San Luis Obispo is brimming with neighborhoods filled with historic fabric. It’s a quintessential college town with a high energy level – busy sidewalks, shops, restaurants and parks. We had an afternoon tasting appointment at Dunites Wine Company in the heart of the downtown. It’s located in a small storefront in a row of charming, renovated old buildings just off the main street. We were … Continue reading SLO California
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
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
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?
We headed out of Santa Barbara the next day to Los Olivos and Los Alamos to taste at Andrew Murray and Casa Dumetz. After talking with Noah from the Wine Merchant, we added the Holus Bolus tasting room to our trip. Our first stop was at Andrew Murray Vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country. Tastings are held at the winery in a stunning location … Continue reading Day Trip from Santa Barbara
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
When we find a great restaurant we’re torn between wanting to tell the world and keeping it secret. That’s how we felt when we tried Goldfinch in Sebastopol, California. We’ve dined their twice. Great food, excellent cocktails, a nice wine list, smart wait staff, busy but not loud so you are able to enjoy the conversation at your table. On our second visit, our wait … Continue reading Food & Wine
John's Wine Cellar 