True Family-Owned Wineries

Some visitors are interested in visiting the smaller, family-owned wineries rather than those with some sort of corporate ownership. Finding true family operations is not that easy, as there's a definite gray area. Let me explain.

Oh oh, here's what's up for 2025 in wine

Trust me. It'll all come true.

Wine One-Liners

 It's a good way to start off the new year.

The Big Wine Stories of 2024

It's the end of the year (OMG, another one?) so let's see what the big news was from 2024 in Sonoma County and the rest of California wine.

Stats: Napa Wine vs. The Rest of California

For the statistics nerd in all (most?) of us. A perspective on Napa, and Sonoma, in comparison to the wine industry in the rest of the state. This is good info for the people that see California wine only as Napa Valley.

Not So Famous Restaurants in Sonoma County

When you're visiting the area, you'll want to know where to eat because wine tasting and eating out are the main attractions for many coming to Sonoma County. There are the big names, usually high-end, popular spots. Nothing wrong with going to Girl & The Fig in Sonoma or Matheson in Healdsburg, but maybe you are interested in a few spots only the locals know about.

What Your Wine Choice Says About You

Some people only drink white, some only Cabernet. Whatever your favorite is I'm here to tell you it doesn't bode well.   :)

An Oversupply of Wine

  You have probably heard that we have too much wine in the pipeline, too many vineyards, and various dire warnings about oversupply. Some want you to believe that the wine business is going under. Let's look at why we have an excess amount of wine and why it's probably one of the usual cycles the business goes through.

Sonoma County Tourist Traps

   The previous blog post was on Napa tourist traps. This one is about Sonoma County.

   If you missed the Napa post the dictionary definition of a tourist trap is:
A place that attracts and exploits tourists.

   I'm not saying you shouldn't visit any of these places listed below, but just realize what you are walking into. I've been to enough tourist traps myself when on vacation so I'm not here to criticize anyone else's choices.

Napa Tourist Traps

  This is going to be controversial mostly because "tourist trap" invokes negative feelings. 

  Tourist Trap definition from Merriam Webster: A place that attracts and exploits tourists. Attracts because it seems like something interesting and maybe unusual to people from somewhere else. Exploits because it's designed to separate visitors from their money.

  This is about Napa tourist traps. Next post will be for Sonoma County. Must give equal time.  

Quintessential Sonoma County Vineyards

Consumers who buy a lot of premium wine may have favorite vineyards. Example, "I just love any Pinot Noir from the Van der Kamp Vineyard."  

This post was inspired by Sonoma Magazine's a list of  "The Most Iconic Vineyards in Sonoma County." It's a nice try, but my list is better. :)  We agree on some, not on others. People will still disagree with mine, but it is based on living in Sonoma County and drinking local for a lot of decades. If you can't trust experience, what can you trust? 

This is about consistently producing above normal quality wines over many years, sometimes with a little uniqueness or fame thrown in.

Sonoma County Over the Years

The previous post, dated Nov 19th, was on agriculture-related changes to Napa Valley over time. This one is on Sonoma County. Just like Napa, the wine grape crop has exploded in the past 60 years, figuratively, not literally.   :)