Several reliable sources - including NASA - predict that 2020 will be the warmest year on record. One of the worst fire seasons in history has once again ravaged vineyards in Northern California and Oregon, drought is surging to extreme levels along much of the West Coast, and temperatures are growing more extreme around the [...]
Last time I visited Law Estate Wines, it was more of a construction site than a finished project. This past weekend, I visited the winery again in its completed form and was utterly blown away. From the friendly and personal attention of the staff to the breathtaking architecture to the incredible wines, Law Estate is beyond [...]
In what was once an old, rundown industrial area just west of Santa Barbara's bustling shopping district, the Funk Zone has emerged as a hub of unique art, culture, food & artisan wine. In my opinion, it's one of the best things to happen to Santa Barbara in a long time. With a number of shops, galleries, [...]
By definition, the term "garagistes" refers to a group of innovative, renegade wine makers from the Bordeaux region who refuse to follow the strict French rules and instead, produce "Vins de garage" or "Garage wine". For the second year in a row, Paso Robles has celebrated the spirit of the garagiste movement by holding a [...]
I realize this is the third time (at least) I've written about Foxen Vineyard & Winery, but as I sit here opening up my latest wine club shipment, I feel like a quick post is definitely in order. I patiently waited for three long years to be accepted into Foxen's Anchor Wine Club. Due to [...]
It seems like every time I visit the Santa Maria Valley north of Santa Barbara, I discover an incredible wine that I've never tried before. On a recent visit, I not only found some new wines, but I discovered one of my new favorite wineries in the area. Tucked away in the charming town of [...]
* UPDATE 11/13: CLOSED. Chumeia Vineyards appears to be closed and is currently listed for sale by Sotheby's International Realty. Last month, we drove up to Paso Robles for a long overdue visit - this time with our brand new wine tasting companion, Booker. As a newbie to the world of dog ownership, I did [...]
We hadn't been to Calcareous in a few years and decided to stop for a tasting during our last visit to the area. Perched up on a hill overlooking Paso Robles, I remembered Calcareous being really beautiful with picture-perfect views. After our last visit however, I think Calcareous might possibly be one of the most [...]
When people ask for winery recommendations in the Santa Maria area, I never hesitate to recommend Rancho Sisquoc Winery. Located at the north end of the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, Rancho Sisquoc is not only in a gorgeous setting, but it seems to have a wine for just about every palate. One of the first [...]
I have to admit that while I was interested in trying the wines of Rubicon Estate in Napa Valley, it wasn't exactly at the top of my list. I assumed that a winery owned by 5 time Oscar winner Francis Ford Coppola and his family would likely be "Hollywood". I anticipated it would be a [...]
Wine-ding Road 