Category Archives: Tasting Rooms
Monticello Vineyards experiments with wine flavored cheese
At a Wine & Cheese festival in Carlsbad, Monticello Vineyard’s Stephen Corley approached them and indicated the winery might be interested in combining the Monticello wines with their Gouda cheeses. Monticello sent a case of their wines containing three varietals: Estate grown Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Continue reading
A Napa Valley wine trip down memory lane
Why not take a trip down memory lane by visiting one or more of the handful of wineries that have been in existence in the Napa Valley for 100 years or more? Most of these wineries have tours and memorabilia that will give you a glimpse of what life in the Napa Valley was like way back when. Continue reading
Nichelini Winery – 121 Consecutive Harvests
This little hidden winery in the Napa Valley may perhaps be best described as the “The Little Winery That Could.” Through the prohibition this winery kept chugging and chugging making wines. Continue reading
Ladera Winery on Howell Mountain
One of the most fascinating aspects of Ladera is the renovation of the original stone winery built in 1886. Irene W. Haynes describes it in detail in her book “Ghost Wineries” on page 61. It was originally called the Howell Mountain Winery and closed it doors during prohibition. Continue reading
Mike Chelini – Longest tenured winemaker in the Napa Valley – Stony Hill Vineyard
In 1972, young Mike Chelini began his stint as winemaker at Stony Hill and he continues in that position to this day. He loves his work, the land, and the owners. As he says “Life is good here at Stony Hill Vineyard.” When we asked Mike if he is the Valley’s longest-running winemaker, he says: “I think I am tied with Bill Sorenson over at Burgess.” Continue reading
European Wine Bloggers Conference Begins October 14, 2011
This evening we set off to Italy for the European Bloggers Conference IV. We are very excited because the agenda of conference sessions and wine country excursions are “molto fantastico.” We can only wonder how we will be able to manage the consumptions of so much fine wine and food that the Italian wine consortiums have in store for the 216 wine bloggers that will attend this amazing wine soiree. The conference headquarters are in Brescia, Italy, which is situated in the heart of the Franciacorta wine territory, notably known for its fabulous sparkling wine. Continue reading
Escaping the Napa Valley Crowds
Another frequently received email to WineCountryGetaways.com asks: “How can I avoid the crowds when we visit the Napa Valley?” Continue reading
“Which are the best Napa Valley Wineries to Visit”
We frequently get emails from visitors to our Website, WineCountryGetaways, asking for advice. The most common email goes something like this: “We will be in San Francisco in September and want to spend two days in the Napa Valley. Can you please tell us which are the best wineries to visit?”
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A few different things to do in the Napa Valley
Take the food and wine tour at the Robert Sinskey Vineyards. This has always been a favorite spot of ours. Too bad they closed their picnic area to visitors. We used to love to sit on the patio area across from the vineyards enjoying the view and our lunch with a glass of the Sinskey Pinot Blanc. Continue reading
May is Bocce Month in Wine Country
This is an unofficial declaration that May is Bocce Month in Wine Country.
Why choose May as Bocce month? May is the ideal month to plan an outdoor activity in wine country like Bocce. The weather is at its best for a little physical activity. Continue reading
