The Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey County was yet-to-be-explored wine country for me until a couple of weekends ago. After spending two perfect days soaking up as much of the area as I could, I found it to be a unique and very special place. The SLH AVA sits in the Salinas Valley between the [...]
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 [...]
Sometimes wine tasting in Napa and Sonoma can be daunting. With so many wineries to choose from in a relatively small area, I often feel like I don't know where to begin. However, during my last visit, I felt like I found a couple perfect spots. Tucked away on a gorgeous piece of land in [...]
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 [...]
Along Grand Avenue in the quaint little town of Los Olivos, CA, there are enough tasting rooms to easily fill an entire weekend. On a recent trip to the area, I decided to stop in town and try the wines of Carhartt Vineyard. Grand Avenue is lined with tasting room after tasting room, each representing [...]
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 [...]
Tucked up in the hills of Napa Valley at the end of an unpaved, rocky road where I dare to guess very few - if any - wine tour buses or limousines have ever ventured lie the wine caves of Road 31. Here in rented space in these remote caves, artisan winemaker Kent Fortner hand [...]
I've never planned a wine tasting trip alone, but today seemed like the perfect day to try it. I woke up early and headed up towards Santa Maria, CA - a relatively quick and easy 2 hour drive north of Los Angeles. My first stop was the little Danish town of Solvang for some coffee, [...]
Foxen is not a new discovery for me, however I can't think of any other place I'd rather begin. I first came across Foxen on a lazy Saturday afternoon. We had just visited several wineries along the beautiful Foxen Canyon Wine Trail and finished our day of tasting at this casual, magical little winery. We [...]
Wine-ding Road 