An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographic region used to identify where wine grapes are grown. When we see Santa Maria Valley on the label, we know that 85% of the grapes used t

The California wine boom continues with over 2,900 wineries in the state from San Diego to the Oregon border. With more Americans discovering that wine is part of a modern, healthy and enjoyable l

Where else than the Central Coast can you stroll along the beach in the morning, choose among dozens of wineries to visit during the day, be back to the coast for a nap, and still take in the sunse

Recently I had the chance to participate in Lone Madrone's Dinner on the Dunes Kayaking Tour. Besides making some very yummy Rhône, Bordeaux and Italian varietals and blends, Lone Madrone’s staff

Want to know how to maximize your wine tasting experiences? Of course, you can read blogs about wine, but I’d rather go to the tasting room and enjoy my wine right at the winery.

This ar

When you think of the wine country you probably visualize country roads bordered by rows of grape vines, well stocked tasting rooms with friendly staffs, and of course great Central Coast wines. C

Winemakers have been struggling for centuries to keep out unwanted oxygen from their hooch. Oily cloth used to be favorite as well as animal hides. Today winemakers from Continue Reading →

The Monterey County Vintners & Growers Association (MCVGA) invites you to escape the ordinary at the Great Wine Escape Weekend, every November in beautiful Continue Reading →

Santa Barbara County is home to over 100 wineries located within a patchwork of microclimates, terrains, small villages, and rolling rural hills, with a handful just a few blocks from the beach. Th

A recent trip through the north coast wine region resulted in some great new winery finds, a couple of good meals and some wonderful wine country hospitality. We found our days full, but our evenin

Yes, let’s taste some wine-- but let’s do it right. We want to experience all the subtleties the grape grower and winemaker worked to impart on their product. So let’s review the basics and Continue Reading →

So you want to go wine tasting!  This is a great way to enjoy the wine country make new wine discoveries and have a wonderful day out with friends.  With many great wineries and tasting r

Sonoma County is has a wide and diverse range of scenery from redwood rainforests to rolling grassy hills to dense hardwood forests of Oak and Madrone and the rugged high coun

Grape Varieties Along the Central Coast

By Barrie Cleveland, CaliforniaWineryAdvisor.com

The Central Coast wine region has a wide range

Here are some ideas and thoughts on how to host a wine tasting party. There are of course many variations from the formal sit down, no talking wine evaluation events, t

This past week we took a few out-of-town friends wine tasting in Edna Valley and were stuck by the

Paso Robles celebrates their bounty of vineyards, artisan food and wine each year at the annual Paso Robles Wine Festival held in late May. The Festival runs 3 day or more with multiple events at v

The French have been arguing for decades to persuade Americans to stop calling our sparkling wine "Champagne." They postulate, rightly, that Champagne comes from that sacred region in northern Fra

Spring is a great time for wine country wine events. Along California’s Central Coast there are six events to check out before summertime.

Paso Robles is presenting the 20th annual Zi

In California September and October is the traditional time to pick grapes and make wine. The year of hard work managing a vineyard is rewarded when the fields are buzzing with tractors and gondola

Vineyard owners know that Mother Nature can challenge the best agriculturalist. In 2011 it was a “perfect storm” of strong winds, hail, devastating frosts, thunder-storms, cool summer t

I have been in the wine business off and on since the late 1970’s and have tasted thousands of wines and visited well over 1000 tasting rooms. Some people call this work, but I know better, i

I had a memorable day recently taking a short country drive from Pismo Beach, California to the wine country of Edna Valley. It was one of these beautiful summer mornings where the fog burned off e

Making a rich beautiful wine great flavor and balance can be an easy task. Of course everything has to go perfectly. The right grapes need to be planted on the right rootstocks matched to the soils