Topping off a wine barrel

Topping off a wine barrel

Topping off a wine barrel In this photo we see the meaning of “topping off a wine barrel.” Since wine barrels are made from wood, they breathe. A certain amount of evaporation will occur in the barrels and that space is filled with the air we breathe. In order to prevent oxidation of the wine … Read more

Brian Arden Winery – New on the Silverado Trail

Brian Arden Winery

Brian Arden Winery This is Napa Valley’s “new kid on the block” winery. It opened on May 2, 2015. As you drive along Silverado Trail very near Calistoga, it is easy to spot on the west. As you can see from the photo, the building structure is very different from most of the wineries along the Silverado … Read more

Booker & Butler Napa and Sonoma Concierge Services

This is a guest article on the Wine Country Getaways’ Blog by Melanie Schwartz, the founder of Booker & Butler Napa and Sonoma Concierge Services. We receive many emails throughout the year asking us for tour guide recommendations. Since we do not use tour guides, we hesitate to make recommendations. A better alternative for us is … Read more

Vineyard colors at Round Pond

vineyard colors round pond

Vineyard colors at Round Pond Rarely does one see colors in among the vines unless it is Autumn in wine country. That’s why we were surprised to see these vineyard colors at Round Pond, with the trees in the distance lining the Napa River.  This experimental block of Cabernet Sauvignon at Round Pond was planted over a … Read more

iPhone Art at Markham Vineyards

iphone art

iPhone Art at Markham Vineyards This exhibit called “iPhone Art” is currently on display at Markham Vineyards. It is an astonishing work of photographs taken and edited with the iPhone. The iPhone art at Markham Vineyards features over 60 photographs. All prints are for sale unframed for $200 each. The exhibit is set to run … Read more

Walling Road – Secret wine road in Sonoma

walling road winecountry

Walling Road, a secret wine road in Sonoma County Walling Road is a secret wine road in Sonoma County, very near the town of Geyserville. There is only one winery open to visitors at the end of Walling Road, but it is the sheer beauty of this road that is attractive to wine country purists. … Read more

Coming soon – Remove sulfites from your wine glass

stiqit sulfite wine

There are many adults in our population, 1 in 100 in fact, who cannot enjoy drinking wine because of the sulfites contained in wine. Virtually all wines contain some sulfites. Even if the winemaker does not add sulfites, sulfites are produced naturally in the winemaking process. People who are allergic to sulfites and want to … Read more

Alexander Valley Road

Alexander Valley Road

Alexander Valley Road Alexander Valley Road is one of the most beautiful wine roads in the county of Sonoma. In our “Wine Country Photo of the Day,” we see vineyards that belong to the Silver Oak Winery. We are looking to the east as the morning fog begins to clear. On May 15th to 17th, … Read more

Lake County wine country

lake county wine country

Lake County wine country This is a view of the vineyards below the Vigilance Winery & Vineyards tasting room taken a few years ago in Lake County wine country. These vineyards are located in what is known as the Red Hills AVA, or wine appellation. Clear Lake is in the background and just at the shore is … Read more

Rock Wall urban winery has it all

Rock Wall urban winery at Alameda Point The only things missing at Rock Wall Winery in Alameda are vineyards. Rock Wall is one of many urban wineries in the East Bay that make wine and have tasting rooms in an urban setting. The grapes are sourced from a variety of California vineyards and at harvest … Read more