March 18, 2008

Today we took a group of 21 folks from IDI out of Atlanta on a van tour out of Napa. We had a beautiful sunny 68 degree day. Our first stop was to Grgich Hills Cellars. Amanda from GHC gave our guests a behind the scenes tour of the winery. She was able to have Michael Grgich talk to our group, take photos with the group, and sign bottles of wines. Our guests thoroughly enjoyed meeting one of the founders of the Napa Valley wine scene.

Next stop was a split session with half the group going to Plumbjack the other group going to Silver Oak Cellars. The third stop was a gourmet picnic lunch and wine outside on the beautiful grounds of Kelham Winery. The guests really enjoyed the art work inside the winery and the dogs outside. The final stop was at Kathryn Hall Winery. Neil our host showed us the amazing brick work inside the caves and the large chandelier that hung above a table set with four wines for each of our guests. Lots of great wines, gorgeous views, and most important fun by all. As we departed the group they said they were going to tell their friends back home that they have to do this trip when they come out.

Dave

Calistoga Tour Update

March 14th, 2008 Sunny, 50/65 degrees, spotty rain.
Left at 9:30 a.m. from Sharpsteen Museum, a little worried about rain. Headed first to Envy, then across to Summers. The rain started just as I was driving to meet the group at Bennet Lane winery, so I called around to find a place to eat indoors –Meredith was a darling and gave me permission to eat inside Envy. We had a wonderful leisurely lunch, then biked over to Chateau Montelena for our last tasting. Then biked back to the museum at 3:30 to send the guests on their way!

Becca

Healdsburg Tour Update

Today March 5th was a beautiful day! Mustard flowers everywhere and rolling hills through the dry creek area. Had a fun tour today. A couple from Canada and it was both of their birthday’s. We had a gourmet lunch with cheesecake for dessert to follow. We went to four wineries and biked 16miles. It was a great day with beautiful views and good conversation.

Jen Scott

Barrel Tasting

March 1, 1008

The first two weekends in March this year are barrel tasting weekends. A large number of wineries participate. For one small price you can taste at any of the participating vineyards. Just get your glass and go. You can see how the wines are developing in the barrels and which ones you think are going to be terrific in the bottle. You can purchase futures, that is wine you believe will be good, before it is bottled.

Randy took out a van tour, a group that was in town for a wedding and ready to party.

Healdsburg Tour Update

February 29, 1008

Today was a sunny day. We had two couples from Ohio that were down to ride their bikes and drink wine! We rode to four wineries and had a wonderful lunch with a bottle of wine at Bennet Lane. The weather was absolutely perfect, the mustard flowers were blooming, and the hills were green!

Jen Scott

February 28th 2008 Sunny, 65/70 degrees.

Today we left at 8:00 a.m. with a group of 5 gentlemen to Armstrong Redwoods for a 2 hour hike up the West and East ridge trails. The weather was incredible: patches of fog draping over the treetops, and perfect blue skies. We had a great time spotting different varieties of trees and birds, and saw maybe 5 or 6 other people the entire hike. After our hike we headed out to the coast, driving along the beautiful Russian River and through the town of Jenner. We stopped for a Kodak moment right near the mouth of the River, and marveled at the enormous waves that have been coming in lately. Lunch was at Goat Rock Beach, then a drive back in to town at 2:00 p.m.

Randy

Calistoga Tour Update

Our groups tend to be smaller this time of year, so you can always almost get a private tour without paying for the exclusivity. One of the sights that greets visitors to both Sonoma and Napa counties, at this time of year is fields of wild mustard growing lush and expansive across the landscape. This is the same plant that produces the mustard seed used in making the culinary product. But the plant is not harvested in the Wine Country for that purpose. Instead, it performs another, perhaps even more valuable function.

Our guests are continually surprised to find acres and acres of mustard growing between rows of grapevines. Mustard is planted as a cover and companion crop in vineyards. Then the mustard is tilled under to fix nitrogen in the soil, which in turn is utilized by the grapevines for healthy growth.

Last Monday was a beautiful day. Our guests, Vi and John rode with me mostly north of Calistoga we saw lots of wild mustard in bloom that was not in evidence the last time I took this route just two weeks ago. The other thing we noticed, as the weather warms up the effort to prune back the grapevines while they are still dormant was picking up. A team of about 12-15 skilled pruners was spreading out in one of the vineyards that we rode by. Knowing how to properly prune grapevines is a valuable and sought after skill. Grape growers generally want very experienced people who can work quickly and decisively.This is an important step to increase growth of new canes on the vine.

Tom, Tour Guide & Principal Oenoweenie

Calistoga Tour Update

After a week of really fine weather, it drizzled last Thursday for most of the day. But that didn’t stop Traci and Tom. They were real troopers. We all put on our rain ponchos and headed out, and had a really fun time doing it.

First of all, three of the four wineries we visited were pouring new releases. Wineries typically start to pour new releases early in the year, after older vintages have been sold out. This is a great time to get a first taste before the busy season really begins. Tasting room personnel have the time to spend quality time with visitors to explain the nuances of the new releases.

In addition, the owners of Bennett Lane Winery also sponsor a NASCAR racing car. They just happened to have car on premises. You enter and leave the car through the driver’s side window. Traci was the only one who could fit through the window, which she happily reminded us in this picture.

Tom, Tour Guide & Principal Oenoweenie

Calistoga Tour Update

The weather was great today. A real respite from the rain that we have had in the last couple of weeks. It was a pleasure to get out there on the bikes again. I had a very cool young couple, Carly & Max. We went on some of the back lanes in Calistoga where the fruit trees were starting to blossom. The grape vines are still dormant. Most have been or soon will be pruned back getting them ready for spring growth.

Carly, Max and I had a blast at Summers Winery. Because it was Valentine’s Day, the tasting room had all sorts of little treats to try with the different wines. Chocolate-covered cranberries to go with the Syrah; chocolate-covered coffee beans for the Zinfandel; and finally, chocolate-covered pomegranates matched with the Port.

Tom, Tour Guide & Principal Oenoweenie

Carly and Max at the end of the tour

It was February 6th, 2008. The weather was sunny, but cool, about 58 degrees.

Today we took out a nice group of journalists for a few hours of biking. We started at Dry Creek Winery and rode the West Dry Creek Road, over the gentle rolling hills to Preston Organic Vineyards. It was a short but incredibly beautiful day. The sun was out, the brilliant mustard grass was illuminating the now bare vines. We made it all the way to Preston, one of my favorites, and tasted the unique blends and tasty varietals such as Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. I love the Barbera and the L Preston Rhone blend.

The group was a lot of fun and game for seeing a lot of the area. They came from all over, Ohio, Oregon, New York, and Los Angeles. I am only bummed my camera was out of battery power, or I would have taken lots of pictures on this glorious day. We all vanned back to the hotel, arriving in Healdsburg about 5:00 pm.