Wine lovers tend to travel a lot.  They want to taste wine from all over the world, not just because it’s fun and educational, but they need to refresh their palate.  Especially for people in the business, we can taste so often in our immediate area that nothing under the sun seems new or interesting.  When that happens, it’s time to visit Windee Smith, the owner of Valley Wine Shack in Sonoma.

Windee opened her business expressly to help wine country folks who have palate fatigue. When they get tired of the higher-alcohol California wines, they can go to her “cellar” and buy French wines (she has an entire room just for wines from France).  She stocks the best wine (and deals) from Europe, South America, Africa, etc.

On top of it, she hosts themed tastings for $5 every Wednesday night. It’s a party of industry folks, local wine enthusiasts and lucky travelers who hear about it.  If you are there on a Tuesday night, you’ll see lots of people running in to pick up a bottle to share at the Sonoma Plaza Farmer’s Market, a truly homespun affair held from April – October. If you’re in town, don’t miss it!