Wine experiences from the Sierra Foothills.

Tempranillo a California fringe variety
Tempranillo a majestic and noble grape made famous in Spain (think Rioja). In California this is a low production variety, but with a small cult following among top tier producers similar to Southern Oregon or Texas.
Orange wine from green Slovenia
Understanding orange wine is a bit of a challenge, here is a starter based on my trip to Slovenia where I tried some amazing orange wines.
Viognier happily hidden behind Chardonnay
Viognier is a beautiful grape that does extremely well in the Sierra Foothills terroir. Here is where to find it.
GSM makers of the Sierra Foothills
A blog on what is GSM, and which Sierra Foothill and Paso Robles wineries, have amazing GSM blends.
Castilla y Leon – Tempranillo and Malvasia
I had the pleasure of going to a wine industry event in South San Francisco at the San Franciso Wine School on a cool November 2024 day. I learned a lot about the largest region of Spain from a historical perspective, and mostly about the wines and wine culture of this large portion of north-central…
Sierra Foothills Grenache
Grenache is a fantastic grape for high elevation wine making in the Sierra Foothills. A red fruit roll up with amazing herbal and red fruit notes thanks to elevation and terroir.
Aging your Rhone styled wine
This post is a short take on aging wine, and specifically what Rhone styled wines do best in the cellar.
The noble road to 100
Notes from Bill Easton’s talk on his journey to Ascent Syrah, the most awarded Syrah in the Sierra Foothills of California.
California Syrah: from deep black fruit to king of red Rhône
California Syrah is still young in its evolution to a noble grape status. Learn about it in this blog.
50 years of modern wine making in El Dorado County
Learn about the history of the two stalwart wineries of the Camino/Apple Hill region of El Dorado County.
Rhone Valley Vineyards – vast and blended
My notes on the Rhone Valley Vineyards event in San Francisco, June 2023. Maybe augment your collection with some real french Rhone varietal wines.
Tannat Oui Oui
Tannat is a unique, dark fruit red wine grape that also can be found in the Sierra Foothills. Find out where…
Roussanne found, where is Marsanne?
A fun trip down the winery trails of Roussanne and Marsanne. Learn about them both.
Mourvèdre – diversify with abundant sun, and less oak
Mourvedre is a classic grape for the Sierra Foothills because it loves heat and has a long growing season. Learn about who does Mourvedre best in the Sierra Foothills in this blog.
Barbera is not Barolo
Big Barbera is quite common in the Sierra Foothills, and flourishing more all the time.
Zinfandel won Gold Country
Zinfandel is a chameleon grape and lots of styles for this grape exist in the Sierra Foothills. Perhaps the number one grape to look for in the foothills is this one.