Conventional wisdom states that the family winery is disappearing in California, and to a large extent this is true. Multinational beverage conglomerates are devouring small family operations the way elephants gobble peanuts at the zoo. In the midst of this madness, it’s reassuring to see a family start a winery and make a success of it---particularly when they turn out wines that are elegant, thoughtful and complex. It was a pleasure to profile Donelan Family Wines last week. Founded in 2009 by Joe Donelan and his two sons, Tripp and Cushing, the operation focuses on Rhone-style blends along with a smattering of small batch Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

After several days of dining out in Nashville and encountering fusion restaurants, small plates and miniscule portions, it was a relief to encounter Trattoria Il Mulino. The large and comforting restaurant is an offshoot of the famous New York mother ship, and specializes in dishes from the Abruzzi region. The cooking is artful, the service wonderful, and the wine list carefully chosen.

Finally, in Glass Half Full (our roundup of the week’s most interesting food, wine and spirits stories), we looked at the billion-dollar tequila, the $700 bottle of Wild Turkey, America’s best new restaurants, and the possibility that Vladimir Putin was hacking the luxury vodka market.

Here are last week’s posts:

Donelan Family Wines

Glass Half Full: 6/38/2017

Trattoria Il Mulino, Nashville