Wildflowers in wine country

Wildflowers in wine country

Wildflowers in Wine Country – St. Helena After five years of drought conditions, we finally have a wonderful season of rainfall. The wine country in the Napa Valley and Sonoma has not seen this amount of rainfall in 50 years. The result as we swing into Spring and warm weather is a bounty of wildflowers. … Read more

Wine Barrel Cleaning

steam cleaning wine barrels

Wine Barrel Cleaning Wine barrel cleaning or washing is one of the most important tasks in the wine cellar. Anytime the winemaker removes wine from a barrel, it must be washed and cleaned thoroughly. Any minute amount of bacteria that in the wine barrel can cause future spoilage of the wine. Wineries use various methods … Read more

Cover Crop Life Begins in the Vineyards

cover crops wine country

Cover Crop Life Begins in the Vineyards Our Wine Country Photo of the Day is a beautiful shot of a cover crop just beginning to take hold. This picture is a St. Helena AVA vineyard in the Napa Valley. A cover crop serves many purposes for a vineyard. The vineyard manager or grower select the … Read more

Joseph Family Vineyards – Alexander Valley

Joseph Family Vineyards - Alexander Valley

Joseph Family Vineyards – Alexander Valley We continue our theme for this time of the year showcasing beautiful Fall colors in wine country. This wine country photo is a view of the Joseph Family Vineyards in the Alexander Valley of Sonoma County. One of the most incredibly beautiful backroads in wine country is Highway 128 … Read more

Shenandoah Valley in the Sierra Foothills

Fall colors in the Shenandoah Valley

Shenandoah Valley in the Sierra Foothills – Fall Colors The Fall is the most incredible time to explore the Sierra Foothills. The wine country is spectacular. Our favorite area in the Sierra Foothills is the Shenandoah Valley, just outside of Plymouth, California. The rolling hills of vineyards are centered in an oak woodlands ecosystem. The … Read more

Sunrise in St. Helena

Sunrise in St. Helena

Sunrise in St. Helena Photo shot on York Lane in St. Helena on October 21, 2016. Fall in wine country is an incredible time for photo opportunities. How to travel the Napa Valley Wine Country

Barrel Room at Chateau Margaux

barrel room margaux

Barrel Room at Chateau Margaux This is one of two spectacular barrel rooms at the Premier Cru winery, Chateau Margaux. These are French oak barrels. The Chateau Margaux cooper made twenty percent of these barrels. The wine in this barrel room is from the current vintage.  For one year, the wine will be aged and racked … Read more

Merlot Grapes in St. Emilion

Merlot grapes St. Emilion

Merlot Grapes in St. Emilion – harvest is near These are Merlot grapes in St. Emilion. Harvest will more than likely take place this week. In St. Emilion, the most important grape is Merlot. The other Bordeaux grapes grown in St.Emilion are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Merlot is the predominant grape in … 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

Pinot Noir Wine Glasses in the Russian River Valley

wine glasses pinot noir

Pinot Noir Wine Glasses in the Russian River Valley at Benovia I shot this photo at the Benovia Winery in the Russian River Valley. These are Pinot Noir wine glasses most likely made by the Riedel Wine Glass Company. The Russian River Valley is famous for Pinot Noir, a grape that requires cool climate but … Read more