Hi All,

Long-time lurker, first-time poster. I'm making an honest woman outta
my girl in April and we were planning on doing our own little wine tour
in California for the honeymoon. Wondering if any locals had any good
ideas as to wineries to check out.

Thanks in advance!

Jim

jim_reynolds wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Long-time lurker, first-time poster. I'm making an honest woman outta
> my girl in April and we were planning on doing our own little wine tour
> in California for the honeymoon. Wondering if any locals had any good
> ideas as to wineries to check out.

What part of California? There are wineries throughout the state.

miles wrote:
> jim_reynolds wrote:
> > Hi All,
> >
> > Long-time lurker, first-time poster. I'm making an honest woman outta
> > my girl in April and we were planning on doing our own little wine tour
> > in California for the honeymoon. Wondering if any locals had any good
> > ideas as to wineries to check out.
>
> What part of California? There are wineries throughout the state.

Yeah, I suppose that is an important bit of information...
Anything/everything is on the table. I'm a bit of a Zin nut, and love
the wines from Ridge, Martinelli amongst others, so does Sonoma/Napa
makes sense as a starting point? Too cliched/touristy? Full disclosure,
I'm far from an expert oenophile (to call me a novice would be
generous), so looking to the pros for some advice.

jim_reynolds wrote:

> Yeah, I suppose that is an important bit of information...
> Anything/everything is on the table. I'm a bit of a Zin nut, and love
> the wines from Ridge, Martinelli amongst others, so does Sonoma/Napa
> makes sense as a starting point? Too cliched/touristy? Full disclosure,
> I'm far from an expert oenophile (to call me a novice would be
> generous), so looking to the pros for some advice.

For Zins, I'd recommend touring Sonoma county, mostly in the Dry Creek
Valley/Lytton Springs/Geyserville region. There, you can visit Ridge,
Martinelli, Seghesio, Dry Creek, Quivira, Lambert Bridge and others.
For a starting point, you can see the travel advice in our FAQ at
http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

Mark Lipton

jim_reynolds wrote:
> miles wrote:
>> jim_reynolds wrote:
>>> Hi All,
>>>
>>> Long-time lurker, first-time poster. I'm making an honest woman outta
>>> my girl in April and we were planning on doing our own little wine tour
>>> in California for the honeymoon. Wondering if any locals had any good
>>> ideas as to wineries to check out.
>> What part of California? There are wineries throughout the state.
>
> Yeah, I suppose that is an important bit of information...
> Anything/everything is on the table. I'm a bit of a Zin nut, and love
> the wines from Ridge, Martinelli amongst others, so does Sonoma/Napa
> makes sense as a starting point? Too cliched/touristy? Full disclosure,
> I'm far from an expert oenophile (to call me a novice would be
> generous), so looking to the pros for some advice.
>

I'd check out ZAP, which most a lot of zin producers belong to. If you
have time, check out the Sierra foothills, Mendocino, and Paso Robles,
in addition to Sonoma and Napa.

To email me, remove the invalid word and change .net to .com

jim_reynolds wrote:

> Yeah, I suppose that is an important bit of information...
> Anything/everything is on the table. I'm a bit of a Zin nut, and love
> the wines from Ridge, Martinelli amongst others, so does Sonoma/Napa
> makes sense as a starting point? Too cliched/touristy? Full disclosure,
> I'm far from an expert oenophile (to call me a novice would be
> generous), so looking to the pros for some advice.

Sonoma and Napa are major tourist areas especially Napa. When I travel
there I still go wine tasting but stay away from the bigger names.

I'm a big Zin lover too. The major Zin regions that I'm aware of are
Paso Robles and Amador County (Near Plymouth, California). Paso Robles
has far more wineries but I prefer Amador because its more remote,
rather quaint and a lot of fun.

In March I will be in Paso Robles for the Zin festival. A fun time at
the regions wineries. It's a very relaxed area to visit with some
pretty countryside.

miles wrote:
> jim_reynolds wrote:
>
> > Yeah, I suppose that is an important bit of information...
> > Anything/everything is on the table. I'm a bit of a Zin nut, and love
> > the wines from Ridge, Martinelli amongst others, so does Sonoma/Napa
> > makes sense as a starting point? Too cliched/touristy? Full disclosure,
> > I'm far from an expert oenophile (to call me a novice would be
> > generous), so looking to the pros for some advice.
>
> Sonoma and Napa are major tourist areas especially Napa. When I travel
> there I still go wine tasting but stay away from the bigger names.
>
> I'm a big Zin lover too. The major Zin regions that I'm aware of are
> Paso Robles and Amador County (Near Plymouth, California). Paso Robles
> has far more wineries but I prefer Amador because its more remote,
> rather quaint and a lot of fun.
>
> In March I will be in Paso Robles for the Zin festival. A fun time at
> the regions wineries. It's a very relaxed area to visit with some
> pretty countryside.

Thanks to all for all these tips - excellent stuff and very helpful.
Looking forward to a blurry, lip-stained honeymoon!

jim_reynolds wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Long-time lurker, first-time poster. I'm making an honest woman outta
> my girl in April and we were planning on doing our own little wine tour
> in California for the honeymoon. Wondering if any locals had any good
> ideas as to wineries to check out.
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> Jim

Don't be such a cheapskate. Take her to Tuscany and then Sicily.

UC wrote:

> Don't be such a cheapskate. Take her to Tuscany and then Sicily.

No way! I'd rather have some decent wine along with some great food.

miles wrote:
> UC wrote:
>
> > Don't be such a cheapskate. Take her to Tuscany and then Sicily.
>
> No way! I'd rather have some decent wine along with some great food.

......and you expect to find these in (cough) California? (cough, cough,
choke)....

UC wrote:

> .....and you expect to find these in (cough) California? (cough, cough,
> choke)....

Yep, just not in Los Angeles where your (Cough, Cough) is understandable.

miles wrote:
> UC wrote:
>
> > .....and you expect to find these in (cough) California? (cough, cough,
> > choke)....
>
> Yep, just not in Los Angeles where your (Cough, Cough) is understandable.

Have you ever been to Italy/Sicily? Where do you live?

UC wrote:
> miles wrote:
>> UC wrote:
>>
>>> .....and you expect to find these in (cough) California? (cough, cough,
>>> choke)....
>> Yep, just not in Los Angeles where your (Cough, Cough) is understandable.
>
> Have you ever been to Italy/Sicily? Where do you live?

No but I intend to visit soon. I have some good friends from there who
have offered me use of their house any time. They bring me Italian
wines that I can't buy here when they visit each year. I enjoy several
good Italian wines but overall I prefer California and Oregon or
Washington wines. Mainly because I prefer California Zinfandels over
Italian Primativo. I also prefer California Pinot Noirs over French
styles.

Hey UC ever been in Venice on a hot day, the stench from the canals
certainly enhances the palate. Smog is international. I'd rather be on the
Pacific coast from Big Sur to Mendocino sipping wine then tasting in a smoke
inundated quaint bistro where the house wines smell & taste like yesterdays
sweat sox, merde indeed.
"UC" > wrote in message
ps.com...
>
> miles wrote:
> > UC wrote:
> >
> > > Don't be such a cheapskate. Take her to Tuscany and then Sicily.
> >
> > No way! I'd rather have some decent wine along with some great food.
>
> .....and you expect to find these in (cough) California? (cough, cough,
> choke)....
>

Joe "Beppe"Rosenberg wrote:
> Hey UC ever been in Venice on a hot day, the stench from the canals
> certainly enhances the palate. Smog is international. I'd rather be on the
> Pacific coast from Big Sur to Mendocino sipping wine then tasting in a smoke
> inundated quaint bistro where the house wines smell & taste like yesterdays
> sweat sox, merde indeed.

True but California exports a ton of its smog problems. A steady cloud
of smog can easily be seen blowing all the way from the coast through
Barstow and into Arizona. Just one very long cloud. But you are right,
the coastal areas are mostly smog free. Just don't go inland!

I would not go to Venice. Sicily is where I want to go next. Been only
to Firenza.


Joe "Beppe"Rosenberg wrote:
> Hey UC ever been in Venice on a hot day, the stench from the canals
> certainly enhances the palate. Smog is international. I'd rather be on the
> Pacific coast from Big Sur to Mendocino sipping wine then tasting in a smoke
> inundated quaint bistro where the house wines smell & taste like yesterdays
> sweat sox, merde indeed.
> "UC" > wrote in message
> ps.com...
> >
> > miles wrote:
> > > UC wrote:
> > >
> > > > Don't be such a cheapskate. Take her to Tuscany and then Sicily.
> > >
> > > No way! I'd rather have some decent wine along with some great food.
> >
> > .....and you expect to find these in (cough) California? (cough, cough,
> > choke)....
> >

There are many lovely things about Venice and Firenze--the service people in
Venice are like New Yorkers, sending tourists on long water taxi rides--when
can walk 1/4 mile, being disdainful of the amount of a tip. Verona is the
real Veneto, as for Firenze is a sightseer paradise, old bridges rooms along
the Arno, no traffic in the center and surrounding hill towns like Fiesole.
I love the Langhe but its become a little like Route 29 in Napa or the
highway from Sonoma to Santa Rosa, places for conspicuous consumption.

I've never been south of Avellino but are they still issuing body armour &
anti theft devices on arrival?
"UC" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> I would not go to Venice. Sicily is where I want to go next. Been only
> to Firenza.
>
>
> Joe "Beppe"Rosenberg wrote:
> > Hey UC ever been in Venice on a hot day, the stench from the canals
> > certainly enhances the palate. Smog is international. I'd rather be on
the
> > Pacific coast from Big Sur to Mendocino sipping wine then tasting in a
smoke
> > inundated quaint bistro where the house wines smell & taste like
yesterdays
> > sweat sox, merde indeed.
> > "UC" > wrote in message
> > ps.com...
> > >
> > > miles wrote:
> > > > UC wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Don't be such a cheapskate. Take her to Tuscany and then Sicily.
> > > >
> > > > No way! I'd rather have some decent wine along with some great
food.
> > >
> > > .....and you expect to find these in (cough) California? (cough,
cough,
> > > choke)....
> > >
>

Joe "Beppe"Rosenberg wrote:
> There are many lovely things about Venice and Firenze--the service people in
> Venice are like New Yorkers, sending tourists on long water taxi rides--when
> can walk 1/4 mile, being disdainful of the amount of a tip. Verona is the
> real Veneto, as for Firenze is a sightseer paradise, old bridges rooms along
> the Arno, no traffic in the center and surrounding hill towns like Fiesole.
> I love the Langhe but its become a little like Route 29 in Napa or the
> highway from Sonoma to Santa Rosa, places for conspicuous consumption.
>
> I've never been south of Avellino but are they still issuing body armour &
> anti theft devices on arrival?

Let's go to Palermo and find out!

Mike Tommasi wrote:
> UC wrote:
> > Joe "Beppe"Rosenberg wrote:
> >> I've never been south of Avellino but are they still issuing body armour &
> >> anti theft devices on arrival?
> >
> > Let's go to Palermo and find out!
>
> I'll be there Wednesday next week, I'll let you know but I doubt flak
> jackets are in style.

Bringa me backa somma gooda wine, eh?

What's the weather like in Palermo this time of year?
>
>
> --
> Mike Tommasi - Six Fours, France
> email link http://www.tommasi.org/mymail

Mike Tommasi wrote:
> UC wrote:
> > Mike Tommasi wrote:
> >> UC wrote:
> >>> Joe "Beppe"Rosenberg wrote:
> >>>> I've never been south of Avellino but are they still issuing body armour &
> >>>> anti theft devices on arrival?
> >>> Let's go to Palermo and find out!
> >> I'll be there Wednesday next week, I'll let you know but I doubt flak
> >> jackets are in style.
> >
> > Bringa me backa somma gooda wine, eh?
> >
> > What's the weather like in Palermo this time of year?
>
> Same as here in this part of F_____, about 20°C at lunchtime.

I've never been to F_____ and would never go to F_____ or drink F____
wine.

I can't wait to go to Sicily. Maybe next year!

> --
> Mike Tommasi - Six Fours, France
> email link http://www.tommasi.org/mymail

Check out www.winerybound.com. You can see all the wineries across the
state and get directions with google maps.

Congrats!



jim_reynolds wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Long-time lurker, first-time poster. I'm making an honest woman outta
> my girl in April and we were planning on doing our own little wine tour
> in California for the honeymoon. Wondering if any locals had any good
> ideas as to wineries to check out.
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> Jim