• Blog
  • About Me
    • Press Release
  • Back Road Wineries
    • California Wine Trail
    • Tuscany Wine Trail
    • Baja California Wine Trail
  • Wine A Bit ~ Editorial & Reviews
  • Contact Me

UNCORKED WINE TRAVELS

Musings Along The Wine Trails

Cheers To Russian River Valley’s “Uneventful” 2018 Harvest!

September 21, 2018 by Deborah Mines

By far, harvest is my favorite time of year in any wine country.  The sweet smell of ripe grapes fill the air as they wait their turn on the vines to be picked.  Night picking is the norm in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley as the cool late summer nights provide a natural refrigeration, delaying oxidation and spoilage before the grapes get into the winery for processing.

Driving around the vineyards between sundown and sunrise can be a surreal sight as the fields are ablaze with spotlights, providing the ideal backdrop for the night workers.   (Photo courtesy of Jordan Vineyard & Winery).  The deafening din of the tractors and heavy harvest machinery can be heard for miles as the grapes are quickly harvested. Within hours, the vines are stripped and the grapes are loaded into large plastic bins and hauled off to the winery’s crush pad.

Upon arrival, the grapes travel down a vibrating conveyor belt where they are hand-sorted.  Undesirable grapes or under ripened grapes are removed by the sorters.  In larger winery operations, the grapes may be laser optically sorted instead. Depending on the varietal and wine style, grapes may be placed in a de-stemmer machine which effectively removes the stems to avoid bitterness, or in some cases, the grapes are placed in separate bins, with the stems to add tannin, for whole cluster fermentation.

[Read more…]

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: California Wine Trail Tagged With: Chardonnay, Crush, Gerwurtztraminer, Grenache, Harvest, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County, Zinfandel

Add Healdsburg’s Raford Inn To Your Wine Bucket List

August 9, 2018 by Deborah Mines Leave a Comment

Step back in time as you rock back and forth on the veranda of the Raford Inn, at the corner of Wohler Road and Eastside Road, in the iconic Russian River Valley.   Once part of Rancho El Molino, a Mexican land grant, this Victorian era beauty was built in 1880.  Hops pioneer Raford Petersen and his descendants fastidiously worked the 1,320 acres for over 100 years.

Today, the hops have been replaced with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards and the inn has been refurbished and designated as a historic landmark.  Named after Petersen himself, the Raford Inn now sits atop four acres overlooking the vineyards, one-half mile from the Russian River.

And the sweet smell of roses, roses, roses permeate the air…

[Read more…]

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: California Wine Trail Tagged With: bed and breakfast, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Wine Country Lodging

A Walk Between The Vines At Emeritus Vineyards…

June 29, 2018 by Deborah Mines 2 Comments

When walking through Emeritus Vineyards’ Hallberg Ranch, a 110 acre Pinot Noir vineyard near Sebastopol,  the quote from famed Italian Astronomer/Philosopher Galileo Galilei instantly flashed through my mind.  “Wine is sunlight, held together by water”.  Of course, what else could wine possibly be?  And this renown Pinot Noir vineyard was certainly living proof!

Guided by the “Ambassador of Fun”, Paige Hansen, we walked between the vines on a spectacular late Spring afternoon, Pinot glass in hand.

The vines danced in the wind.  And, as if on key, tiny clusters of flowers were forming to signal the start of the grape growing season.  Interestingly, Vinifera grapes are self-pollinating and due to the close proximity of the flower clusters, there is no need for bees or other insects to aid with fertilization.

Within a few short weeks, small berries are formed  which is referred to as fruit set.  The entire growing process from bud break to verasion (a french word for the onset of ripening or color change) is approximately 100 days, depending on the grape varietal and the wine region.

Hallberg Ranch vineyards are planted on the coveted Goldridge soil, composed  of one to four feet of sandy loam underlain by Los Osos clay.

All three Emeritus vineyards, are sustainably and organically dry-farmed, which helps the grapes to achieve full ripeness without excess sugars and extracted flavors.  Additionally,  a cover crop of mustard is planted between the vines to aid in moisture retention from the morning fog and to harbor beneficial insects.

[Read more…]

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: California Wine Trail Tagged With: Pinot Noir, vineyard tour, Wine Tasting

Follow the Olivet Road… Top 3 Artisan Winery Picks!

June 8, 2018 by Deborah Mines Leave a Comment

When in Russian River Valley wine country, I like to start my wine tasting adventures along sleepy Olivet Road.  Only a few minutes from the Santa Rosa airport, Olivet Road meanders between River Road and Guerneville Road, and is, somewhat dare I say, “undiscovered”.  A small collection of artisan wineries serendipitously line Olivet Road, producing everything from Sparkling Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to Zinfandel, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

First stop is Harvest Moon Estate, where the good times definitely roll!  Winemaker and Owner Randy Pitts is frequently on hand to zealously greet guests and pour his award-winning cool climate Zinfandel.  Less conventional but more approachable than some winemakers,  Randy is known to “sabrage” a bottle of bubbly now and then, much to the amusement and surprise of the assembled wine devotees. 

The atmosphere at Harvest Moon is always fun and relaxed and the tasting menu is quite diverse and literally “over the moon”.

Wet your whistle on the bubbly 2013 Estate Dry Sparkling Gerwurztraminer, a peppery 2011 Pitts Home Ranch Zinfandel or if you’re feeling “a little Randy,” try the 2014 Randy Zin, a zippy blend of Zinfandel and Sangiovese.

Next, look for Hook & Ladder‘s  bright red fire engine parked on Olivet Road.  [Read more…]

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: California Wine Trail Tagged With: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Wine Tasting, Zinfandel

Thomas George Estates’ Wine Cave Is Truly A Hidden Treasure!

May 24, 2018 by Deborah Mines Leave a Comment

One of the more obscure, yet enchanting wineries on Russian River Valley’s Westside Road is Thomas George Estates. Tucked on an inside bend on the narrow winding road, the wooded entrance is easy to pass and most challenging to turn back around to find.  Hence, this was my first visit.  And what a visit it was!  I was literally in awe when I drove down the long gravel driveway, wondering why I hadn’t stopped here before.

Towering Redwoods stand at attention around the perimeter of the serene gardens, ablaze with roses and french lavender. Beyond the gardens you’ll find the infamous Thomas George Estates wine cave, dug deep under the hillside Baker Ridge Pinot Noir vineyard.

[Read more…]

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: California Wine Trail Tagged With: Chardonnay, grenache noir, late harvest Viognier, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valle, wine cave, Wine Tasting, Zinfandel

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • …
  • 30
  • Next Page »

Wine Trail Search

Follow My Wine Blog

Your Name

Your Email

A Little About Me

To many, I’m simply known as a wanderlust ~ a free-spirited adventuress with a passion for travel and a lover of great wines!Read more...

Vintage Posts

  • Book Review: The Billionaire’s Vinegar January 3, 2021
  • Book Review: Sonoma Wine And The Story Of Buena Vista November 29, 2020
  • California Wineries Are Now “Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop…” November 15, 2020
  • Russian River Valley Welcomes Visitors in Uncertain Times… September 20, 2020
  • BOOK REVIEW: A Wine Journey Along The Russian River May 30, 2020
  • US Wine Market Update: A Regional Perspective Webinar Unites Top Industry Leaders April 17, 2020
  • The Lifecycle of a Grape Vine ~ From Vine To Wine March 26, 2020
  • 2019’s “Top 10” Eclectic RRV Wineries December 29, 2019
  • Russian River Valley’s Arista Wines Earn Top Accolades From Wine Spectator September 24, 2019
  • Littorai Wines ~ A Tale of Two Coasts & Three Pinot Noir Styles September 13, 2019
  • After Much Ado, “House of Flowers” Debuts In Russian River Valley August 29, 2019
  • Best Backroads For Cycling In RRV-Healdsburg Wine Country August 16, 2019
  • Experience Cave-Aged Wines At DRNK Winery in Russian River Valley July 3, 2019
  • Best Kept Secret in Sta. Rita Hills ~ Spear Vineyards & Winery May 17, 2019
  • Spring Is An Ideal, And Uncrowded, Time To Visit Wine Country April 19, 2019
  • NEW BOOK RELEASE: Root Cause, A Novel by Steven Laine February 19, 2019
  • Discover the Hidden Wine Caves in Sonoma Wine Country December 17, 2018
  • Vin Santo Reigns In Chianti’s Medieval Hamlet of Castello di Volpaia November 16, 2018
  • Hidden Gem Alert ~ Dry Creek’s Unti Vineyards Is A “10” October 31, 2018
  • Windsor’s Notre Vue Estate’s Unabashed Views Are Worth The Drive October 20, 2018

Find Me On Twitter

My Tweets

Copyright © 2021 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.