Syrah was to be The Next Big Thing

Wine is a trendy business. Last year it was Moscato, this year it's Pinot Noir or Pinot Gris. The problem is you can't just throw a few vines in the ground and have bottles of the next big wine ready to go in a few months. It takes a lot of money and many years before you're ready to hop on the bandwagon with the next hot wine.

Autumn 2016 Events in Sonoma County

It's harvest season and there's lots to see. You can even smell the harvest! Great weather, great wine, great food, and great music.

There are many events going on during the autumn season. Enjoy the bounty of Sonoma County.

Sonoma County is One of the Best Places to Live

But don't tell anybody as we'd like to keep it a secret. Certainly don't need thousands more to find out and move in! So just between you and me Sonoma County is one of the top places to live because:

Wine Tasting Tip #5 - Questions to Ask

What kinds of questions should you ask the server when out tasting wine? I mean, you don't want to look like a dufus, right?

First off, it's okay to not know a lot about wine. And it's perfectly okay to tell the server this as it gives them a starting point on what to talk about. Some people want to know the percentage of malolactic in the Chardonnay. Others are still trying to figure out the difference between Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Five Years of Naked Wines

Naked Wines, founded in 2011, is a UK-based wine retailer unlike any other. Some see it as the devil or a cult; mostly it seems to be a highly successful Internet-based "winery."

What's so different?

Recent Police Activity in the Wine Country

Yes, there are high crimes and misdemeanors committed in the Sonoma/Napa wine country. Here's a sampling of reports to the police from the past several days from a couple of Mayberryesque towns.

Wine Tasting Tip #4 - Showing up with a group

A series of tips when visiting winery tasting rooms.

You are heading out for some tasting with a group of folks. Even if you are heading to a larger winery that's open to the public does this mean it's okay to just show up without advance notice?

Tired of the Same Ol' Wines?

Are you a bit bored with your Chardonnay habit? Or Cab? Or the Pinot Noir fad? Maybe it's time to try a new wine.

Wine Tasting Tip #3 - To Buy or Not to Buy

You're out wine tasting and paying a nominal fee at each winery to do so. If you are looking at this as a shopping trip then how do you decide what and when to buy? The obvious part of this is, do you like the wine and do you consider it affordable? A caveat, late in the day after a few winery stops what you think you like and think you can afford loosens up. 

Engineered Wines - No Grapes Needed!

Growing wine grapes is tough. Money, weather, regulations, and not enough time can cause problems. Making wine from those grapes requires a thousand decisions to be made correctly. If only it were easier.

Along comes Ava Winery out of San Francisco. Per their website all you have to do is combine acids, amino acids, sugar, certain volatile organics, and ethanol and voilà! You can recreate the best wines ever made.

Wine Tasting Tip #2 - Wine Clubs

Part of a series of winery tasting room tips for your next visit.

Every winery you visit will have a wine club. There's a good chance they will ask you to join. If you like the idea of being in wine clubs how do you decide which ones are best for you?
 

The Best Wine Country Town

Sunset Magazine named Paso Robles, in Central California's San Luis Obispo County, as the top wine country town for 2016. The award was for its combination of lodging, food, and wine. Paso has a laid-back atmosphere and located about 3-1/2 hours from both Los Angeles and San Francisco.