Over the last year or so, I've fallen madly in love with Sonoma County. In particular, the area of the Russian River Valley encircled by the towns of Guerneville, Sebastopol & Healdsburg. From the towering Redwoods to the rocky coastline and everything in between, the natural beauty in this area is unsurpassed. The more I [...]
Last weekend, some of the finest local, small production wine making talent around gathered at the Veterans Memorial Building in Solvang, CA for the 2nd annual "Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure". This year, a Grand Tasting was held on both Saturday and Sunday afternoon, with a different lineup each day. With 60 wineries pouring over the [...]
As far as wine festivals go, there's nothing quite like the annual Garagiste Festival in Paso Robles. For the last 3 years, super small lot winemakers have descended upon Paso Robles to share the fruits of their labor with crowds of excited wine lovers. These festivals provide a rare opportunity for wine enthusiasts to taste [...]
During my last visit to Paso Robles, I had the honor of visiting the soon-to-be-open Law Estate Winery. From the modern, architecturally stunning winery & tasting room to the impeccably crafted wines, I was blown away by the experience. Perched high above Peachy Canyon Road on the westside of Paso Robles, the Law Estate Winery [...]
Last weekend, some of the finest winemaking talent around gathered in Paso Robles to celebrate the 3rd annual Garagiste Festival. Dedicated solely to showcasing small production wines handcrafted by talented and uber-creative artisan wine makers, the annual Paso Robles Garagiste Festival has become my favorite wine event hands-down. Needless to say, I couldn't wait to [...]
I've known about the Lompoc Wine Ghetto for ages, but for some reason, I never had a strong desire to visit. I had a preconceived notion that it was an easy access, multiple tasting room destination that catered to those who prefer quantity over quality. After visiting for the first time this weekend, I could [...]
In my ongoing quest to have our dog with us on most - if not all - of our wine tasting adventures, I've uncovered more incredible, dog-friendly wineries in Paso Robles. As a rule of thumb when tasting with dogs, always bring a leash, make sure the dogs remain well-behaved, and remember to be respectful [...]
Tucked away on an idyllic parcel of land on the Westside of Paso Robles lies the Terry Hoage Vineyards and tasting room. In the rustic winery perched right across the small parking lot from his home, Terry Hoage and his wife Jennifer are hand-crafting some of the finest wines to come out of Paso Robles. [...]
With all the celebrating that goes on at this time of year, I find myself enjoying a lot more sparkling wine and champagne than I usually do. Since I have less time to travel to wine country over the holidays, I've been exploring the world of sparkling wine at home with friends and family. I [...]
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 [...]
Wine-ding Road 