Refortified after a relaxing late night around the fire pit we set off for Epoch Estate Wines. Epoch’s wines are from a combination of Paderewski Vineyard, Catapult Vineyard and York Mountain. The tasting room is on the historic York Mountain Winery property. It’s the love of two geologists – Liz and Bill Armstrong who assembled these vineyards and renovated the York Mountain structures to create … Continue reading Trip to Paso Robles – Day 4
This time of year the hills in California’s Central Coast are extraordinarily beautiful. It’s the vibrant greens before the browns of summer that make it so spectacular to witness. We started off the morning at Thacher Winery and Vineyard. It has a massive 100 year old barn, stable, gardens and orchards. When Sherman Thacher and his wife purchased the property in 2004 the ranch had … Continue reading Trip to Paso Robles – Day 3
Just outside of downtown Paso Robles is an industrial area turned into the home for over forty wineries, distilleries and breweries. Park your vehicle and spend the day here. Some tasting rooms in Tin City accommodate walk-ins. We made reservations for all our tastings. Jacob Toft’s tasting room was our first of the day. They’re a small Central Coast producer sourcing from some of the … Continue reading Trip to Paso Robles – Day 2 – Tin City
Halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Paso Robles, once a Almond growing region has grown into a major wine region. The rolling hills are studded with over 400 wineries with a majority making Rhone varietal wines. Over 4 days we toured the west side of Paso Robles and tasted at 13 wineries. Yes, that’s a big number in 4 days but using some restraint … Continue reading Trip to Paso Robles – Day 1
It’s been over a decade since we visited Paso Robles and we are ready to get reacquainted. Just for fun I’m re-posting our write up from that experience 12 years ago. We won’t be going back to any of the wineries we tried then. The area has grown and with it have the number of winery opportunities! We don’t usually recommend planning this many reservations … Continue reading Returning to Paso Robles…….
There are plenty of things to do in Carmel-By-The-Sea, California, upper most is just taking in the local color of what is one of the loveliest small towns in America. It’s a not to be missed destination in California. The beach is an amazing asset too! We were there a week ago for a few days. It was a great getaway. The town is filled … Continue reading Wine Tasting in Carmel
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
John's Wine Cellar 