CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY

Will be in the Bay Area for the next few days. San Francisco and the Sonoma and Napa Valleys. (Burning off tons of frequent traveler points.)

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One of our global favorite destinations. Wine Country, here we come!

DRIVING THROUGH THE VINES

Random picture number 1248.

Vines along Western Australia's Margaret River.

WINE REGIONS - MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA

Of all the emerging wine regions in the United States - and there are vineyards now in all 50 states - perhaps none is attracting as much attention and excitement as Virginia's long history and current success as a wine region.

According to lore, Thomas Jefferson first planted wines on his Monticello estate some two hundred fifty years ago. And while the climate isn't perfect - some would say it's too cold during the winter - the cool and moist air give rise to excellent grapes year after year. Today's Virginia boasts hundreds of wineries with truly excellent wines, across a number of sub-regions. Everything from large bottling producers to Mom and Pop operations.

Wine tasting is becoming a major industry, and most of the wineries now have tasting rooms and love sharing their stories.

The tasting below is at one of my favorite wineries, Naked Mountain.

WINE REGIONS - THE LOIRE VALLEY

France boasts perhaps the best wine regions in the world. Certainly no educated wine connoisseur would dispute the importance of Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Champagne region to the global wine culture. Although there are equally fantastic wines produced in other countries (Italy, California, Australia), France is both the epicenter and the cultural touchstone of the wine industry.

But like those other storied locales, France's wine reputation is earned in more than just the well-known, well traveled areas. 

The Loire Valley, a third of the way between Paris and the city of Bordeaux, is one such region.

Boasting world-class varietals such as Vouvray and Sancerre, Loire, which meanders along the western side of the country, paralleling the path of the Loire River, boasts more than 85 appellations and numerous quality producers.

Our visit included overnight accommodations in the beautiful little town of Chenonceaux, not too far from Vouvray's storied vineyards. The town is home to the famous and beautiful Chateau Chenonceau. Not to be outdone, the outskirts of Chenonceaux feature large, peaceful vineyards with more of an eye towards production than tourism.

And in one field, a cat watches a visitor during the early morning hours. (upper right)

Being a French cat, it says nothing and silently moves on when it decides the visitor is not very interesting.

WINE REGIONS - NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

Easily the pre-eminent American wine region, the Napa Valley is indeed a world-class producer of fine wines. It has a well-deserved reputation for serving up some of the best vintages in both red and white varietals, and is famous for besting France's most impressive producers in the notorious Judgment of Paris in 1976.

Although the western side of the Valley, along Highway 29, is the most popular, populated and therefore heavily trafficked by tourists, the eastern side, known as the Silverado Trail, boasts many excellent vineyards without as much in the way of traveling crowds. 

When we visit, it is the Silverado Trail which provides the greatest pleasure and relaxation, but for a full experience I would spend a minimum of two days traversing both sides of the valley floor.

WINE REGIONS - HUNTER VALLEY, AUSTRALIA

The Hunter Valley is one of Australia's more prominent wine regions, boasting more than a hundred wineries with more than 11,000 acres planted.

Prime varietals are Shiraz and Chardonnay (of course) as well as Semillon, Cab Sauvignon and Verdelho.  The wines range from younger daily drinking wines to world-class fortified and whites. The nearness of Sydney means it's one of the more easily accessed wine regions for touring.

MONTEPULCIANO, ITALY - CONTUCCI WINE CELLAR BARRELS

Among my very favorite wines are reds from the Tuscan region of Montepulciano.

The town is perched on a hilltop, dating to Roman times.  It has been a commercial and culinary center for centuries, and is justifiably famous worldwide for its wines.

The Contucci winery tasting room sits just adjacent to the town's main square, amidst the history and grandeur of buildings which are hundreds of years old and can be traced back as far as the 13th century. The wine isn't aged quite that long. 

If you're a wine lover, Montepulciano is a name you should certainly have in your database.

MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA

(Another small format change. The location of the photo on the daily post will be the title of the entry.)

Virginia is for (Wine) Lovers

Middleburg, Virginia, one of the most affluent old money enclaves in the country, has traditionally been known for two things: Money, and Horses.

In the last few decades the town has seen an increase in tourism based upon the Virginia wine industry, perhaps one of the best "up and coming" but unknown wine regions in the United States, despite being possibly the oldest grape growing area in the Eastern Seaboard.

(Thomas Jefferson himself grew grapes in the Old Dominion)

Come in and taste the wine, then take a glass of your personal favorite outside for a few moments of relaxation, watching the world as it quietly passes by...

...on horseback, of course.

THE DAILY ESCAPE: TASTE THE GOOD LIFE

It's not the largest wine region in Western Australia, nor the most well-known.

But the vintners in the Swan Valley have been at this a long time, making some wonderful wines which they hope the world will discover.

 Certainly worth a stop if you're ever in Perth. The wine is tops, as are the food, the events, the people and the view.

(Pour courtesy Olive Farm Wines.)

Pic of the Day: I Miss Napa

The Napa Valley, particularly the northern end around Calistoga, is my favorite area on Earth.

The lifestyle, the natural beauty and the people. Nothing better.

Haven't been there for a while.

I love Napa...wish I were there.

Pic of the Day: No Wine Served Before Its Time

Semillon vineyard, Margaret River, Western Australia.

Pic of the Day: Wine Not?

(Yeah, I'm running out of wine-related titles.)

This beautiful glass is at the Sandalford Winery in the Margaret River wine region, along the southwestern coast of Australia.

Cheers, mate!

Pic of the Day: Montepulciano Tasting

A tasting in Montepulciano, in Italy's Tuscan region. Montepulciano is a very small but respected wine area, or AVA, at the southern end of Tuscany.

Pic of the Day: WINE

           One of the items on my NOW (Life List) is to drink a glass of wine in all of the major wine regions of the world. Obviously there is a lot left open to interpretation with the term "major", but so far I've had a glass (or more) in the following (in rough geographic order): (California) Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Rosa; (Washington) Puget Sound; (Oregon) Willamette Valley, Columbia River Valley; (Virginia); (Australia) Hunter Valley, Margaret River, Swan Valley; (Italy) Tuscany, the Veneto, Sicily, Compania; (France) Loire Valley, Bordeaux, Provence; (Croatia).

Still a lot to get to...

One of my pet projects is shooting the pour, which may have the unfortunate effect of making the pourer nervous. The below tasting, very confidently done, was poured at Vasse Felix in the Margaret River region of Western Australia.


https://www.vassefelix.com.au