Sunday we headed off to the Napa Valley for a day of tastings with friends. It was such an unusual day for June. It was actually raining! California does not usually see rain in June but given the drought we are experiencing, every drop we can get is welcome. We began by sharing a rare and wonderful morning on Howell Mountain barrel tasting with one … Continue reading Tasting in Napa……
We were on a mission to try Mending Wall’s Petite Sirah. It was our only appointment of the day while we were doing some trip planning in Napa. Our host was Amy and we will forever remember her for one of, and I truly mean this, best tastings we have ever experienced. Mending Wall wines are one of Thomas Rivers Brown’s many accomplishments. He makes … Continue reading “a winery built around the spirit of wine itself”*
It’s difficult not to be moved by the view when you drive to Howell Mountain. We’ve driven there twice since the 2020 fires and both times I was struck with a feeling of despair seeing the devastation of homes, wineries, and charred hills. Thankfully It’s all coming back. Sonoma and Napa residents, and winery owners in particular, are nothing if not resilient. For Jon and … Continue reading Paravel Pick Up
Sonoma is the perfect place to enjoy a wine country adventure after the year long pandemic lock down. The wineries are incredibly eager to have visitors back and there is no better place to relax. We’ve been busy updating our local recommendations to make it easy for you to plan your visit. Check out the Local Favorites page and get started! There are some amazing … Continue reading Planning a Sonoma Wine Trip – Updated
North of Healdsburg there is a spectacular landscape overlooking the Alexander Valley and the Anderson Valley off Route 128 in Yorkville Highlands. There, above the fog line with knock-out gorgeous views, a new tasting “room” called SEAWOLF has just opened. Two young, talented winemakers – Emma Kudritzki Hall and Jesse Hall have combined their experience and are producing small quantities of exceptional wine made in … Continue reading SEAWOLF
UPDATE – February 2019 – From Unti Vineyards Winter Release Party Date: Sat, Feb 9, 2019 Time 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Venue: At the winery: 4202 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, CA 95448 Phone: (707) 433-5590 Email: info@untivineyards.com There is no charge and no RSVP required. Having the opportunity to taste their new releases is most definitely an event to make! See you there, Debbe … Continue reading Two favorite wineries…..
Even in the rain its hard to have a bad day tasting wines! We headed to Napa to lunch with friends at Brasswood. Leaving early gave us the chance to add some tastings to the visit. Just a rec…….If you are driving from Santa Rosa over the mountains to Napa there are a number of routes. Our GPS rerouted us off our planned Calistoga Road … Continue reading Over to Napa……..
This morning our day was clouded by bad news. Sooo…. we set out to pick up some wine and everything just got better. We headed to Carlisle Winery to pick up their current releases. Winemaker, Jay Maddox (right) and Paul Wendy were pouring some terrific wines and Franchettis’ was serving wood fired pizzas to compliment the wine. It was truly a simple and relaxed event. … Continue reading Making a better day………..
Kenwood is very quickly becoming one of my favorite places in Sonoma County. I am purposely trying to time my days so I can end up near Kenwood to catch lunch at Cafe Citti . The town along Route 12 has some of the county’s best restaurants, tasting rooms and wineries. When friends took us to Cafe Citti for the first time we parked in … Continue reading In Kenwood………
This past weekend we attended the first ever “Sonoma Underground” event held at Longboard Winery in downtown Healdsburg. Elizabeth Schneider and Laura Perret Fontana created Underground to” help family-owned, unique producers thrive.” The event showcased 15 small, independent wineries. Owners, winemakers and their families were there to pour. Some of the standouts as determined by our group of seven were…. Nalle’s 2015 Hopkin’s Ranch … Continue reading Sonoma Underground……..
John's Wine Cellar 