Want to Work a Grape Harvest?

  Ah, the romance of the wine country. Imagine being right in the middle of it and actually contributing to the making of the wines you love. Well, hold on there. Working a wine grape harvest ain't exactly like that.

Preventing Dehydration From Alcohol

Yeah, first the article says to drink less. Ha ha, like that's an option. The other thing mentioned is to drink lots of water before and while you're consuming alcohol. This, of course, is the way to prevent dehydration and this is one component of a hangover. Other contributors to a hangover are effects on your immune system, your stomach, your circulatory system, and your blood sugar.

Other than water drinking Gatorade, eating fruit, and salty foods all help. This, of course, is why they invented pretzels.

Preventing dehydration from alcohol 

On a related note for folks who get red wine headaches (it's usually from histamines) here's the new miracle cure. 

Sonoma or Napa, Which is Better?

There's a question that's been asked a few times. There is no right answer, but a reporter from Business Insider thinks she's found it. No, I don't know why a financial writer is doing this piece.

Napa vs. Sonoma

Read through the article, paying close attention to the pros and cons at the end. I can tell you what she did wrong.

Where to get a burger in Sonoma County

So you visit for some wine tasting and think you are supposed to have some sort of fancy pants $200 dinner at the end of the day? Maybe. Or sometimes you just want a burger. Just asking you do yourself a favor and don't look for McDonald's or BK even if you have kids along.

Welcome to Planet of the Grapes

As it happens only six percent of Sonoma County is planted in vineyards. Next door, Napa County is nine percent for a total area of 45,000 acres--or about 70 square miles. Sonoma County is much larger in area than Napa, even bigger than the state of Rhode Island, and has 60,000 acres planted to wine grapes.

Wine Tweets

Wine-related words of wisdom from the twittersphere. I saved my favorite until last. These were collected by someecards.com.

Wine Tasting in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County

The largest city in Sonoma County has a few wine tasting opportunities right in town. If you are staying in Santa Rosa during your visit you don't have far to drive or Uber. The tasting venues range from vineyard and valley views to urban settings to light industrial locations.

The Sideways Effect

In late 2004 a small comedy/drama film about two middle-aged men with somewhat disappointing lives spend a weekend in the wine country. Sideways went on to be a cult classic among wine drinkers. The opinions of Miles, played by Paul Giamatti, still linger in California.

California's Biggest Ag Export?

It's not wine.

N California summer weather

2017 has been a remarkable year for weather so far. Record rains and snow over the 2016-17 winter followed by a somewhat delayed spring. Now that summer is here it can be summed up for much of the state with one word -- hot. I'm speaking to the Sonoma County area, but much of this is happening to the entire state.