About Hopland Wineries Thirty minutes north of the popular wine country town of Healdsburg is the very sleepy little wine town of Hopland in Mendocino County. It used to be the land of hops, but now grapes take center stage. If you like quiet wine country, with a tad of hippiness, this is the wine region to … Read more
About lunch at Rutherford Grill It is always a pleasure to dine for lunch at this very popular restaurant in Rutherford. The Rutherford Grill is a favorite restaurant for locals and tourists alike. It seems to be a gathering place for folks in the wine business. Invariably, you will find yourself eavesdropping on a wine conversation. The … Read more
About the Long Meadow Ranch Tasting Room and Farmstead Restaurant This is the Long Meadow Ranch Tasting Room in St. Helena. The tasting room is located in the historic Logan-Ives House built in 1874. There is also a small café and general store in the Logan-Ives House. There are two tastings: For $15 a tasting … Read more
About the Gustafson Family Winery and Baci Café Summer Picnic The Gustafson winery in Dry Creek is one spectacular spot for a summer picnic. The Gustafson winery is located in a very remote location in the Dry Creek Valley. It is high on the mountain and affords fantastic views of three valleys. As you can … Read more
About the historic To Kalon Vineyards To Kalon Vineyards are the most highly regarded Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the entire Napa Valley. In the photo above, taken in late June, Cabernet grapes have yet to undergo véraison (beginning of ripening). By August these grapes will be a beautiful deep purple color. The Robert Mondavi Winery … Read more
About Byington Vineyard in Santa Cruz Mountains If you really want to get away on a wine country outing, we suggest an excursion to Byington Vineyard. The winery is secluded and hidden in the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains. Byington Vineyard and Winery is located on Bear Creek Road and open for wine tasting on Fridays, … Read more
About Bonny Doon Tasting Room in Davenport This is a look inside the Bonny Doon tasting room in Davenport. The tasting room is on Highway 1 about ten miles north of Santa Cruz. Bonny Doon opened its oceanside tasting room in November 2013. The Bonny Doon Vineyards production facilities continue to operate near Swift Street in Santa Cruz … Read more
About Lodi Wineries & Grapes Lodi wineries are known for their big and fruit-forward Zinfandel wines. Indeed, some of the Lodi wineries are said to have some of the oldest Zinfandel vines in California. Recently, there has been a trend to grow Spanish grapes. The leader in this area is Bokisch Vineyards. They not only … Read more
Meet winemaker Andrew Murray Andrew Murray is one of the Santa Barbara wine country’s premiere winemakers. He has been making wine for the past 24 years. His Andrew Murray Vineyards winery is located on the Foxen Canyon Road Wine Trail. While traveling in France with his parents at age 18, he found his passion in … Read more
About Cambria Lodging in Paso Robles Wine Country Another lodging option when visiting the Paso Robles wine country is lodging in the ocean town of Cambria. The advantage of staying in Cambria is that you can enjoy both the Paso Robles wine Country and the Cambria seaside activities. Cambria is a short distance to the … Read more