Wine Country Photography Archives - Page 20 of 20

Visit Dry Creek Valley

June 27, 2014 by Joe Becerra

Exploring wine country would not be complete without a visit to the Dry Creek Valley

About a visit to the Dry Creek Valley

A visit to the Dry Creek Valley will take you to mostly small, family-run wineries. These families have been farming the Dry Creek Valley for generations. Many, like the Mauritson Family, have been grape growers for years, selling their prized grapes to other wineries. In recent times, many growers like the Mauritsons have decided to use their best grapes to produce and sell their own wines. There are two main roads in the Dry Creek Valley. Take the Dry Creek Exit on Highway 101 and head west. Dry Creek Road is ten miles long from Healdsburg to the Lake Sonoma Fish Hatchery. Along the way are numerous wineries to visit. On the opposite side of Dry Creek (which empties into the Russian River) is West Dry Creek Road. West Dry Creek Road is a serene backroad and a favorite of runners and cyclists. There are two bridges you can use to cross from West Dry Creek Road to Dry Creek Road. One is the Lambert Bridge and the other is the Yoakim Bridge. Before you begin to explore the Dry Creek wineries, make sure you purchase a picnic lunch. Big John’s Market is immediately east of Highway 101 on Dry Creek Road. They have a fabulous Deli. On Dry Creek Road, there is the historic Dry Creek General Store. It is a busy place with wine tourists and boaters heading to Lake Sonoma. We have a list of the best picnic wineries along this route.

More information on the Dry Creek Valley

Hopland Wineries

June 26, 2014 by Joe Becerra

18 Hopland wineries in Mendocino County

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 visit. There are 18 Hopland wineries that surround the three business blocks of Hopland. Unlike Mendocino’s other wine region, the Anderson Valley, the Hopland area is a much different region. The Russian River flows in this area and is a major influence in terms of climate and soil. There are three official growing areas (AVA’s) in and around Hopland. Two other wine-growing regions are pending approval for AVA status. Most of the Hopland wineries practice organic farming, including biodynamic and sustainable farming. The Hopland wineries offer several tasting rooms in town and many other fully-operating wineries (with tasting rooms) are within easy driving distance of the center of Hopland. Unfortunately, upscale lodging and restaurants are few and far between. This is a list of the good places to lodge and to dine while visiting Hopland wineries. Our favorite wineries to visit include: Terra Savia, Saracina, Jeriko, and Campovida. In the town of Hopland we like the tasting rooms of McFadden, Cesar Toxqui, and Graziano.

More information on Hopland wineries

Lunch at Rutherford Grill

June 25, 2014 by Joe Becerra

The Rutherford Grill on the corner of Highway 29 and Rutherford Road

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 reasons that people keep coming back to this place are the good food, an extensive wine list, and the atmosphere. Oh, one more thing, there is no wine corkage fee at the Rutherford Grill. Folks in the wine business love bringing in a prized bottle to share with their friends. For our lunch on Tuesday, Janelle ordered a glass of Miner Chardonnay and I ordered a crisp and delightful Chenin Blanc from the Terraces winery on the Silverado Trail.

Butternut squash enchilada

One of my favorite dishes is the Butternut squash enchilada dish. Inside the tortilla is the butternut squash, a few potato cubes, swiss chard, and cheese. The enchilada is placed on a tortilla sauce that is scrumptious. The sauce is a secret recipe which the staff will not reveal. I must duplicate this recipe. I have experimented with different cheese and chile sauces. It is always good but not nearly as good as the Rutherford dish. Anyone out there know what goes into these squash enchiladas and the tortilla sauce?

It is a good idea to make a reservation but walk ins are always welcome, just expect to wait a good amount of time for a table for lunch at Rutherford Grill.

More information on the Napa Valley

Napa Valley Wine Trails & Routes
Napa Valley Wine Map
Napa Valley Winery Finder

Long Meadow Ranch Tasting Room

June 24, 2014 by Joe Becerra

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 of the current release of varietal wines is offered, plus a tasting of the Long Meadow Ranch olive oil. For $25 per person, an estate series of wines are offered as well as the olive oil. We found the Sauvignon Blanc to be our favorite wine of the tasting session for $15.

Adjacent to the Long Meadow Ranch tasting room is their Farmstead Restaurant where we enjoyed a leisurely lunch time meal. The restaurant features farm to table ingredients from local purveyors, as well as the Farmstead vegetable garden. Dairy products and grass-fed beef come from the Long Meadow Ranch estate in the Mayacamus Mountains. Janelle enjoyed a delicious grilled chicken salad while I had a pulled pork sandwich. The pork had been smoked for 12 hours. The pulled pork sandwich came with a creamy potato salad. The meal was quite scrumptious.

The wine list is extensive featuring Long Meadow Ranch wines as well as other Napa Valley vintners and a few from other wine regions. The wines are priced on the high side. For example, the Long Meadow Ranch Sauvignon Blanc was $54 on the wine list. I have seen the S.B. for less than $20 in wine shops. Overall, the Farmstead Restaurant is excellent. The restaurant is very busy, so be sure to call ahead for a reservation.

Note: If you enjoy a meal at the restaurant, be sure to get a chip good for a two-for-one tasting at the Long Meadow Ranch tasting room.

More information about St. Helena and the Napa Valley

St. Helena Restaurants
St. Helena Lodging
Napa Valley Wine Trails

Gustafson Winery in Dry Creek

June 23, 2014 by Joe Becerra

Gustafson Family Winery & Vineyards

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 see from the photo, off in the distance are the Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Valley, and the Napa Valley. The highest peak is Mount St. Helena in the Vaca Mountains. Dan Gustafson and his family have developed this estate on 260 acres of beautiful oak woodland forest. 20 acres have been planted with vineyards, all organically farmed. There is a beautiful home on the property that can be rented for vacations. On Saturday, June 28th, Gustafson Winery and the Baci Café and Wine Bar will host a gourmet picnic lunch paired with Gustafson wines on the Gustafson Estate. The summer picnic will be held from 11am to 3pm and is $45 a person. The Baci Café and Wine Bar is a popular spot in Healdsburg. To get to the Gustafson winery, take Dry Creek Road to the very end. Then take Stewarts Point-Skaggs Springs Rd. for seven miles to the Gustafson winery.

More about the Dry Creek Valley

Dry Creek Wine Route
West Dry Creek Wine Route
Lodging in Healdsburg
Dining in Healdsburg
Things to do in Healdsburg