For me, the atmosphere of a winery, restaurant or hotel is as important as the wine, food or my ability to sleep soundly. When a winery is dog friendly, it says a ton about the overall vibe. These wineries are consistently welcoming and easy-going.  I’ve never felt uncomfortable or overwhelmed by dogs; instead, people smile [...]

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I couldn’t love this restaurant more.  Dog friendly outside on the warm and welcoming patio, with cozy booths and a long bar inside. I walked right by it before I noticed it.  It’s nicely tucked off the street just a bit. The servers are down-to-earth and welcoming. The menu is mostly small plates to [...]

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When people ask me where to go wine tasting in Napa, I feel a bit of a conundrum.  I wonder why Napa?  Do they drink $150 Cabernet Sauvignons?  Are they okay with paying $25 per person for tasting fees? Do they like wineries owned by international conglomerates? Are they interested in cult wineries, hanging out [...]

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Title: Landmark Family FunLocation: Kenwood, CADescription:
From May through October on Saturdays from 1-4pm, Landmark is featuring live complimentary music by local area musicians and also horse-drawn wagon rides. Sip their award winning Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varietals by the glass, relax in the garden areas with a picnic basket, enjoy a reserve flight in [...]

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I am an advocate of wine clubs. If you don’t live near the wineries you love, you get discounts and memories mailed to you several times a year.  If you do live in wine country, you get to attend fabulous parties in addition to purchasing at a discount. Here’s my opinion about what makes a [...]

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MAY 2, 2009
LANDMARK VINEYARDS
Drink fabulous Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and play Bocce ball with me!
Landmark Estate is very comfortable and fun with fabulous wines. I’ll be there to kick off their Summer Music Concerts.

Price of Admission: Free!
Food: Bring your own food or purchase from their special event deli.
Wine: Plan on buying a bottle [...]

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I love the farming part of wine making. Give me a haystack, good music outdoors, a glass of wine and fresh BBQ and I’m in heaven.  Which is why I’ve partnered with Carneros Wine Alliance to be this year’s Media Sponsor.
Carneros is such an interesting AVA.  It straddles two counties–Sonoma and Napa.  It mostly has [...]

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When a winery describes their wines as ultra-premium, I fear the prices will start at $55 a bottle.  Not so with Kunde (rhymes with bundy); this family estate is wallet-friendly, welcoming and makes suburb wines. They use ultra-premium to describe the intense care and attention to detail that characterizes their wine making.  Learn more by [...]

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Quivira winery, in Dry Creek Valley, is at the top of my list of favorite spots.  The people are gracious and friendly (dog friendly too), the wine is sublime, and the grounds are very clean and tidy…even though it’s a farm.
The winery is home to goats, pigs (Ruby & Rodney), chickens, a giant fig tree [...]

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If you are looking for a rental in the Paso Robles Wine Country, you might want to check out Cambria.  It’s a pretty little village with lots of empty beaches and a great location to relax between winery visits.
We found the perfect little cottage for Hubby, Tulip and I.  We loved it and would definitely [...]

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