Armida Winery has one of my favorite Sonoma views. It’s set on a hillside off Westside Road just south of Healdsburg. Their view is across the vineyards of the Dry Creek Valley, past “J” and Rodney Strong Vineyards to Chalk Hill, Fountaingrove, and in the far distance, Mt. St Helena. It’s gorgeous and the perfect spot to relax, open a bottle of their wine and … Continue reading Armida
We don’t really need an excuse to go tasting but in this instance it was kind of celebratory. Our daughter was visiting and finally done with a self imposed quarantine so a day out seemed like a perfect reward. Bedrock Wine Company was our first appointment. I’ve written about Bedrock previously (link to post) but not about tasting at their facility in the town of … Continue reading 2 Steps Back……..
East of Sacramento in the foothills of the Sierra Mountain Range is gold country. In the 1840s the precious metal was discovered there. The area quickly prospered through the gold rush. At the same time vineyards were planted and wine was produced. The gold ran dry before the end of the century but the Zinfandel vines have endured. This is a terrific, scenic part of … Continue reading Gold Country!
Joan and Walt Flowers made two trips each year to California to purchase seeds for their nursery in my home turf of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Those trips gave them more access to California wines, and most certainly fueled their growing passion for them. That passion got the best of them and they purchased land along the Pacific Coast on Camp Meeting Ridge thus beginning Flowers … Continue reading Flowers
When Governor Newsom gave the o.k. for wineries and tasting rooms to reopen we were quick to venture out. Yes, there were and continue to be limitations, rules, and masks of course, but it seemed worth abiding the rules to have a relaxing afternoon trying a new winery. We were met by Alice Hunter the winery’s manager who gave us a wonderfully in-depth background on … Continue reading Marimar Estate
August 2020 – A Paravel UPDATE – We had the pleasure of having Jon Jones join us for a birthday dinner celebration in Santa Rosa. Jon brought his wines to pair and share making the dinner and the evening one exceptional event. Jon poured his 2019 Mendocino Poor Ranch VYD Old Vine Zinfandel Rosé while he told us the fantastic story of how he discovered … Continue reading “Music to your Mouth”
Silver Cloud, a 160-acre property on Cavedale Road is up, and I mean up, a winding road nearly to the Sonoma – Napa County line. It’s an incredible vineyard on the slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains that is part of the Stone Edge Farm Estate Vineyards & Winery. Silver Cloud, located outside Glen Ellen, is quite a destination. Once an old mountain cabin, it is … Continue reading Out of the way and special!
A favorite annual event in support of our premier center for the arts – Luther Burbank is being held online this year. Excellent wine lots and trips to get your hands on! For our eastern friends – 4 nights at the Four Seasons DC is a great choice! The auction runs May 3-9. It is definitely worth creating an account just to view the fantastic … Continue reading Bid for Wine and More
There is no excuse for your wine supply to dwindle. Thanks Wine Road! Salud! Continue reading 50 Ways to Get Your Wine!
Wineries are finding some interesting ways to bring tastings, winemaker interviews and terrific offerings to you while you shelter in place. We are posting them daily on John’s Wine Cellar Facebook page. Salud! Continue reading Postings on Facebook
