Nose, the smell and essence of a wine. Palate, the flavors and taste of a wine. Discover more of wines' heady mixtures.

Join me at
California Wine Jaunt
as I feature wineries in the
California Bay Area & beyond, and share as I go.
Here you'll find writings on local wineries and tasting rooms
with a few field trips sprinkled in.

For the latest winery & tasting room visits...

2019 Silicon Valley Wine Auction

I cut my teeth on SCM varietals. These local wines became the foundation for my wine palate and I often compare & contrast
wines from home to other regions...more

on the town...wine news

Planning a visit to the Bay Area? To taste wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains, check out their summer line-up here (link)
& find more tasting rooms on my Santa Cruz Wineries page.

Choices, Choices!
Monterey Winemaker's Celebration '19.

Monterey County Wines have a good thing going.
They are one of my favorite  'go to' regions. Always offering flavor, consistency, and that something amazing...more

on the town... wine news
Ser Winery Pop Up Tasting!

Join Nicole Walsh, owner & winemaker of Ser Winery, for a Pop-Up Tasting! Hosted at Equinox Tasting Room, Santa Cruz. 
Enjoy Wine Flights and Wines by the Glass...all the details here!

Closures...keeping a lid on your wine

From low-cost fast-rotation wines to luxury wines,
closures make a world difference in
the quality of your wines...more

on the town...wine news

Enjoy summer wine! SCMWA (Link) is hosting wine events
for your wine staycations!
For Wine Beyond the Tasting Room...more

The Dair to Pair Wine & Food Competition

Pull out your passports!
The Cabrillo College Wine, Hospitality, and Culinary Arts 
D2P Competition took tasters on a journey...more

on the town...wine news

It's that time of year. The ASEV is just around the corner and will be hosted in Napa this year. For a link to tix and a look at 2018, visit my 'Tasty Science' feature...more

5 Wine Trends for 2019

Wine Industry Trends & Hot Topics Are All Here:
Rose', Outsourcing, Beverage Competition, Sustainability,
& Guest Experience....more

on the town...wine news

Monterey Winemakers' Celebration is Saturday, May 4.
Get your tickets, whet your appetite, and enjoy gorgeous wines in Carmel-by-the Sea....more

Wine Trade Tasting, Monterey County

Monterey County is known world wide for their
premier Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. And rightly so.
But I was eager to try other varietals from the region....more

on the town...wine news

The Annual 'Four Fires Festival' hits the bull's-eye, pairing local wines & foods. If you're in the Foothills and panning for wine, find events details here and a look at 2018...more

The Unified Series #4

Mark Hoover of Integrity Wines in Watsonville shares,
"it's easy to get into the minutia of the wines."
He's looking to "get a wide angle view; a bigger perspective...” more

The Unified Series #3

We could all use someone like John McKenna, of Francis Ford Coppola Winery, in our lives. Someone who bridges the gap in relationships.  John's focus is grower relations...more

The Unified Series #2

Jerold O'Brien of Silver Mountain Vineyards shares about making organic wine over the decades.
This feature is the 2nd in a series, on winemakers and
what's ahead for wine in 2019...more

on the town...wine news

The 10th annual Dare to Pair is just around the corner.
Get your tickets, and a sneak peek, as Cabrillo Culinary Arts students and Surf City Vintners get ready for the
food and wine pairing competition...more

Bay Area wineries & tasting rooms...

Santa Cruz Wineries

...tasting rooms from the Pacific coast
to the redwoods

Santa Clara Wineries

...wines from the Silicon Valley &
bucolic countryside

Monterey & Carmel Wineries

...vineyards in the valley floor & dotting the coast

Wine tasting tips...

Wine lingo
...a little wine tasting vocab

Nose & Palate

...scents and flavors for your next tasting

Tasting 101

...tips for your next wine jaunt