Somerston wines

Touring & Tasting is in Napa Valley--staying at the deluxe and eco-friendly Bardessono and dining and sipping ourselves silly. After 9+ courses at French Laundry, we thought we'd could never eat again, but amazingly found ourselves hungry the next day and enjoying a lovely meal at Redd. We stopped into the beautiful Somerston Winery tasting room to try their Santa Lucia Highlands High Flyer Pinot Noir, crisp and minerally Grenache Blanc, deep and provocative High Flyer Centerline Napa Valley Red blend, and the highly-rated Priest Ranch Cab. There's a massive photo print of their ranch above the tasting room bar of their 1,628 acre spread above the Chiles Valley east of Napa--next time we will have to take one of their tours of the ranch. Bought a bottle of Grenache Blanc to take home and enjoy with a nice cassoulet or fish stew!

Taco Throwdown and Sparkling Wine

Some of our staff had a Taco Throwdown last week with a few of the wines featured in our new issue. I loved the Rack & Riddle Brut. It was crisp and lively, but with a round mouth-feel. I wouldn't have thought to pair a champagne-style wine with tacos, but it was the perfect pairing with fish tacos. Cool label, too.

Have you tried the Rack & Riddle Sparkling Rosé? It is a creamy sparkler with the taste of strawberries and a bit of spice. This would lovely with strawberry shortcake!

Happy Winter Wine-derland

2011 was an incredible year. Yet, we only look forward to all the new joys that 2012 has to bring. We hope this finds you and yours enjoying a beautiful glass of your favorite wine and reflecting on all you have to be grateful for. 

 Happy Holidays from everyone here at Touring & Tasting!

24 Hour Holiday Sale

SPECIAL 24-HOUR CHRISTMAS CLOSE-OUT SALE

We have a limited quantity of fine wine we'd like to clear out of our warehouse before new shipments arrive with the New Year. We're letting these wine go at tremendous savings to you!

TWELVE luscious wines--just $129 - you save $137!!

A French Bordeaux, two lovely Mendocino sparklers, luscious Chardonnays, late harvest Zinfandel, crisp Pinot Grigio, an aromatic Viognier/Sauvignon Blanc blend, rich reds from California and Washington, and a wonderful Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir Rosé...they make tasteful gifts and enhance your dining experience. SAVE over 50%--order now, quantity limited! Please call in your order at 800-850-4370 ext. 100. Sale for 24 hours only! 

Offer ends Thursday at 2 pm PST. You must pick up your wine by noon on Friday from our warehouse. Shipping available for an additional $30. 

3 bottle wine gift basket normally $159--now just $99!

2 bottle wine gift basket normally $99--now just $69!

1 bottle wine gift basket normally $49--now just $39!      

Due to extremely limited supply, please call in your order to 800-850-4370 ext. 100 for one of our wine gift baskets--on sale for 24 hours only!

Offer ends Thursday at 2 pm PST. You must pick up your wine gift basket by noon on Friday from our warehouse. Shipping available--call for details.

Wine Quiz

Hi Tourers and Tasters! Happy Monday! In the holiday spirit, we thought it would be fun to ring in this mid-December week with a wine quiz! How much do you know about wine?

A. How many gallons of wine are produced from one acre of grapevines? 

B. How many calories are in a four ounce glass of red wine?

C. How many grapevines generally make up an acre?  

Post your answers to one or more of the questions in the comment section below!

Touring & Tasting Wine Club Wines

Two very different wines were on our table last night--the first is going to be in one of our wine clubs: the Pessagno Lucia Highlands Vineyard Pinot Noir, and the second was in one of our wine clubs: the Hannah Nicole "Le Melange Blanc". The Pinot won 92 points from Wine Enthusiast, which said "This sturdy, full-bodied Pinot could almost be a Grenache, it's so big and strong. Yet, strangely, there's a silky elegance that tells you it's Santa Lucia-style Pinot. Offers waves of raspberries and cherries and oranges, brightened with zesty acidity." It bolsters our view that wonderful wines are coming out of the Monterey County--nuanced with flavor. I tasted a bit of strawberry in the mix of rich fruit--did you taste this wine as part of your wine club? We'd love to hear about your tasting notes!
The "Le Melange Blanc" is from Contra Costa county--east of San Francisco bay and is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. I loved the aromatics from the Viognier and the light, unoaked flavors of the Sauv Blanc fermented in stainless steel. Both wines went well with asian-style fish, seared and served with wasabi slaw, jasmine rice and Chinese pea pod salad with miso dressing and sesame seeds.

The BRAND NEW Spring 2012 Edition of Touring & Tasting!

Touring & Tasting -- The Premier Guide to Wine Country -- is happy to announce that our brand new Spring 2012 Edition will be on newsstands next Tuesday, December 20, 2011!

We wanted to give you, our loyal blog and social media followers, a sneak peak at the beautiful cover that will grace newsstands through May of next year. 

In this edition we introduce new sections, including a feature on the famous Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. And we've discovered a fantastic way to tour and taste there--on a self driven, luxury cruise boat!

Editor in Cheif, Wendy van Diver, also explores in depth, the Willamette Valley wine region of Oregon, in her Editor's Tour and has many recommendations for places to visit there! In fact, CLICK HERE to enter our "Spring 2012 Editor's Tour Sweepstakes" for a chance to win a fantastic two-night stay at The Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg, with a Tasting Passport for free tastings at all the Willamette Valley, Oregon wineries featured in this new issue! You are the very first to hear about the new sweepstakes, so ENTER TODAY!

We hope you enjoyed the preview of the new issue, but we couldn't give it all away :) Check your local newsstands on December 20, 2012 for the Spring 2012 Edition of Touring & Tasting! The digital version will be available shortly after that -- don't worry, you'll be the first to know :)

WINE SONG WEDNESDAY - Strawberry Wine

Strawberry Wine

Deana Carter

He was working through college on my Grandpa's farm

I was thirsting for knowledge and he had a car

Yeah, I was caught somewhere between a woman and a child

One restless summer, we found love, growing wild

On the banks of the river, on a well beaten path

It's funny how those memories they last

Like strawberry wine and seventeen

The hot July moon saw everything

My first taste of love, oh, bittersweet

The green on the vine like strawberry wine

I still remember when thirty was old

My biggest fear was September, when he had to go

A few cards and letters and one long distance call

We drifted away like the leaves in the fall

But year after year, I come back to this place

Just to remember the taste

Of strawberry wine and seventeen

The hot July moon saw everything

My first taste of love, oh, bittersweet

The green on the vine like strawberry wine

The fields have grown over now

Years since they've seen a plow

There's nothing time hasn't touched

Is it really him or the loss of my innocence

I've been missing so much? Yeah

Strawberry wine and seventeen

The hot July moon saw everything

My first taste of love, oh, bittersweet

And green on the vine

Like strawberry wine and seventeen

The hot July moon saw everything

My first taste of love, oh, bittersweet

The green on the vine like strawberry wine

Strawberry wine

Strawberry wine

Two Bottles Of Sparkling Wine

Send your review by December 15th!

Have you enjoyed a wine from any of our recent wine club shipments or from our wine store recently? Send us a glowing review of one or more of them and you will be entered to win two bottles of sparkling wine--just in time to celebrate the holidays!

The winner will be drawn and the shipment mailed on December 15th--so email us today with your review (photos appreciated also).

thanks! katie@touringandtasting.com

Elves At Work

Our Touring & Tasting elves are working hard to get the wine gift baskets sent by Christmas! We have new gift baskets this season, stuffed with yummy wines like the 92 Point 2007 Calcareous "Twisted Sister" Syrah, freshly baked wine biscuits from Los Olivos, organic roasted pistachios from Santa Barbara Pistachio Company and other gourmet treats! Order by December 15th for Christmas delivery and free shipping!


Learn More!