Located in Napa’s Soda Canyon with a stunning view back to San Francisco is Relic. It’s the love and passion of Mike Hirby and Schatzi Throckmorton. They have been making their wine since 2001 when both Schatzi and Mike were working for Behrens & Hitchcock (now Behrens Family Winery). They continued making wines for 14 years before opening their own facility / winery in Soda … Continue reading Relic
Ridge Vineyards is the producer of some of our favorite wines. We’ve enjoyed them since the 1980’s getting their shipments in Florida and coming out to visit initially at their first estate – Monte Bello in Cupertino. Today Ridge has three estates – Monte Bello, Lytton Springs, and the newest in Paso Robles. Ridge’s Lytton Springs estate outside Healdsburg is closest to us and among … Continue reading A Monte Bello Cabernet Tasting…..
From land that has been producing grapes since 1880 in the Napa Valley, one of the world’s greatest wineries has called it theirs since 1972 – Shafer. Robert Parker is responsible for giving the winery that title. I know many would agree! We visited the winery just after Christmas. It’s wise to book your visit well in advance. Tasting appointments are very limited to enable … Continue reading A Taste of Shafer…….
The Garagiste Wine Festival was a great excuse, not that you need one, to spend a long weekend in Paso Robles. The rainy season has already begun in Northern California. Heading south to Paso Robles gave us a break from the rain and some terrific sunny, 80 degree weather we happily soaked up! Serial Wines tasting room is just off the square in downtown Paso … Continue reading This Fall in Paso Robles…..
This was the 15th year The Garagiste Wine Festival was held in Paso Robles. In the world of wine festivals, these festivals are one of the best. Participants are from small wineries in this select area of California who are making less than 1500 cases per year. 50 micro-wineries poured at this years festival. 11 of them for the first time in Paso and 5 … Continue reading Paso Robles Garagiste Festival……..
Continuously producing exceptional wine – That’s Scherrer – Fred Scherrer to be exact. In the hills outside Sebastopol on a dead end road, in an old apple packing shed is Scherrer Winery. They don’t offer regular tastings. Three times a year Scherrer holds open houses to taste the new releases, pick up wines, and enjoy the comradery of his family and friends. It’s held in … Continue reading A Perfect Spring Release
Napa Valley wines have a well known reputation for being rather pricey. When there is so much terrific wine to be had in California it is difficult to spend the high price tag to taste and to purchase. We were over on Howell Mountain to taste Jon Jones’s newest releases at Paravel and arranged for an afternoon tasting in Yountville at Elyse. Elyse’s tasting room … Continue reading Napa’s Elyse
Looking for something different to experience in Sonoma’s Wine Country? Just outside of Healdsburg, tucked away on a country road in the Alexander Valley there is a coffee roaster. Hand roasted, small batch coffee is made here that has quickly gained popularity in Sonoma County. We had been hearing and reading great reviews of the coffee and of the the tasting experience so we arranged … Continue reading Coffee Break!
Tucked in a corner in Bacchus Landing in Healdsburg is the tasting room of Smith Story. It’s a welcoming storefront with a beautiful garden patio. Ali Smith and Eric Story are the couple behind the wine. Katy Wilson is their consulting winemaker and Dusty Rhodes their hospitality director. And not to be left out in any way is Lord Sandwich, the canine behind it all. … Continue reading Picpoul & Bourboulenc?
John's Wine Cellar 