peak... and as it fades. And then there's always another vintage.

Happy new year. We have a lot to get done this year!

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11/24/2021

(Reprinting our "responsible drinking" guidelines in anticipation of the holiday.)

As we approach holidays where indulgence and "having too much" is more or less the whole idea, let's review how much alcohol is too much. Perhaps regrettably, one can't discover the line to "too much" except by crossing it (you have to get there!); but there are general guidelines. What follows is not medical advice, and will vary from person to person. Please use great judgment, especially if you are driving, and come back to see us here next week.

An average person with a healthy liver can process about one (5 oz) glass of wine (12% alcohol) in an hour with no particular effect. Food likely will delay the alcohol effect by slowing absorption - then it can hit you all at once when it enters the blood stream.

Depending on your local and state laws, two glasses of wine in an hour probably will get you to the "illegal to drive" level, and about a glass an hour after that will keep you there. If you stay in this zone, allow at least half an hour after your last drink before you drive... and ask someone else's opinion.

Now... go forth and enjoy amazing wine and food with family and friends. Have a fabulous holiday!

04/21/2021

Exciting new sale just posted! Choose From a selection of different wine varietals and price points... starting at only $185
https://go.boissetcollection.com/4wjtn3

04/07/2021

We've been named Senior Directors of The Boisset Collection. This puts us in an even stronger place to serve your wine wants and needs. Please see our wine offerings from our industry-leading Napa, Sonoma, and French wineries at www.WineDocents.com or contact us directly if we can assist you.

03/26/2021

Meet your Wine Docents...

Marion DeSio and Jim Eshelman, “The Wizards of Wine,” love sharing their joy of wine through tastings, celebrations, tourism, and education. Both are American Wine Specialists certified by the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), trained as well in Old World (French and Italian) wines, and Senior Directors of The Boisset Collection of fine wines from Napa, Sonoma, and Burgundy.

Pioneering innovative approaches to online wine tastings, since spring 2020 they have led dozens of themed virtual tasting events focused on fun, engagement, and education. “Wine is art, culture, and love that feed our lives together,” they write.

Please explore their wine offerings at www.WineDocents.com or contact them directly at [email protected].

03/19/2021

This is one of our best wine sales of the year - I want you all to know about our "March Madness" themed offer. (It's March Wine Madness!) This offer stretches across all our Napa, Sonoma, Burgundy, and Rhone wineries.

Where: www.WineDocents.com
What: Everybody 20% off (and wine club members 30% off) on mix-and-match cases (1 case = 12 bottles), i.e., any combination of our wines that you want.
Shipping per case is FREE for club members (and free for everybody on orders of at least $250).
Coupon Code: Use CASE21 at checkout.
When: Now through March 26.
Delivered to your door!

Need help deciding? Check with us: Use the Contact Me button at the bottom of www.WineDocents.com.

02/27/2021

We are the lovers of which he spoke... and perhaps some of the rest, too!

02/21/2021

This year's Boisset Ambassador retreat is being held virtually (on Zoom). Here are some big take-aways we want to share with everyone. (We'll build virtual tastings around some of these in the next few months. Find the wines on www.WineDocents.com.)

1. Several new wines of which Jim's favorite is shown below: Vielles Vignes Blanc ("old vine white") is a Sauvignon Blanc - Palomino - Albarino 34-33-33 blend that is floral, complex, flavorful. Our white wine loving friends really should get this (wine club price $24/bottle).

2. Our Alchemy of Dreams label has a big fruit / crisp Zinfandel called "Daring" (shown below). A lot like the Alexander Valley zin we recently poured (for good reason: wink wink) but bolder, deeper fruit. This is Marion's favorite new discovery of the weekend. (Wineclub price $36.)

3. We already posted about the two amphora-aged wines (our "natural wines" selections). If you haven't had clay-aged wines, these will be a big, pleasant surprise: a white (amber Ribolla Gialla) that will speak to red-wine lovers and a red (Carignane) that will make white-wine lovers smile. - We'll do a tasting event on these (and they're available to buy tomorrow).

4. Several new French wineries are being brought in over the next few months. We probably will do a "new French wineries" tasting in the summer. (They aren't new wineries: Just new to American purchases.) Several of these wines will appear in our entry level club, Joie de Vie. https://my.boissetcollection.com/wizards/join/joie-de-vie

02/21/2021

Coming soon from DeLoach, something new! (We'll schedule a S.I.P. Together virtual tasting of these soon, so watch for details.) -- Two terracotta amphora-aged natural wines, a Rubolla Giala (an Italian white wine grape grown in Russian River, fermented on its skins in an amber style, then aged in amphora - complex, floral-apricot nose, with a taste like gentle lemon drops and green tea) - and a Mendocino County Carignane (bright cherry-licorice-cola with a little dried raisin) grown organically from 90-year-old vines. Both are earthy, fresh, reaching back to ancient winemaking approaches. We got our preview today. Can't wait to make these available to all of you. www.WineDocents.com

02/14/2021

We are having a great virtual wine tasting event February 26 - three spectacular red blends! Let us know if you want in (and feel free to share this with all your wine-loving friends).