Wine Country Backroads – Tubbs Lane This is the third in a series of articles on great wine country backroads. Today we feature the wine country backroad of Tubbs Lane in Calistoga. The town of Calistoga is a great place to lodge and dine, and is a slower pace than the rest of the Napa … Read more
Wine Country Backroads West Dry Creek We have many favorite backroads in wine country. The West Dry Creek Road is at the top of our list. It is very near Westside Road and begins at the entrance to the famous Madrona Manor Inn. West Dry Creek runs from the Madrona Inn and ends at the Bella … Read more
Wine Country Backroads – Westside Road There are many wonderful and hidden wine country backroads. Here is one of the most spectacular. It is Westside Road in Sonoma County. It begins near the town of Healdsburg. It spans two wine country AVA’s or appellations, the Dry Creek Valley and the Russian River Valley. Along the … Read more
About Lodi Wine Country Lodi wine country is a totally different atmosphere than the Napa Valley or Sonoma. It does not have the vast number of fine dining establishments and lodging experiences. It does not have the luxurious tasting rooms or high-end tasting fees of the Napa Valley. What Lodi wine country does have to … Read more
Pruning time in wine country This is one of my favorite winter scenes in wine country. It is at the Field Stone Winery in the Alexander Valley in Sonoma. From Healdsburg, drive north on Healdsburg Avenue. Take a right onto Highway 128, Alexander Valley Road. It heads east then turns and runs south along the … Read more
Cycling in wine country I used to love cycling, especially in the wine country. I did the Santa Rosa Wine Country Century several times. What a lovely ride through the backroads of the Russian River wine country! I gave up cycling a few years back for a number of reasons. Most of all, the inherent … Read more
The iconic Robert Mondavi Winery It was in the mid 1960’s that the legendary Robert Mondavi founded his winery on Highway 29 in the Oakville area of the Napa Valley. Only a handful of wineries were in the Valley at that time. Hardly anyone outside Northern California knew about the wines of the Napa Valley. … Read more
Santa Ynez Wine Country Santa Ynez wine country is one of several wine appellations in Santa Barbara County. One can easily explore this exciting wine country when visiting Solvang, Buellton or Los Olivos. It is about a 45-minute drive from the city of Santa Barbara. There are many excellent wineries to explore on this wine … Read more
Holman Ranch Carmel Valley – Event and Wedding Venue Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley is one of several wineries along the Carmel Valley Wine Route. The winery is situated in the hills of the Santa Lucia Mountains. There are 21 acres of vines planted and all sustainably farmed. Holman Ranch specializes in Pinot Noir and … Read more
Monterey Fish House We recently spent a few days on the Monterey Peninsula. We visited several wineries and tasting rooms and enjoyed delicious meals along the way. For many years we have wanted to dine at the Monterey Fish House. I asked the concierge at our hotel about the Fish House. She told us that it … Read more