It’s that time of year when everyone I know seems to be getting sick… and I am no exception! Since there are two sickies in our household, there’s no wine being drunk anytime soon. In the meantime, I’m sharing some pictures from a visit to Carmel this spring, also known as Carmel-by-the-Sea. Located less than 2 and a half hours south of San Francisco near Monterey, Carmel is a must-visit California coastal town.
It’s been in the 90s around here in SB so it doesn’t really seem appropriate to be thinking about fall staples like soup, scarves and boots quite yet. Pumpkin spice? It’ll have to wait. It’s true – Southern California is still very much in summer mode and you wouldn’t know it’s October except for the fact that there’s football on. Before the weather turns and it ‘officially’ feels like fall, I’m still taking full advantage of my summer favs – from Sauvignon Blanc and picnics on the beach to light and zesty desserts, like these Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars I made the other night. The recipe, which is adapted from Tyler Florence’s, is an easy to make, not-too-sweet dessert that will leave you feeling like it’s mid-July (even if you’ve already whipped out the sweaters and leggings).
I’ve tasted wine in some pretty cool locations before, from New Zealand to Portugal and Italy, and there’s no denying that each experience is unique and special in its own way. There are great wine experiences and then there are the exceptional ones… the pinch-me-is-this-real tasting where history, excellent wine, fantastic views and off-roading winery tours all come together. Where on earth could this possibly have taken place? None other than Mayacamas Vineyards, about 25 minutes outside of Napa on Mt. Veeder.
Well, it’s now Fall (how crazy is that?!) and my second publication in the SB Sentinel is out on news stands. I guess I can now officially call myself a wine columnist! Hooray. Since the goal for my column (called Behind the Vine) is to introduce readers to lesser known local wineries and/or to the people behind SB’s favorite wines, I was happy when I stumbled upon JCR Vineyard, a relatively newer small-production winery just south of the Sta Rita Hills AVA.
The end of summer has certainly kept me busy with a lot of fun events which, sadly, has caused me to totally neglect the blog. What can I say, I like to have fun! MIA no more, though… Fall is around the corner and I am pumped for cooler weather, football, wedding planning and of course, sharing more of my wine experiences with you! After all, the Governor has just declared September ‘California Wine Month’ so I have no more excuses!
With sooo many wineries in the Napa Valley, it’s almost impossible to choose which ones to visit, especially if you have a limited amount of time. Do you go for the biggest names or most grandiose? The best or most exclusive wine? The off-the-beaten track wineries, or the ones you can get to on a tour bus? Tough choices, for sure. For me, I always enjoy a mixture of it all, but you can never really go wrong with a great view. CADE Estate Winery, located on the hillside of Howell Mountain just northeast of St. Helena, definitely has the view covered, but it’s the overall experience that makes it memorable.
I just got home from a quick trip to Cedar Rapids, Iowa (so glamorous) and am happy to be back to this gorgeous California Fall weather. In fact, I want nothing more to do than sit by a pool or lazily sip wine while overlooking a vineyard… is that too much to ask?? :) I guess I will just have to settle for reminiscing about my recent trip to Napa – at Round Pond Winery, specifically.
In the aftermath of the damaging earthquake in Napa, my recaps of my recent Napa weekend couldn’t come at a more pertinent time. My heart goes out to all my wine friends whose wineries have been affected, and especially to those who were badly injured in the quake. So scary. Hopefully my posts will entice you to make a special visit to Napa Valley and support the wine business during this trying time. Napa strong!
I know I still have a ton to write about from my recent Napa / Sonoma trip, but wanted to share the exciting news that I now have my own wine column in the Santa Barbara Sentinel! It’s actually been in the works for a couple of months, but because of a hectic summer schedule (is summer ever NOT busy?!), it took me a bit longer to get things up and running. Finally, my first story is out!
To keep the momentum of our newly engaged bliss going strong, Nick and I headed to Sonoma / Napa for 3 days this past weekend to taste some vino and enjoy the beauty of wine country. I mean, why not? Now, we all know there are A TON of wineries in Napa and Sonoma. It’s overwhelming, really. Even though I’ve been to the area over a dozen times, I still feel like there’s never enough time to get to all the places I want to. This time around, though, instead of packing in too many wineries and restaurants, we tried a more relaxed approach and took our time. First stop? Scribe Winery in Sonoma.