sonoma

Tips For Visiting Wineries
Wine

5 Huge Misconceptions About Visiting Wineries

As a writer of food and drink, I have a pretty big blunder to admit.
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As a writer of food and drink, I have a pretty big blunder to admit. Though wine country is a mere hour away, I don't know the first thing about choosing a tasting room. On my last trip to wine country, I hit up three spots: one fantastic, another mediocre, and a third downright horrible.

If only I had known what I know now, after speaking with Tilar Mazzeo, the author of Back Lane Wineries of Napa and Back Lane Wineries of Sonoma, two helpful books that guide visitors to vineyards that are off the beaten track. After a lengthy discussion with her, I discovered that I've been approaching wine country all wrong. Not only that, but many of my perceptions about visiting wineries are completely incorrect.

Now that I'm much better equipped, I'm already plotting my next trip! Curious to know what mistakes you might be making? Read on.

Travel Tips For Sonoma, California
Food

Romantic Getaway: Indulge Your Senses in Sonoma

Drown yourself in love, wine, and delicious California cuisine with a romantic getaway to Sonoma, CA — located an hour north of San Francisco.
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Drown yourself in love, wine, and delicious California cuisine with a romantic getaway to Sonoma, CA — located an hour north of San Francisco. Napa's sister city in the California wine country boasts a historic town square, relaxing spas, picturesque wineries, and restaurants rich with some of the best food and wine the world has to offer. Start planning your sensual trip now with these tips.

Source: Instagram user s7ryan
Go Bike Tasting Picnic on the Plaza Spring Into Relaxation Stay in Eco-Chic Wine and Dine
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Happy Hour: 2006 Huge Bear Cabernet Sauvignon
Wine

Happy Hour: 2006 Huge Bear Cabernet Sauvignon

I'm a huge Zinfandel lover, but earlier this Summer, I decided to give another bold red a chance, and so I've been drinking — and enjoying — a lot of Cabernet Sauvignon.
by partysugar

I'm a huge Zinfandel lover, but earlier this Summer, I decided to give another bold red a chance, and so I've been drinking — and enjoying — a lot of Cabernet Sauvignon. My latest favorite is Huge Bear's 2006 Cab Sav ($55). Although it's pricey, this luscious intense wine is worth the splurge. The grapes are grown in Sonoma and the wine ages for 18 months in new French Oak barrels resulting in a deep purple liquid that's full-bodied with a dark fruit aroma. It's a sophisticated strong wine with a smoky, long finish. I paired it with bacon and clam pizza, but it would work wonderfully with grilled steaks or dark chocolate. Have you tried Huge Bear's wine?

Yummy Links: From Hubert Keller to Root Beer
Travel

Yummy Links: From Hubert Keller to Root Beer

  • The hottest chef at last weekend's food festival in San Francisco?
by partysugar

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Happy Hour: Red 2005
Wine

Happy Hour: Red 2005

Worried about what wine to pour for Valentine's Day?
by partysugar

Worried about what wine to pour for Valentine's Day? Have I got the perfect bottle for you!

St. Francis Winery's 2005 Red blend is a spectacular wine at a shocking price. When I served this smooth-bodied wine to a girlfriend on Monday night, she guessed it was at least $25 a bottle. However, this succulent blend of five varietals — Merlot (58 percent), Syrah (25 percent), Cabernet Franc (9 percent), Cabernet Sauvignon (6 percent), and Zinfandel (2 percent) — is only $10. Produced in the Sonoma Valley, Red has a ripe fruit flavor, a spicy undertone, and robust aroma. It's wonderfully easy to drink and, since it's a table wine, it pairs with most foods from pizza to pasta to steak.

The modern, stylish labels (there are actually 12 different designs) were created by Jeffrey Caldewey, a renowned wine label designer. If you are looking or a great value wine, I highly recommend Red. Has anyone else tried it?

Sonoma and Mendocino Wine Regions Prepare For Dry Spell
Eco

Sonoma and Mendocino Wine Regions Prepare For Dry Spell

Due to a lengthy dry spell in Northern California this season, Sonoma and Mendocino counties face a potentially devastating drought.
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Due to a lengthy dry spell in Northern California this season, Sonoma and Mendocino counties face a potentially devastating drought. This water shortage poses an immediate threat to Russian River grape growers and the region's hospitality industry.

Local officials have warned residents that water usage cutbacks may be as high as 50 percent. The dry spell won't just be about brown lawns and dry pools. The first to weather the impact? The region's grape growers, who will be forced to reconsider whether or not to turn on the spigots for frost protection in March. In addition, the drought's effects will likely spill over to the entire region's hospitality industry, as restaurants would be facing restricted flow on water, and forced to ration water, which is used in everything from making drinks in-house to doing dishes and mopping the floor.

I find this news alarming, and can't help but think it's a direct result of global warming. Did it ever occur to you how much a climate change could impact a sector such as the restaurant or wine industry?

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Meet Roshambo, A Winery Worth Tasting
Wine

Meet Roshambo, A Winery Worth Tasting

It's hard for a young, new drinker — who knows nothing about it — to get into tasting wine.
by partysugar
Meet Roshambo, A Winery Worth Tasting

It's hard for a young, new drinker — who knows nothing about it — to get into tasting wine. There are thousands of different types of wine and a special vocabulary to discuss it, not to mention how many wineries are pretentious, snobby, and rude to uninformed tasters. Luckily there are hip, fabulous wineries like Roshambo — my new favorite winery — that cater to this once overlooked demographic. Roshambo was founded on the "simple idea that serious wines became, well, a little too serious." Recently I had the chance to check out Roshambo's tasting room in Sonoma. To learn more about the wine, the tasting room, and their fun take on the stuffy industry, click the "Start" button.

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Happy Hour: Tallulah 2004 Syrah
red wine

Happy Hour: Tallulah 2004 Syrah

Normally when I reach for a bottle of red wine, I grab a Zinfandel or Pinot Noir.
by partysugar

Normally when I reach for a bottle of red wine, I grab a Zinfandel or Pinot Noir. Only recently, while at a Syrah tasting, did I wonder why I've been neglecting Syrah. At the tasting, there were plenty of wonderful Syrahs, however, Tallulah's 2004 offering ($28) was the most memorable.

From the Sonoma Coast, this Syrah has a dark plum color with delicious aromas of cherry and pepper. It's an elegant, soft, full-bodied wine — that is neither too bold nor too fruity — with an intense finish. I would pair it with a cheese plate or a rich pasta sausage casserole. The nostalgic label and moderate price range, make it a great gift wine.