Archive

Our trip to Alsace could be done over a long layover, although it’s practically impossible since the nearest major airport is three hours away. Spent (mostly) eating and drinking, we also learned a ton about the people, their wines and the region. Here’s a glimpse into the 24 hours we were there.   We had […]

A Google news search for El Nino’s effect on vineyards generates tens of pages of opinion articles speculating on if and how the big winter will contribute to the quality of the 2016 harvest. As always, the media is stirring up concern regarding the impact of heavy rainfall on grapevines in articles such as Eater’s, […]

Last week, we sent our first five of our top ten favorite activities in Sonoma County. We promised another set this week and here they are and we promise they’re just as fun and economical as the first set. All you’ll need is some fuel and your fellow coworkers soon to be new friends. Here […]

Sonoma County is full of awesome, not so obvious adventures — that don’t cost a high percentage of your Traveling Winemaker salary or any salary for that matter, just some gas in your tank, so you still have some dollars for a beer later. Bring some friends so they can share the fuel. Here are […]

Or lack thereof… In this post, we’ll explore what’s happening in California vineyards right now, bloom! Checking out the weather forecast last week ago, we noticed rain was scheduled for yesterday, Thursday. It wasn’t much but if it were, it could have left a powerful impact on the vines. Only several weeks ago, the vines started […]

And we’re not talking about your hot Saturday night date! Working my first crush in California, all the interns and winery staff wore pretty much the same thing: jeans in the morning and in the cellar, shorts and a t-shirt outside. Good boots, an occasional sweater for the early mornings and late nights. When it’s […]

The first thing to know for Chasing New Zealand Verasion is that harvest is in the spring, or is it fall? Ok let’s keep this universal and say ‘New Zealand’s wine harvest happens in or around February-May.’

Harvest in New Zealand, or anywhere in the southern hemisphere, is another way to get great experience and a different perspective, especially if you had worked harvest in the northern hemisphere exactly prior to that. Hopefully you’ve saved up enough money to travel and get to your destination, sold your car to afford your next plane ticket and you’re off to another adventure, new land, different wines, more great friends to make.

It’s the first week of March, 2010, midnight, my 14th hour of the day and the last day in the World of Pinot Noir office before the event starts tomorrow in Shell Beach. It will be the first of four days total, hosting over 12 individual events, 220 wineries, and expecting over 2000 guests. I’m looking at the […]

Fall vineyard colors. Something about them makes you want to grab a bottle of red, put another log on the fire, grab a blanket and someone to get under it with…. No? Maybe just us. Yellows, oranges and browns are the tell-tale signal of fall. Each year, the bright, green reminiscent of spring and summer […]