Travel Tips

Lockeford Meat and Sausage

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On that Saturday it was a different ball game at Lockeford Meat and Sausage. There was a lineup of patrons stretching well outside the front door. When I finally made my way to the counter I asked if this was typical for a Saturday. His response was, “It will be crazy like this all day long.” I think you would be hard pressed to find a sausage company more popular anywhere in California.

Tempranillo Blanco is alive and well

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Tempranillo Blanco is a grape that mutated naturally. This happened in 1995 in the village of Murillo near Logrono, Spain.

Rene Barbier: the Robert Mondavi of the Priorat

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In a beautiful setting, with the village of Gratallops as the backdrop, Rene Barbier explains that we are looking at a Garnacha vineyard like no other in the Priorat.

Kosher Wines – Celler de Capcanes

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What is unique about this winery is that they produce 3 Kosher wines: Peraj Ha’abib, Flor del Flor de Primavera and Peraj petita. Even though Kosher wines account for only 2% of Capcanes’ production, these wines are highly sought after.

Driving the Motorways of France and other driving nightmares

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Once you get to a motorway, you are going to have to deal with what we call the Nightmare of the Péage. When you get on the motorway you will pick up your ticket. That’s as easy as it will get.

Sbragia Family Vineyards – Dry Creek Road in Reverse

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Visitors who drive along the Dry Creek Road in search of great tasting rooms often miss one of the best, the Sbragia Family Vineyards.

Sonoma Valley Wine Country has Four 100 year-old wineries to visit

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While the Napa Valley gets all the attention as far as popularity, few wine country travelers know that Sonoma County during the 1800’s was the star of California wine country. It all started in the Sonoma Valley wine country when the Buena Vista Winery was established in 1857.

In this first of two blog posts on Sonoma County’s oldest wineries, we focus on four wineries in the Sonoma Valley. Three of the four wineries are located in the town of Sonoma and the fourth just 10 miles away on Highway 12.

Gundlach Bundschu

We begin with Gundlach Bundschu founded in 1857 and today the oldest California winery that has been in continuous operation by the same family. The winery currently has sixth-generation family member Jim Bundschu at the helm. The tasting room is filled with amazing photos and wine bottles from Gundlach’s history. The staff at Gundlach is extremely knowledgeable and very welcoming. The winery certainly has that family feel to it. One added bonus: This is one of the best picnic wineries in all of California. There are three very different and beautiful areas one can choose from to sit and enjoy a picnic lunch. The tasting room is open daily 11 to 4:30.

Our favorite wines at Gundlach Bundschu: Tempranillo and the Gerwurztraminer

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Francis Ford Coppola & the WCG Bocce Tournament = Much Fun!

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It was a perfect day for our 7th Annual WCG Bocce Tournament held in GIt was a perfect day for our 7th Annual WCG Bocce Tournament held in Geyserville at the Francis Ford Coppola winery on May 26th. With four new beautiful, professional Bocce courts, the gourmet Rustic Café, and spectacular views of the Alexander Valley, we could not have asked for a better venue.

April in Wine Country – Piner Road/Olivet Road

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This is one of our favorite months in wine country. The weather is warm and California poppies are proudly blooming among the vines. The main event this month is bud break. It signals a new growing period for the vines and it is the perfect time to savor the beauty of wine country.

We have a couple of suggested trips for this month. We’ll start with one in the Santa Rosa region. We’ll call it the Piner Road/Olivet Road Trail. In our next blog post, we will tell you about a great set of interesting wineries in the Geyserville area in northern Sonoma County.

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Top Things to Do in Wine Country in January 2011

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Now is the best time to travel to the wine country. I know it can be cold or rainy this time of year, but it so peaceful and relaxing because the huge crowds are missing. Here are some recommendations for formal and informal events that are happening in wine country in January.

San Francisco: “How Wine Became Modern” + the 20th Annual ZAP Festival

Etienne Meneau, Carafe No. 5, 2008, fabricated 2009

Well, San Francisco is technically not wine country but there are two events that are sure to attract wine lovers. The first one is happening at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, “How Wine Became Modern: Design + Wine 1976 to Now” on view through April 17, 2011. S.F. MOMA is offering enticing promotions to encourage you to visit this wine exhibit: If you not currently a member, you can receive a 10% discount if you join between now and April 17th. After you visit the exhibit, you can use your ticket stub to receive wine-related discounts in San Francisco and Sonoma County. Additionally, you can enter the SFMOMA Uncorked contest to win a Luxury Wine Adventure in exchange for bringing natural used corks to the museum for recycling. Wow!

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