The iconic Château Pichon-Longueville During our six-day stay in Bordeaux, we visited several Chateaus, but unfortunately not Château Pichon-Longueville. One must always find a reason to return to a favorite travel location. That’s my reason for planning another visit to Bordeaux. I will be sure to make arrangements to visit Château Pichon-Longueville. It is one of the … Read more
Merlot Grapes in St. Emilion – harvest is near These are Merlot grapes in St. Emilion. Harvest will more than likely take place this week. In St. Emilion, the most important grape is Merlot. The other Bordeaux grapes grown in St.Emilion are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Merlot is the predominant grape in … Read more
We set up appointments several months ago to visit four Bordeaux Chateaus. Bordeaux is not like the Napa Valley or Sonoma, where wine country travelers can stop in at most wineries and taste wine without an appointment. In Bordeaux, almost all wineries require an appointment for a tour and tasting for a fee. During the … Read more
Bordeaux’s La Cité du Vin For the next five days Janelle and I will be exploring the Bordeaux wine region. Bordeaux is the land of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and the famous Grand Cru houses. Today we are exploring Bordeaux’s La Cité du Vin. This unique wine museum opened in June of … Read more
Original Joe’s Westlake For our Wine Country Photograph of the Day, we chose a photo of an old wine list framed and hanging on a wall at Original Joe’s Westlake in Daly City, CA. Joe’s reopened in February of this year, after being closed for two years for a complete restoration and remodel. The wine … Read more
Margrit Biever Mondavi Dies at Age 91 Addition details on the passing of Margrit Biever Mondavi
September is harvest month in wine country The 2016 Grape Harvest, also know as The Crush, is on, but the best is yet to come. With temperatures lower than normal the past week, the grape clusters are slowly maturing. That is what the vineyard growers like. A lengthy “hang time” means the grapes mature slowly, … Read more
Old Vine Zinfandel in Lodi I shot this beautiful cluster of Old Vine Zinfandel in Lodi wine country at the Mohr-Fry Ranch. The Zinfandel vineyards at Mohr-Fry are some of the oldest Zinfandel grapes in California. The first planting of Zinfandel at Mohr-Fry dates back to 1901. The Zinfandel vines are head pruned. That means … Read more
Veraison Pinot Noir Grapes in the Russian River Valley Nearing the end of July in a normal climate year, veraison is underway in the vineyards of Northern and Central California. Veraison is a French term and means the onset of ripening. Veraison is an important event in the growing season of a vineyard. Excitement reigns … Read more
Pinot Noir Wine Glasses in the Russian River Valley at Benovia I shot this photo at the Benovia Winery in the Russian River Valley. These are Pinot Noir wine glasses most likely made by the Riedel Wine Glass Company. The Russian River Valley is famous for Pinot Noir, a grape that requires cool climate but … Read more