We just got back from a whirlwind visit to Napa Valley and Sonoma, where we visited old friends, met new ones and tasted some noteworthy Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa) and Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley). I plan on writing several blog posts about our adventures, but in th meantime, here are some quick notes.

• If you go to Healdsburg, we highly recommend that you visit Michel-Schlumberger Wine Estate. This winery is everything we look for – amazing wine, friendly people, and great events. In addition, the grounds are breathtaking and thanks to Jim Morris, we stayed in one of the winery’s beautiful guest suites. We also attended a “When Pigs Fly” party and purchased several bottles of their fabulous Zinfandel and popular Bordeaux blend. Stay tuned for photos and details about our time at Michel-Schlumberger.
• In Napa Valley, we recommend Goosecross Cellars and Titus Vineyards. Goosecross was hopping, which is a beautiful sight in this economy. We stocked up on robust Goosecross Cab Franc and the winery’s big, beautiful Howell Mt. Cab; we also had a lovely lunch at Cantinetta Piero in Hotel Luca with Goosecross owners and friends, Colleen and David Topper. Then we caught up with Christophe Smith at Titus, tasted full-bodied Cab Franc and Cab, and also enjoyed some time with Wine Soiree’s Andrew Lazorchak. Stay tuned for a blog post on Andrew’s product, a wine decanter and aerator called Wine Soiree.
• I am fortunate to have met many wine industry people through Twitter, including David Topper, Christophe Smith, Andrew Lazorchak and Jim Morris. On this trip, I also met William Allen, Frank Gutierrez and Hardy Wallace in person. Find out more about these knowledgeable and fun wine guys in a later post, too.
• We also discovered that our palates prefer Washington state Syrahs to California Syrahs.

Indeed, Washington wine did come into play on this trip – on the plane, I finally started reading Paul Gregutt’s fascinating and educational book, Washington Wines & Wineries. Paul offers so many insights, that I’m counting on a couple of blog posts about his book. If you are remotely interested in the fine wines of Washington state, don’t wait for my blog posts – just go out and buy it.

In summary, please come back and visit this blog often, because we have lots to tell you.

Cheers!