wine tours

It was a picture-perfect October Saturday morning at the Wilson Creek Winery in Temecula.

Due to the drought conditions and warmer weather conditions, the grapes ripened quickly and the 2014 Harvest came earlier than in previous years.

Night-time picking had just been completed and the grapes lay in various stages of fermentation in the steel tanks and oak barrels. The cool air in the cellar was pungent with the smell of the ripening red grapes in the open bins.

Wilson Creek Winery‘s winemaker Kestutis “Gus” Vizgirda’s hands, legs and clothes were stained a deep red hue from vigilantly tending to the grape juices and skins non-stop in the first crucial days after the harvest. [Read more…]

Dario Castagno ~ Reknown Author and Chianti Wine Guide

My quest to meet author and wine enthusiast Dario Castagno actually began a few months before my second trip to Tuscany.

I had read one of Dario’s books, A Day in Tuscany – More Confessions of a Chianti Tour Guide, an entertaining collection of short stories about Dario’s mischievous “formative” years in Tuscany sprinkled with colorful folklore. The stories were both amusing and cleverly written with tidbits of historical facts thrown in the mix. Touted by many as a keen observer, Dario artfully embraces the anima (spirit) of the characters in each book, bringing the stories to life with wit and ease.

Besides being a great storyteller, apparently Dario was also a bit of a free spirit in his younger years! He had formed a wine tour company called the Rooster Tours, aptly named after Chianti’s Gallo Nero (Black Rooster) signature wine consortium symbol. His zany adventures toting American tourists around the Chianti countryside for more than a decade was the catalyst for several other books, Too Much Tuscan Sun – Confessions of a Chianti Tour Guide, Too Much Tuscan Wine and An Osteria in Chianti. Light, fun reads!

From the start, I was enthralled with Dario’s stories of Tuscany and wanted to meet this man who shared my passion of writing and great love of wine! Up to this point, I really had no preconceived ideas of who Dario Castagno was or even if he was still in the wine tour business. However, It didn’t take long to find Dario! Yes, he is still in the wine tour business, very much so as a matter of fact, and has a great website showcasing his books and tours www.dariocastagno.com

Fattoria Tregole ~ Restored 16th century Agriturismo & Winery — Fattoria Tregole ~ B & B with Boutique Winery in Tregole, situated in the heart of Chianti

[Read more…]

Winemaking 101 At Temecula’s Wilson Creek Winery

Candlelight Wine Cellar Tour With Dario Castagno