The Dublin-Pleasanton-Livermore valleys are home to so many boutique wineries, and we love visiting them all. Recently though, the roster of wonderful, family-owned wineries suffered a terrible blow: Westover Vineyards was presented with a fine by the California State Department of Industrial Relations that will put them out of business. What terrible offense was charged? […]
Ah, Labor Day, the formal end of summer! In Livermore, this is further commemorated with the Harvest Festival, presented by member wineries of the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association. All day Sunday, participants could wine taste to their heart’s content at 40 member wineries, all for $45. A great day for a great cause, but not […]
Tesla Vintners has been a landmark in Livermore for many years. Last fall we decided to visit the Singing Winemaker again, only to be distracted away by the grand opening of Ehrenberg Cellars in the Tesla Vintners parking lot. The grand opening was a lot of fun, and as a result, we did not make […]
Laura and Bill are godparents to our children, Brian and Delaynie, while Robby is watched over by the United Church of Christ congregation in Redfield, South Dakota. John’s Uncle Paul was pastor there for many, many years and baptized Robby in his arms at their fount. 24 years later Uncle Paul married Robby and Sarah […]
Saturday, June 28th, John and I headed over to Wente ‘s 130th Vintage Celebration. There have been many changes since we last visited Wente Family Estates on Tesla Road. A bocce ball court is ready for play and beyond is a lawn with adirondack chairs and picnic tables. It was delightful to see the older […]
A few Sundays ago, we had the pleasure of attending a “Taste of the Vines” wine club release party at Eagle Ridge. Owners Jim and Cheryl Perry consistently out-do themselves with these parties, so it is safe to say that expectations were high. And again, they exceeded their previous best. This party celebrated the release […]
The third Sunday of June is dedicated to celebrating Dads. Livermore Valley has an abundance of activities and gifts perfect to make any dad’s day a perfect day. So whether you want to treat your father to presents via UPS, a day full of your presence, or something in between, here are a few ideas. […]
One of the perks of joining a winery’s wine club is that you get to attend their wine release parties. Our strategy is to belong to enough wine clubs that we have a release party every few weeks. This week was particularly fun, because we had TWO release parties. Our first party was at Darcie […]
Sarah wanted to meet to talk about her coaching individuals through the 21-Day Fix (which she successfully followed to look drop-dead gorgeous for Delaynie’s 21st birthday celebration in Las Vegas). What better place to meet than Ruby Hill Winery‘s Gem Member Patio?! Needless to say, Sarah and I insisted on starting with Ruby Hill’s NV […]
Mothers’ Day is one of the few times that Mom gets to kick back and let other people take care of everyone. Every other day of the year has Mom making sure that everything is perfect: venue, food, beverages, even a purse full of creams, salves and pain relievers. That one precious day of the […]
What could be better on a warm summer afternoon than a picnic? How about a picnic next to a winery? In our experience, this is just about the best way to kick off a day of wine tasting in the whole world. As you might expect, we have some ideas to share on good places […]