Each time we visit this area of the Sierra Foothills there are new wine adventures to be discovered. This time we found a couple of new wineries and revisited some of our old favorites. We always make our home base the town of Sutter Creek and stay at the Hanford House Inn. Even though the town lacks a really good gourmet restaurant, there are several places to dine within walking distance that offer good meals. Most of the wineries are about a 15-minute drive away on the beautiful backroads of the Shenandoah Valley. Almost all the wineries in this area are small family-owned wineries, and rarely do any charge a fee for tasting wine. Napa Valley, take note!
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Sutter Creek Winery Update
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New Orleans – What to See and Do in the Big Easy
We are in New Orleans, the Big Easy, our second trip to this famous eating and drinking city and the home of Jazz. We visited back in 1999 and now with Katrina well in the past we thought it time to visit again. Unfortunately as we make this second visit, looming large over this entire region is the BP massive oil leak of April 20th. No one knows how badly this man-made disaster will affect the region in the months and years to come.
We arrived on a Thursday evening in New Orleans just in time for dinner after what seemed like a forever flight from San Francisco via Dallas-Fort Worth airport. Our lodging destination in New Orleans is a condomium complex, La Saulet, located in the Lower Garden District. First stop on the way to La Saulet is dinner at a little Italian restaurant by the name of Eleven79. This is truly a neighborhood spot that is lively and very much authentic New Orleans, not a hint of touristy. You won’t find this gem in any of the guidebooks but if you are in the area, it is worth a try. The food and the prices are good but the atmosphere is what it’s all about here. We really enjoyed this cozy restaurant located at 1179 Annunciation. Read the rest of this entry »
ZAP Week in San Francisco. If you Go, Spit!
ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates & Producers) has become a San Francisco tradition. The 19th annual festival will take place January 28th through the 30th, with several different events scheduled all about Zinfandel wine. Nope, no other wines will be served or can be served at any time. The main event, and the one that seems to bring out every Zin lover in the area, is the Grand Tasting at Fort Mason on Saturday. The event is from 2 to 5 for the general public and tickets cost $59 a person unless you are a member of the ZAP organization, in which case you will pay $49. Over 200 wineries will be pouring Zinfandel in two of Fort Mason’s biggest halls, the Festival and the Herbst. This event attracts 10,000 plus attendees, so if you have never been before you need to be prepared. We have attended for several years and here are my tips on how to get the most out of your $59 ticket. Read the rest of this entry »
Harvest and Fall Colors Update
By the end of this month, the 2009 grape harvest will be 99 percent over. The last grapes to be picked this month are usually Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The reports from vineyards managers, winemakers, and winery owners indicate that this will be an exceptional vintage. Nature has been kind to grapes this year. Last year frost and forest fires took their toll on many vineyards. This recent rainstorm should be okay for the thick-skinned Cabernet grapes that had not been harvested prior to the rain. This will certainly be a fun harvest to follow from now until the bottles hit the shelves.
One interesting note about this year’s harvest, some growers were not able to sell their grapes to their usual customers and many have been forced to let the grapes hang on the vine and drop on their own. The last thing wineries want in this economy is a grape glut. Word is that some wineries skipped this vintage altogether because they still had large wine inventories. Read the rest of this entry »
Travel Tips from the Wine Traveler
By Joe in Travel Tips
August 17th, 2009
Get Ready for Harvest, now thru October
With the weather providing the ideal climate so far, growers and winemakers are expecting this year to be a banner harvest. The first sparkling wine grapes have been harvested and Sauvignon Blanc is just around the corner. This is the most wonderful time to be in wine country. Wineries will be a working around the clock and the smell of fermenting grapes will permeate the air. You’ll spot harvest in the fields, and trucks full to the brim with grapes will be roaring along the backroads . You can follow us for harvest updates on Twitter or our Facebook Fan page.
