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?
It’s ten o’clock in the morning and we are sitting down to taste wine. We’ve returned to the Spire Collection just outside of Callistoga. I wrote about our first visit in the blog entry – Tasting in Napa. It will give you a gracious plenty on the background of the Spire Collection so I won’t repeat myself. It is a modern, tastefully appointed tasting room. … Continue reading Myriad & The Spire Collection
Santa Barbara California not only has a stunning coastal location, beautiful Mediterranean style architecture, amazing restaurants and shopping – it also has its share of wineries! More than 280 wineries are located among the seven AVAs in Santa Barbara County. We made a road trip to Santa Barbara to relax for a few days and explore a few of those wineries and tasting rooms. We … Continue reading Santa Barbara Trip
On one of the hottest days this summer we visited Gary Farrell Vineyard & Winery. It’s located in one of the coolest regions in Sonoma’s wine country but we were experiencing a heat wave. The temperature was hitting 100 degrees. Tasting outdoors was not going to be an option. Their facility sits well above the river off Westside Road and on a normal day you’d … Continue reading Russian River Valley Winery
Hartford Family Winery is in the Russian River Valley just outside the town of Forestville. It’s rather an oasis tucked in the vineyards and surrounded by Redwood forests. We visited midweek during a summer hot spell which probably explains why we had the place nearly to ourselves. We’ve been here other times when its been extremely busy. This was a refreshing change! Ruthanne was our … Continue reading Hartford Family Winery
We were returning from a visit to the coast in Mendocino via route 126 and made a stop at Maggy Hawk in Anderson Valley. Chad Bovée hosted us on one of the tasting room’s beautiful patios. Sadly my iphone ate my photographs of the tasting room so you’ll have to take my word for it that it is quite an attractive place. Maggy Hawk makes … Continue reading Passing through Anderson Valley….
We have definitely been busy tasting, just not writing about it. So sorry! I’ll attempt to catch up. Since the beginning of June we attended the Summer Open House and Marketplace at Grand Cru Custom Crush as well as a Rhone Rangers event in Sonoma. We visited and tasted at Maggy Hawk, Dry Creek Vineyard, Aperture, Sixteen600, Iron Horse, Gary Farrell, and Hartford Family. We … Continue reading Summer is Cooking!
Sojourn Cellars tasting room is just a block off Sonoma’s Square next to a favorite restaurant – Edge. Situated in an old house, the tasting room is intimate and comfortable. We were there for an afternoon appointment, interested specifically in trying their Pinot Noirs. Jennifer, Sojourn’s Senior Wine Specialist,was our terrific host. We started off with a taste of Sojourn’s newest addition to their wine … Continue reading Just off the Square
Tasting on a Monday can almost guarantee you a less crowded experience. Tasting on Halloween absolutely did! Truett Hurst was our choice for a morning tasting and picnic. Their winery is on Dry Creek Road outside of Healdsburg. The property borders on the creek and has beautiful, expansive vegetable and flower gardens as well as a crew of goats and a variety of chickens, all … Continue reading Halloween tasting
In 2015 Comstock Wines opened its doors on a 17 acre site along Dry Creek Road. Kelly Comstock Ferris is the General Manager and Chris Russi the winemaker. Together they have created a wonderful array of experiences with great wines. The tasting room is expansive offering both indoor and outdoor tastings. There is a bocce court for those who require more than wine and a … Continue reading On Dry Creek Road…….
John's Wine Cellar 