Ultimate Russian River Wine Experience: Benovia – Gary Farrell – Dutton-Goldfield

Benovia house

This is a guest post by Stephanie Friedman, the direct-to-consumer manager at Gary Farrell.  I heard through the grapevine about this very interesting wine tour at these three Russian River Valley wineries. Stephanie agreed to give readers of Wine Country Getaways the lowdown on the Ultimate Russian River Wine Experience. Ultimate Russian River Wine Experience: Benovia – Gary … Read more

Tin City Paso Robles

Tin City Paso Robles

Tin City Paso Robles – the next Wine Ghetto? Here is an interesting development in the wine country scene of Paso Robles. It is the emergence of Tin City Paso Robles. Tin City is a recent development of wineries using a business complex called Marquita Crossing, just off Ramada Road in Paso Robles. These are … Read more

Field Stone Winery in the Alexander Valley

Alexander valley april

Field Stone Winery in the Alexander Valley April in wine country is when tasting room activity ramps ups. Lodging, restaurants and wineries prepare for the return of tourism to wine country. This year, an unusually warm winter has caused an early bud break in the vineyards. The vines are three weeks ahead of the normal … Read more

Olive oil fun at Pasolivo

Olive oil fun at Pasolivo What a very nice activity to mix in with wine tasting in Paso Robles. We spent an entire hour having olive oil fun at Pasolivo. Pasolivo is an olive oil factory located on Vineyard Drive, a lovely wine county backroad. Pasolivo is open daily and is great fun for the … Read more

Brecon Estate – shifting wine styles on Vineyard Drive

Brecon estate picnic

Brecon Estate is where the Norman Monster Zin once roamed One of the old standby Paso Robles wineries, Norman Vineyards, sold its facilities and vineyards on Vineyard Drive in 2013. It is now Brecon Estate, with a totally different approach to winemaking.   The Norman winery continues to operate in a warehouse area of Paso Robles. In 2014, … Read more

Alta Colina winery in Paso Robles – It’s the reds!

Alta Colina winery

Alta Colina winery New since our last visit to Paso Robles in 2014 is the Alta Colina winery on the scenic wine country backroad of Adelaida Road. We had a very pleasant mid afternoon at Alta Colina winery enjoying a picnic lunch and sipping a delightful Rhone red blend. The new tin structure, which you … Read more

Lompoc Wine Ghetto

Lompoc wine ghetto

    Lompoc Wine Ghetto It all began in 1998 when Longoria Winery moved into a 5000-square-foot warehouse in Lompoc for wine production and a wine tasting space. Today, in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto, there are 30 wineries with more to come. The Lompoc Wine Ghetto is a very large warehouse section where small wineries … Read more

Central Coast Wine Country

Central Coast wine country

Central Coast wine country The Central Coast wine country stretches from Monterey County through the Santa Barbara area. Some even consider Ventura as part of the Central Coast wine country. The vineyard acreage is huge, and many of the grapes are shipped to other wine regions of California. The most famous regions of the Central … Read more

Early spring vines

early spring vines

Early Spring vines on West Dry Creek Road What a lovely view of early Spring vines in wine country. This photo was taken on the beautiful wine country backroad of West Dry Creek Road in Sonoma County. This is close to the end of West Dry Creek Road near Preston Vineyards and Bella Vineyards and … Read more

Hot air balloons take off in the Napa Valley

hot air balloons take off in the napa valley

Hot air balloons taking off in the Napa Valley When April rolls around, it means that it’s hot air balloon season in the Napa Valley. Tourist season in April  goes full throttle as the vines awaken to a new growing season. Bud break and Spring bring the tourists out in droves to the Napa Valley. One … Read more