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.   :)

A Look at Napa Over the Years - With Graphs

Three graphs that tell a tale of trends in Napa wine. Every pictures tells a story, don't it?

Picking a Value Bottle of Wine

Shopping for wine? Are there tricks to help pick out a bottle that will be great, but won't cost a fortune? Yes. The previous post from a couple of days ago talked about shopping by wine regions in California. This one talks more about the who, what, and where of buying. It's not guaranteed, but it's better than choosing a wine because of the flowers on the label or because you like Snoop Dogg.  :)

Getting Value in a Wine Purchase

Different grape growing areas of California have different wine prices. Location, location, location.

Napa Valley is the most expensive wine region in the country. Why? Supply and demand. That doesn't mean wines from other parts of the state are of lesser quality. Following are some premium California wine regions with lower priced wines.

The Future of Growning and Making Wine

Looking not too far into the future, what do we see for changes in the way grapes are grown and wine is made? Like other predictions, this is making assumption on current trends. There is always the unforeseen.

2020 Calif Wildfires Impact on Wine Making

2020 saw the largest area burnt in California in one year plus five of the top seven fires occurred in 2020. Disruptions from the fires and wildfire smoke caused some of the worst problems ever for the local wine industry. The wines from that year are often found for sale now so this is a good time to revisit the issues that grape and wine production workers went through that year.

Napa Tourism Bounces Back

There's been plenty of bad news out of the wine industry recently. It's not all gloomy, however, as Napa seems to be doing fine. The article linked below is from a Napa tourism group reported by the Wine Spectator.

Inexpensive Wine Tastings in Sonoma County

Last week was Napa wine tastings for under $50. This week it's Sonoma tastings up to $20.

A basic wine tasting in Sonoma County goes for about $25 to $40. There are exceptions on both sides of those numbers. Following are some $20 and under tastings. Most of these wineries will also offer more expensive options.

Napa Wine Tasting for Under $50

Napa Valley is all about lux experiences for many, but some of us are on a budget. These Napa wineries offer tastings for under $50pp. Almost all offer several options for tastings, and they may range from something like $40 to $100. Some will waive the tasting fee with a purchase, so be sure to ask.

Amador County, Home to Some of California's Oldest Wineries and Vineyards

About 80 miles due east of the hustle, bustle, and high prices of Napa is one of California's lesser known and lightly visited wine regions. Amador County is part of the larger Sierra Foothills wine region. Within Amador is the central wine hub of Shenandoah Valley that you enter from the town of Plymouth (pop. 1,100, founded in 1852 as a mining camp). In some ways, you are entering Napa Valley 40 years ago.

Sonoma County Harvest Fair 2024

  The Sonoma County Harvest Fair has been going on since the mid-1970s opening with the 80s and 90s probably its high point. The wine judging is on any wine entered that is made from Sonoma County grapes.

   This year's winners can be found here. There's also amateur wine and professional food competitions.

High & Low Quality Wines

This isn't about points or awards, it's about ingredients. A more natural product vs. one manipulated by lots of chemicals. Many people check ingredient labels when grocery shopping. What about the alcoholic beverages that you consume? Well, there's a problem.

One of the Best Places to Visit? Sonoma County!

Travel & Leisure says Sonoma County has "charming small towns, incredible wine, and a stunning coastline" offering a lot more than just wine. That's the one thing making Sonoma different from other wine regions, the opportunity to do more than just drink wine.

The Sell Off of Vintage Wine Estates

The bankruptcy sale of VWE holdings of Santa Rosa, CA has taken place. Here are the bigger names and where they are going.

Bill Foley, Billionaire, Winery Owner

Bill Foley, 79, has interests in financial institutions, sports teams, and wine. He owns about 20 wineries from California to France, Argentina, and New Zealand. Foley has seven wineries in Sonoma County, including some big names like Chateau St. Jean and Ferrari-Carano. And he's not done buying.

Bill is no dummy. While attending the Air Force Military Academy in the 1960s he managed to make $40,000 in the stock market. While in the Air Force he negotiated contracts with the likes of Boeing. After the military he earned his law degree and launched a career in financial services.

The bankrupt Vintage Wine Estates of Santa Rosa is selling assets, and Foley is there looking for bargains. From the bankruptcy auction he is set to purchase Sonoma Coast Vineyards plus Cosentino and Swanson Wineries in Napa.

Bill Foley's wineries

Top Concerns of the Wine Business

What are the top concerns of 2024 for those in the wine business? Per a survey from innovint.us, the top five are:

1. Maintaining or growing sales
2. Increasing costs to produce wine
3. Traffic to the tasting rooms
4. Brand recognition in the market
5. Losing customers because they are drinking less or not at all

Number 4, brand recognition, can be a problem any time. The rest are specific to today's wine market. Brand recognition, and maybe sales growth, are something you can influence if you have a marketing budget. The others are mostly out of a winery's control.
 

Signs of Weaker Wine Demand

Current thinking in the wine biz says we are in for slowing times. As I've asked before, is it a permanent slowdown or is it related to the Pandemic/lockdown/shortages/inflation cycle? Most think it's more permanent, with slowing demand for wine.

Selecting a Wine: America vs Italy

A survey of wine consumers shows the importance of different factors used to choose a bottle of wine. Here's a look at some differences between American and Italian buyers.

The top reason for both was that they had already tried the wine and liked it. 

What Wine with Cheeseburgers?

Wednesday, September 18th is National Cheeseburger Day. 

There are deals on cheeseburgers (with restrictions) at McDonald's, Burger King, Wendys, and hopefully at a decent local burger joint near you. BTW Sept 15th was National Double Cheeseburger Day and we missed it. Doh!

Of course, this leads to the question, what wine should I have with my cheeseburger? 

Wine Consumption by Country

For the past decade, the U.S. has led worldwide wine consumption by volume. The much talked about Chinese are actually way down the list.

Per capita, Portugal leads the way with 52 liters of wine per person per year. The U.S. is 16th at 12 liters.

click on the image to enlarge

What Sonoma Valley and Washington State Wines Have in Common

It's not climate or soil or history, it's identity. It's a distant 650 miles from the Sonoma Valley AVA to the middle of Washington, but they share this commonality. Neither has a distinct identity that most well-known wine growing areas possess.

Autumn in Wine Country

September, October, and early November are a prime time for visiting the California Wine Country. Here's why:

Calif. Bulk Wine Market, and Why You Might Care

Bulk wine is unsold wine from a previous vintage. It's sitting in large tanks or barrels and can be shipped to a purchaser in large containers. It often winds up at a winery or with someone else who will bottle and label it for retail sale. A winery can easily do this as they are already set up for it. Sometimes a winery might sell it as a one-time special bottling, sometimes under a different label because it'll be at a significantly lower price than their other wines.

Who is Drinking Wine?

In 2023 spirits surpassed wine in popularity in the U.S. for the first time in decades. This, according to a Gallup poll asking people what is their favorite alcoholic beverage.

The Sonoma Valley Small Wineries Collective

Imagine you are visiting and staying in the town of Sonoma, as many do. You take the drive up California Scenic Highway 12 through Sonoma Valley. You'll pass several landmark wineries like Chateau St. Jean, St. Francis, and Ledson. What you'll miss are smaller ones, often off the main road. The Sonoma Valley Small Wineries Collective would like to rectify that.

Shopping for Wine

You'll find zillions of wines out there on the retail shelves, so how the heck do you decide what to buy? There are lots of things to consider, with most people it's price and variety, such as, you are looking for a $20 California Chardonnay. Some other ideas to help you pick the best bottle follow.

Brief History of Wine in Sonoma County

There are over 200 years of wine history in Sonoma County. I'll hit some highlights that helped get us where we are today.

Unsold Wine Grapes

  The wine grape demand prior to harvest is one indicator of the health of the wine market. Most grapes are sold on contracts between the wine producers and the growers, either year-to-year or on multi-year contracts. This year shows a higher than normal quantity of unsold premium wine grapes. 

Word-Of-Mouth State of the Wine Industry

Talking with people in wineries, who talk with other wineries, and seeing comments on social media lead me to believe the local wineries are hurting for customers. There just aren't as many people visiting. This doesn't necessarily mean revenue is similarly down, though it most likely is overall.

A more disturbing trend is that wine club membership is also down. This is a backbone of steady income for many wineries, without it, they have a hard time planning and forecasting for the next year.

What happened? Gossip follows.  :)

Risen From the Ashes

Resiliency describes the last few years in Napa Valley for many locals.

The Psychology of Tasting Wine

Wine tasting isn't easy. Each wine touches multiple senses with multiple inputs. You can get sensory overload. These all get processed by different sections of the brain. Then you have to make sense of it all.

Couples That Drink Together Live Longer

Data from a Heath and Retirement Study shows that couples who drank together live longer. This conclusion was based on moderate drinking, eight or fewer drinks a week. Couples where one drank and the other didn't, couples that drank heavily, and even couples that didn't drink at all did not live as long.

Shared drinking habits could be a key to a longer life!

Article from the Wine Spectator

Winery & Vineyard Real Estate

What does the Napa and Sonoma real estate market for wineries and vineyards look like now, in mid-2024? Here's a little info from Vintroux, real estate agents for wineries and vineyards.

A Few Ways the Tasting Room Has Changed

There have been major changes in the way wine tasting rooms operate in the past few years. You might already know this if you've been wine tasting in a major U.S. region post-Pandemic. Even if it's been just two or three years, you'll find things settling in to a new norm.

Planning a Wine Country Trip

I've lived in Sonoma County since 1980 when the local wine country was just a baby. There weren't many wineries to visit back then and, yes, they were all free to taste. Even next door in Napa!

I've done lots of wine tasting, I've worked in tasting rooms, and I read posts in various wine groups about people looking for help in planning their trip.

Following are some pointers to setting up a successful trip. It's aimed at Northern California, but can be applied to other wine destinations.

California Wine on the Decline? Nope.

News spreads quickly on social media. One such story that came out of the SF Chronicle is that the California wine industry is dying. They noted declining foot traffic in Napa Valley, vineyards being yanked out, and unsold bulk wine on the open market.

Climate Whiplash is Keeping Grape Growers on Their Toes

Climate whiplash, it's enough to drive a farmer crazy. Growing premium wine grapes is especially hard hit because a slight variation in the elements of climate (temperatures, wind, sunshine, precipitation, humidity) can have a noticeable impact on the final product.

Climate whiplash is a term used to define the crazy, variable weather we're seeing in California and other places. It means extreme drought, extreme precipitation, extreme temperatures. That is, extreme variability in the weather.

You Should Drink Wine Because ...

You could drink a glass of wine, with potential benefits to you, or a glass of water, with bacteria and chlorine.  :)

NEWS: Foppiano Winery Acquired

Foppiano Winery, established by Giovanni Foppiano in 1896, has sold to a local wine company.

There have been public family squabbles for several years, even lawsuits. I guess this was the easy way out for them. Too bad.

The winery was purchased by the owners of Martin Ray Winery through an umbrella company, CMB Wines. No ideas who CMB is, except they are local. Martin Ray wines are found in retail stores selling it what you'd call the lower end of the premium wine market.

 

Napa vs. Sonoma, By the Numbers

Everybody loves a good comparison; Honda vs Toyota, California wine vs French, dogs vs cats. So let's take a look at Napa vs Sonoma. This isn't an opinion on which is best. It's statistical, so away we go number nerds!

What Segments of the Wine Market ARE Growing?

With all the doom and gloom around wine sales, and it's been way overstated IMO, where are the bright spots in the wine market?

Slow Summer for Wineries, Part 2

This is a followup to the A Slow Summer for Wineries post from a couple of days ago.

A just released article from a Silicon Valley Bank webinar via Wine-Searcher says, "Hey, guess what? Wine tasting traffic is way down in places that have substantially increased tasting fees!"

A Slow Summer for Wineries

  During The Grand Reopening after the Pandemic lockdown, it was glorious! People couldn't wait to get out of the house and spend that travel and recreation money they had saved up. They came to the wine country and threw money around. The "here, take my money!" days are over. This had to be expected.

Mass-Produced Industrial Wines

  Those high-volume wines you see everywhere, please don't buy them.

Sonoma County's Point Fire

Northern Sonoma County was hit with an early season large wildfire, as have many places in the state. Here's the current status as I've been able to gather from news sources.

Summer Wines, Not the Usual

You may well have seen other articles on what wines you should drink this summer. They likely told you to drink rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, and maybe Chardonnay, Grenache or Pinot Noir. I won't be mentioning those. These all work, but they can be kind of boring.

For the warm weather you want refreshing (that means good acid), dry, and chillable.

Following are a few whites and reds to enjoy in the warmth with lighter foods and BBQs. These wines are higher in acids and lower in tannins. Perfect for summer. You'll see that most of these grapes have their homes in warmer regions -- Spain, Italy, and southern France.

When a Winery's Wine Club Isn't

Wineries are still navigating the post-pandemic world and may be making some mistakes. 

There are a few post-pandemic trends in the wine business that are driving customers away, like sky-high tasting fees. There's another that may be a little harder to spot at first glance. This is wine clubs that aren't really wine clubs.

Is the Wine Boom Over?

  There have been several professionally written articles about the dark days ahead and plenty of Internet chatter about the coming downfall of Napa. Yes, Napa because many associate American wine with Napa Valley even though Napa only produces three to four percent of the country's wine.

  Are things crashing into oblivion as anyone looking for clicks on the Internet says or is this just an adjustment?

"Falcon Crest" and Napa Valley

There were a few big events that put American wine and specifically Napa Valley on the radar. Some of them have been mentioned in this blog several times. The 1976 Judgement of Paris wine tasting, the 1991 French Paradox on 60 Minutes, and the movie Sideways, released in 2004. There's another largely unforgotten TV show.

So, Is Drinking Good or Bad For You?

Scientific opinion on whether you should drink, and how much, has been all over the place. What's going on? The science hasn't changed, so what has?

Wine Country on a Budget

Recently, Good Morning America did a "bucket list" piece California Wine Country on a Budget all about saving money while visiting Sonoma County.

It's a high-level overview, but will get you started on figuring out flights, car rental, lodging, eating, and wine tasting.

One error in the program, Francis Ford Coppola sold off his namesake winery three years ago.

Amazon and Alcohol Shipping

  With the Pandemic in 2020 Amazon put out a proposal to modernize alcohol shipping rules that would allow them to get into the business. Wholesalers everywhere screamed until they had heart attacks. Nothing much has happened in the four years since this plan became public, but that doesn't mean Amazon has given up on the idea. More likely, they're working behind the scenes to get this moving.

Every State Makes Wine

All 50 U.S. states have at least one winery. Over 30 states grow wine grapes. Yes, even Alaska. Here's how one Alaskan farmer grows his. 

California's wine production dwarfs all other states.

Value Wineries in Sonoma County

Prices have everyone bummed. There are plenty of people complaining about wine and wine tasting prices. Following are a few relatively inexpensive wineries that offer what I consider excellent wines for the price. There are no doubt others that could be listed here, but these are ones I'm familiar with.

As a bonus, they are family-owned.

Other Ways to Get to Sonoma County

Ready to visit some wineries? Maybe even spend some time at the coast and visiting an old growth redwoods park? 

Most out-of-state visitors fly into San Francisco, then rent a car and take the drive up. It's an hour-and-a-half in light traffic, over two hours in stop-and-go. There are other ways to get here with less hassle.

What's Behind Wine & Food Pairing?

It's science, of course, and most of us don't really know how it works. It helps if you realize your perception of a wine can be altered by many things, including being sick, even who you are with, and palate fatigue (already had too much wine and your senses are tired or it all). Food definitely has a big effect on a wine's taste. If done right, the food and wine will both be altered in a good way.

Marketing Wine to Different Age Groups

I'm no marketing guru and maybe that helps here. My insight comes from being a wine consumer for decades, mostly buying direct from wineries. Plus, I've worked in tasting rooms serving people from 20 years old trying to get a drink to people in their 80s. Some knew nothing about wine or how wine tasting works. Others came straight to you asking for your most expensive cabernet.

I'm purposely not talking about the names given to different age groups.  I'm just going to use old, middle, and young consumers with no magic DOB dividing them into smaller cultural segments.

Napa Valley for the One Percenters

  Gaylon Lawrence Jr isn't a name the rolls off the tongue of wine drinkers. Running a business built by his late father, this Arkansas-based agricultural tycoon owns Lawrence Wine Estates. Their holdings include Heitz Cellar, Stony Hill, Burgess and other wineries in Napa plus one in Bordeaux, France.

Pushing You Up the Price Ladder

Americans, and others, love to treat themselves. Whether it's $80 jeans or an $80 wine, we deserve it. In case you weren't aware, you are being helped in the premiumization of your consumption by those that stand to gain from it.

Sauvignon Blanc is Hot

SALES of Sauvignon Blanc are hot, that is, you should always serve it cold.  :)

Sauv Blanc trails Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir in popularity in the U.S. But Sauvignon Blanc is the one gaining the most in sales (with Pinot Gris second). It seems some consumers are turning to reasonably priced crisp whites.

Does the Wine Industry Worry Too Much?

The vineyard folks worry about climate change, pests, water supplies and more. I figure that's okay because farmers are supposed to worry. When it comes to the future of wine sales, there's a lot of worry to go around and I'm not sure that it's all necessary.

Ken Wilson's Expanding Empire

  Maybe you've heard of Wilson, Mazzocco, or Soda Rock wineries. That's just three of the eleven in the Wilson Artisan Wine collection throughout Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. It's definitely a collection, as Ken collects wineries, B&Bs, and vineyards like others collect bottles of wine. Ken and winemaker Diane Wilson's wineries also collect lots of gold medals. 

 Ken has added a new winery to his bevy of businesses.

Napa Valley Cabernet is the New Merlot

That's crazy! 

Hear me out.

North Coast Wine Challenge 2024, the Big Winners

Yes, it's another wine judging! This one is local and allows wines from all over the region -- Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Lake, Mendocino, Solano Counties.

Marketing a Winery to a Younger Audience

For background, the wine industry foresees big trouble ahead. The generation that fueled the wine boom of the last few decades is aging out, and the younger ones don't seem as interested in wine.

One winery may have found a way to grab onto the future.

Why Pinot Noir is So Popular

Pinot Noir has been the darling of the American wine world for a couple of decades. Why is it so popular? The previous post, Why Pinot Noir Is So Expensive, touched on its popularity related to price increases over the past several years. This post will be about why everyone loves Pinot.

Why Pinot Noir Is So Expensive

Pinot Noir is the new darling. Actually, not that new anymore, as it's been on a 20 year run. It seemed to start about the time of the release of the movie Sideways that hailed Pinot Noir at the expense of Merlot. If you look at the numbers though, Pinot Noir was already gaining followers before the movie. 

Where there is rapidly increasing demand, there will be increased prices. And, boy, have we seen prices go up!

Wine Labels, Part 2, Producer Terms

Part one of understanding American wine labels was published a couple of days ago. That one covered the basics of government-mandated information on labels, except for producer info. Examples of this are "produced and bottled by" or "cellared by." These terms are confusing and are pretty important to your understanding of the quality of a bottle of wine. 

When I shop, I look at the appellation, the alcohol percentage, and this producer info to help me decide if I will like the wine.

Understanding Wine Labels

What does all the information on an American wine label mean? Let's take a look at the legally required part, what the government says has to be there. A little knowledge can help you pick out the right wine. This is better than choosing by the artwork or just picking up a celebrity wine. Yeah, we all like Snoop Dogg, but that doesn't mean 19 Crimes is always your best choice.  :)

The blog post coming later this week will focus just on the producer information because that one piece of information is a bit complicated, but can be very important.

A Look at Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon along with Chardonnay are the most popular wines in the world. Anyone who has ever had any wine at all probably has an opinion on Cab Sauv. Anyone who considers themselves a wine aficionado / snob / expert will have an appreciation for this wine. Some only drink Cabernet. Of the 1,300 or so grape varieties used to make wine Cabernet Sauvignon is king.

For years, people have loved to dissect and offer opinions on Napa Valley Cabernet, and for much longer on Bordeaux wines.

International Riesling Day

Wednesday, March 13th is World Riesling Day, sometimes called International Riesling Day. This was proclaimed by Germany, as this day marks the first known written mention of Riesling - March 13, 1435. It's been around longer than many popular grapes.

Old, Historic Wineries of Sonoma County

A couple of days ago was Old historic wineries of Napa Valley. Today it's Sonoma's turn.

Old, Historic Wineries of Napa Valley

What are some of the oldest wineries in Napa Valley? Here's a look at a few of them you can visit.

Wine Industry Shipping Data

The Silicon Valley Bank released its annual State of the US Wine Industry report. Following is some info on shipping from 2023. Other insights from the report are in the previous post, dated Feb 13th.

Overall, shipping wine to consumers is down. Washington State, however, went against the trend and increased their shipping by 5.5% in volume and 11% in dollars. Most of the growth was in Cabernet Sauvignon. Washington's volume is less than 20% of California's.

Napa Valley is still on top, with almost half of the $4 billion US wine shipping market. The average price of a bottle of Napa Cab shipping was $132! It sounds like some Cabernet Sauvignon lovers are buying from Washington state now.

All direct-to-consumer sales are down as tasting room visitation dropped for the second straight year. This is probably due to the cost, as lodging and tasting room fees have increased significantly in the most popular wine country regions.

State of the US Wine Industry

The annual State of the US Wine Industry Report from Silicon Valley Bank is out. Shipping data will be  covered in the next post. Following are highlights on the rest. Their data is based on wineries responding to a survey.

Wine Tasting Funnies

 Time to joke it up

The Rise and Fall of Vintage Wine Estates

Vintage Wine Estates (VWE on Nasdaq) is a company that owns multiple brands. They are small compared to the likes of Constellation Brands or Gallo. The company was born about 20 years ago right here in Santa Rosa, CA, and they are apparently in trouble.

pH in Wine

Wine is chemistry-driven. Wine writer Dan Berger has written many great, no nonsense articles on the subject of wine over many years. This one is about the influence of pH on what makes a good dinner wine or what should age well. An important bit of information for the wine drinker, even if the subject is a little nerdy.   :)

The Unforeseen Influence of pH on Wine Quality 

Low Cost Wine Tastings in Napa

  The last I read, someone had figured out the average cost of a wine tasting in Napa was about $60, the Visit Napa Valley website says $40 is the average for basic tastings, an unscientific check I did of four random tastings rooms scattered throughout the valley shows $50-$75 for their cheapest tasting. The average cost of a bottle in Napa has been over $100 for a while. Before you say, "OMG!" remember these are averages, meaning there are plenty below this. 

  The trick is finding them without cruising through the websites for hundreds of wineries. The last winery I knew of that offered free tastings was Sutter Home, but they are now $10. So they are probably the cheapest.

Visiting Napa, but not for Cabernet or Chardonnay?

You mean there's something in Napa Valley besides Cab and Chard? I know, a wild thought, but there are alternatives!

Yes, this is a Sonoma Wine Blog, but our next door neighbor is Napa. For folks that go to Napa Valley, but maybe tire of Chard and Cab after a while or have someone in their group that's not a big fan of either, there are ways to keep everyone happy.

Has Wine Changed Over the Years? Oh Yeah

The graph below, from the American Association of Wine Economists, has been making the rounds recently. It shows in "graphic" detail the biggest change in wine over that past few decades. That is, the amount of sugar in the harvested grapes, which translates into alcohol in the wine.

Some High-Scoring Wines from Sonoma County

  The Santa Rosa Press Democrat does weekly blind tastings of local wines. I know, work, work, work. They recently published an article of their favorites titled, "18 top-scoring Sonoma County Wines" written by their wine writer, Peg Melnik.

  In case there's a paywall, and you can't get through, I've listed the wines below. All credit goes to the Press Dem.

Americans Could Expand Their Consumption of Sparkling Wine

Our custom is to use Champagne/sparkling wines as a celebratory beverage for a few occasions, like New Year's Eve and weddings. That's not nearly enough!

The Popular Price Point for Premium Wine Buyers

An interesting thing has been happening to wine sales post-Pandemic. I believe it's mostly a good thing. It has to do with what people seem willing to pay for a bottle of wine, as many are trading up even as inflation is raising prices.

Red Wines You Should Try

What are the top-selling red wines? Following are descriptions and a few examples of the most popular reds in America. There are plenty of wines available besides the few I've mentioned below.

This post is about the reds. The previous post dated Jan 9, 2024 was about white wines.

White Wines You Should Try

If you want to be a smart shopper, you should have a basic understanding of the top wine varietals. There are plenty of other types of wines besides those listed below, and it's fun to experiment, but these are the biggest sellers. 

This post is about the whites. The next one will be the red wines.

I'll mention some of the most popular of each wine, so hopefully you can find these locally. Also listed of some of my favorites from Sonoma County that I hope you can find. You are more likely to see them in larger areas, Chicago, Dallas, etc., but maybe not Bozeman or Terre Haute. 

Winter in Sonoma County

Thinking about visiting this winter? What are the pros and cons of traveling to Sonoma County at this time? This info applies to our next door neighbor, Napa, btw.

We'll start with the big one ...

Not Allowing Kids in the Tasting Room

In some areas, like Napa and Sonoma, kids aren't always welcome in the wineries. This might come as a bit of a shock to some parents. Others might see it as good news. Why did this happen? Should the rule stay now that we're past the Pandemic?