Martin Ray Winery – Alive and Well in Wine Country

Martin Ray Winery – Fun winery to visit in the Russian River Valley The Martin Ray Winery is alive and well despite the Wine Country Fires. This area was far from the main fires. The Martin Ray Winery is one of those “Under the Radar” wineries. It does not have the fame as many of … Read more

Vineyards Russian River Valley AVA

Vineyards Russian River Valley AVA The beautiful vineyards in this photo are owned by the St. Francis Winery. The winery and tasting room are located on Highway 12 in Sonoma Valley. These vineyards are located at the northeastern end of the Russian River Valley near Healdsburg. I shot this photo at the Christopher Creek Winery … Read more

Veraison Pinot Noir Grapes

Pinot Noir grapes undergoing veraison

Veraison Pinot Noir Grapes in the Russian River Valley Nearing the end of July in a normal climate year, veraison is underway in the vineyards of Northern and Central California. Veraison is a French term and means the onset of ripening. Veraison is an important event in the growing season of a vineyard. Excitement reigns … Read more

Riverfront Regional Park in the Russian River Valley Wine Country

Mix wine country with a picnic, hike, and more – Riverfront Regional Park It it always healthy to mix in some exercise among all the wine and food consumption during a wine country trip. The Riverfront Regional Park in the Russian River Valley provides just that with some easy hiking trails.  The Coastal Redwood  picnic … Read more

Lynmar Estate in the Russian River Valley

tasting room at Lynmar

Lynmar Estate in the Russian River Valley – hidden elegance Tucked away near Sebastopol, California, is one of the Russian River Valley’s finest wineries. It is the Lynmar Estate Winery, the producer of excellent Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. The Lynmar Estate Winery is a hidden winery, off the beaten path. Travel north along Highway … Read more

Hop Kiln in the Russian River Valley

Hop Kiln Estate Winery

Hop Kiln Estate Winery in the Russian River Valley Hop Kiln has been a fixture along Westside Road in the Russian River Valley since 1905. For the majority of its history, it was used to dry and process hops, one of the key ingredients in making beer. After the hops production disappeared from the scene, it … Read more

How they make huge wine barrels

About these huge wine barrels On Wednesday of this week we had a very nice visit with Mark Ketcham, proprietor of Ketcham Vineyards in the Russian River Valley. There were ten of us tasting Pinot Noir wines in Mark’s spacious home. After our visit it was lunch time, and the closest winery with a picnic … Read more

Copain Wines and the Daily Meal

copain wine cellars and daily meal

About Copain Wines and the Daily Meal The Daily Meal, a popular online Website that covers “All Things Food and Drink” has published a list of what they consider to be the 101 Best Wineries in America. That is a tough job considering that there are over 7000 wineries in America. Nonetheless, for whatever it … Read more