Nothing can beat going to the source to really learn about, and understand wine...
By Sharon Stajda,
In the case of wine— that means a visit to a winery. You will be able to first hand stroll a winery , and inspect the fermentation tank, take a nice walk through the vineyard. See the different grapes in stages of ripening. And yes, be able to sample many wonderful wine's.
The hard part is picking just what winery you want to visit. There are of the most recent count 3,726 registered wineries... With new ones popping up all of the time. California alone has 1,700. With 200 in Napa alone.
With numbers come diversity. Many wineries are very large enterprises, while other are smaller and family owned. The majority of Americas wineries produce wine from vinifera grapes, but there are also wineries that base the wine on hybrid fruits.
Many wineries can be found in very picturesque settings, making them a lovely place's to visit.
Please check out my other Lenses...To learn more about wine Under One Pergola !
I love wine, and have had so much fun writing, and building several Squidoo lenses on the very subject. I wanted to make it easy, and convienent for my wine loving readers to have a look see at all my wine related sites, under one pergola - so to speak. If you have stumbled into this page, and love wine? I have put together some great informational lenses. So please stop in.
http://www.squidoo.com/sharswineinfo/
New Flickr Pictures
three generations Ledson Winery
Kenwood Winery
St. Francis Wine...
Andretti Winery. Big Ranch Road
Vine Cliff Winery
St Clement Winery
Goosecross Winery
Joseph Filippi Winery
Robert Young Winery
Planning A Winery Visit?
There are so many options when planning a visit to a winery? There are so many to choose from, many in wonderful parts of the United State, and around the world. So as you can see the first variable is going to be geographic? Are you up for a lengthy vacation or a short trip? Perhaps you would like to stay a bit close to home, and drive to a winery . Making it a long weekend shore of trip? Below is a list of States , along with number of wineries in the given state. So are you close to any of these States?
Washington -323
Oregon- 228 Virginia-97
New York-203
Ohio- 100
Michigan---90
Pennsylvania- 99
Texas-91
California--1,700
Just When To Go---
When to go is a big variable? During the winter months wineries are less crowded. But many of the wineries are in States that are cold in the winter, and can be less pleasant to visit, So if your planning a winter winery visit, stick to the warmer state's. Like California or Texas. Keep in mind in the colder States the vines will be dormant. The fall as a rule is a wonderful time to visit most wineries across the United States. The harvet is about over, and the leaves are turning, fall offers picturesque settings, and is a very nice time to visit most wineries. Wineography's Winery Directory...
- Wineography's Winery Directory...
- "Wineography's Winery Directory" is a well put together site. It has listings for Winery's all over the world. Giving information on location, and much more. Quickly directing you to each Winery's Internet site.
You will find this site easy to navigate, and very informative. Mark this one as a favorite. Enjoy... - Other California Wineries - Notable Wineries By District And Region...
- "This Guide has not aimed at being an encyclopedia or a directory of California wineries. Nor has it ambitioned to appraise every winery discussed and every wine produced." please read on...
- Wines And Vines California Wines...
- "California wines are produced from vines, imported from Europe or from neighboring regions, and belonging to the famed Vitis vinifera species of grapes, from which all Old World wines have been made since civilization began." please read on...
Make A Plan --- A What To Do List
Make your days at the vineyard enjoyable...
- Don't be to overly ambitious...
Don't cramp to many activieis into one day. 3-4 wineries in one day is plenty. You want to enjoy not only the wine, but the wondeful ambiance of the scenery, and the winery it self.Don't rush--- take it all in. - Designate a driver...
You have to think of safty? Its nice if affordable to hire a car for the day. - Call ahead...
Make sure to check winery hours before just showing up? A call ahead will save you aggravation in the long run... - Wear The Right Cloths...
Dress Appropriate for the weather...Make sure your shoes are comfortable. Don't wear perfume. Remember you will be wine tasting... You don't need the added smells. - Take a note pad and pen...
You may need a note pad to jot down wines to remember. Phone numbers and such... - A cooler may come in handy...
Take a cooler. You may purchase wines that need to be kept cool, for your trip duration.If its summer, wines can stand the high temps... - Eat...
Make sure you have eat... Don't go wine tasting on an empty stomach. - Stop While Your Ahead...
Don't over drink!
New Flickr Pictures
Ask questions?
Be Friendly...
Sure it's not to your liking. Keep it to yourself...
Do's And Don'ts While in The Wine Tasting Rooms ---
- Do---
Do--Be friendly...
Do--Ask question's...
Do--Listen to the Sommelier's suggestion's...
Do--Remember they work there, and can stir you to good wine.
Do ask for water if needed?
Don't be afraid to use the wine bucket to dump your wine, if you don't want to finish it.
Do--Help yourself to goodies if there available.
Do--Be careful of your consumption of alcohol. - Don't---
Don't--- offended anyone if you dislike the wine you tasting. Keep your comments polite. You may not like it, but someone next to you may like the wine, and be going to purchase.
Don't taste every bottle in sight...Remember you are making a day of it? You don't want to become drunk?
Don't ask for seconds, unless you are truly interested in perhaps buying a bottle.
Some Good Links On Wine
- Wineopedia...
- Please visit my lens Wineopedia. I have stuffed it with loads of info on wine.
- Wine Tasting 101...
- Step by step---Wine tasting tutorial, Wine scoring sheet, and all you need to know about hosting a great wine tasting bash !
Do you dread it when a waiter approaches with the wine, and is expecting you to perform a tasting, before its served? I have provided some tips below, to get you through it like a pro....
Need A Wine Country Accomadation--- Pick Of The Month
The Shelford House Bed And Breakfast
In the heart of the Sonoma Wine Country, tucked into a vast vineyard between Healdsburg and the Mendocino Coast, The Shelford House Bed and Breakfast Inn is one of the finest examples of Queen Anne style Victorian architecture in the Cloverdale, California area."One of the most celebrated B&B Boutique Hotel Inns in the California Wine Country - The Shelford House Inn is ideal for luxury vacations, honeymoon travel, romantic getaways, business accommodations, small weddings and elopements, scrapbooking retreats, murder mysteries and winemaker dinners. Families with older children are also welcomed."
Telephone number --- 800.833.6479
http://www.shelford.com/
Please Visit The Shelford House's Web Site...
- The Shelford House
- "Wake to the aroma of fresh ground coffee and breakfast being prepared in our country kitchen. Enjoy a multi course gourmet breakfast, including local organic coffee and teas, juices, muffins, breads, quiches, blue berry french toast, and flavored sausages. Extra special to our cuisine is Anna's award winning baked goods, jams & jellies!"
I Hope You Enjoyed Your Visit !
Please take time to leave a few words...
|
KimGiancaterino
Very nice! I'll add your link to a few of my winery-related lenses. Posted September 29, 2007 |
New YouTube
Don Sebastiani & Sons Films - Episode 01 | The First Pour
Join Don, Donny, and August Sebastiani for a lunch meeting to discuss their off-beat brands, packaging decisions, winemaking style, and the movement towards appellation-driven wines.
Runtime: 3:36
829 views
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