About Preston Vineyards on West Dry Creek West Dry Creek Road near Healdsburg is one of the best of the backroads in this area. It is a favorite among walkers, runners, and cyclists. There are several wineries and tasting rooms but, at just about the end of West Dry Creek, there is one winery not … Read more
About the Amador Flower Farm and wine tasting Here is a chance to combine two hobbies, wine country travel and gardening. One of wine country’s prettiest backroads is Shenandoah School Road in Amador County in the Sierra Foothills. The Shenandoah School Road connects at two ends to Shenandoah Road and is about a four-mile stretch … Read more
About Freemark Abbey Freemark Abbey is one of the most stunning wineries in California wine country. The historic stone buildings date back to the late 1800’s. As we recently drove into the parking lot of the winery, we were shocked to see a construction crew appearing to begin demolishing one of the buildings. Thankfully, once in … Read more
About St. Clement Tasting Room in St. Helena Driving from downtown St. Helena to Calistoga on Highway 29, one cannot help turning and looking up to the hill on the left and marvel at the Victorian house that is home to St. Clement Vineyards’ tasting room. The house was built in 1878 by Fritz Rosenbaum. … Read more
About Bravas Bar de Tapas in Healdburg Bravas Bar de Tapas is a wonderful Tapas restaurant in Healdsburg. It opened about a year ago in the spot that formerly was the Ravenous Restaurant. Bravas Bar de Tapas is run by the same folks who own the successful Willie’s Sea Food on Healdsburg Avenue. We dined … Read more
About the Topel tasting room in Healdsburg The Topel Winery tasting room is one of many in the wine country town of Healdsburg. Around the Healdsburg Plaza, and down the road a mile, are as many as 20 tasting rooms. I think we have explored most of them. On our last visit, we saw that … Read more
About the wine cellar worker The cellar worker is also referred to as the cellar person or cellar rat. The latter term is used because the person bounces from job to job around the cellar, hustling back and forth. The cellar worker cleans tanks, hoses off the cellar floor, shovels grape skins, racks barrels, move … Read more
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
There are many small plots of Napa Valley vineyards off the beaten path and hidden from view. The above photo shows a small plot of white wine grapes. Only a dirt road leads to this vineyard. We are guessing that the grapes (photo below) on these vines are Chardonnay. The vineyard is unmarked as to the … Read more
About roses and vineyards Why do you often see rose plants growing at each end of a row of vines in wine country? The roses once served as an early warning system for vineyard growers. When roses suffered mildew, the growers knew they must swing into action before the vine leaves also suffered from mildew. Today … Read more