2007-04-18T23:10:08Z WineCountry.com urn:uuid:aa80d777-7b56-383b-bea3-c0113a94d65e 2007-04-18T23:10:08Z 2007-04-18T23:10:08Z urn:uuid:b9247db3-2abe-16ab-dabe-f63ee684f7a3

Though I know it places me among a small minority for thinking this way, I consider it ironic that the popularity of the film, Sideways, based on the Alexander Payne book, was used so heavily to leverage the popularity of Santa Barbara. I think it's ironic because, while the movies beautifully shows off the landscape and is chock full of cameo appearances by great vineyards and restaurants — giving locals a thrill, no doubt — the movie tells the story of the private downward spirals of two longtime friends whose only real solace is found in the copious (and ostentatious) consumption of fine wines.

<![CDATA[&copy; WineCountry.com]]> Robert Farmer 2007-04-18T23:09:04Z 2007-04-18T23:09:04Z urn:uuid:904ef24c-6e92-4ac7-058c-6f08b4810b8c

This month is one of my favorites. Not because it's my birthday (my 40th this year&mdash;all well wishes are welcome!) or because of Easter brunch and Passover parties (although I love those), and certainly not because of the dreaded taxman. April is a most welcome month because the dogwood and wisteria are in bloom, the bulbs planted last winter have pushed up from the earth, and the wine valleys are visual riots of colorful flora.

<![CDATA[&copy; WineCountry.com]]> Erika Lenkert 2007-04-04T22:28:14Z 2007-04-04T22:28:14Z urn:uuid:907edfd1-935e-7b83-7325-8b5b0695e592

<h1 class="headerContentName"><strong>The Monterey Way</strong> </h1> <p class="altHeaderCatName"> Great Grapes, hold the Wrath</p> <p class="headerContentName"> </p> <div class="authorName">by <a class="authorName" href="http://staging.www.winecountry.com/writers/w003/robert_bio.html">Robert P. Farmer </a></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>John Steinbeck wrote his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath, in 1939 and in so doing solidified the Monterey region&rsquo;s place in the canon of American literature. But in spite of the gloomy outlook of the novel&rsquo;s protagonists and the commentary on the changes in the agricultural landscape and those who work in it, the novel at least hinted at a part of the prosperity on the horizon. </p>

<![CDATA[&copy; WineCountry.com]]> Robert P. Farmer 2007-04-04T22:25:23Z 2007-04-04T22:25:23Z urn:uuid:e59d99d3-58c9-0649-c0c5-b32679735b93

<h1 class="headerContentName"> <strong>Los Olivos </strong> </h1> <p class="betaNavLinks">Small in Size, Big on Charm</p> <div class="authorName">by <a class="authorName" href="http://staging.www.winecountry.com/writers/w001/courtney_bio.html">Courtney Cochran</a></div> <p>More good news for Southlanders! Your own backyard contains yet another hidden gem for wine country travel &ndash; the tiny town of Los Olivos. </p> <p>Part country western throw-back, part progressive rural hamlet, Los Olivos is the picture of wine country cute and makes the perfect spot to unwind from tasting at the many Santa Barbara-area wineries nearby. And with a population of just 1,000 inhabitants, the small town nestled in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley delivers big on charm for its size. </p>

<![CDATA[&copy; WineCountry.com]]> Courtney Cochran 2007-03-28T21:54:55Z 2007-03-28T21:54:55Z urn:uuid:4d8a9ef1-3330-6726-938b-201175d369ff

<h1 class="headerContentName"> <strong>Where The Chefs Eat in Napa Valley</strong> </h1> <div class="authorName">by <a class="authorName" href="http://www.winecountry.com/writers/w002/erika_bio.html">Erika Lenkert</a> </div> <br /> When I first moved to Napa Valley I wanted to know one thing: Where do the locals eat? But I wasn't talking about the group of longtimers in my Napa neighborhood that regularly headed to the nearby classic chain restaurants for the early-bird specials. I meant the top toques. They were the serious foodies who on their nights off would travel half way across the valley for the best sashimi or a perfect batch of French fries. I knew if I followed them to the nooks and crannies between the destination restaurants I'd find the best everyday eats with prices to match.

<![CDATA[&copy; WineCountry.com]]> Erika Lenkert 2007-03-28T21:53:34Z 2007-03-28T21:53:34Z urn:uuid:a72b4824-b514-b787-41df-79ca28fec952

<h1 class="headerContentName"> <strong>Going Both Ways</strong> </h1> <p class="altHeaderCatName"><em>How to Hit Up Napa &amp; Sonoma in a Single Trip</em></p> <div class="authorName">by <a class="authorName" href="http://winecountry.com/writers/w001/courtney_bio.html">Courtney Cochran</a></div> <p>Rather like the sexes, Napa and Sonoma sometimes seem worlds apart.&nbsp; Farmers are from Sonoma, people often say, while the technology barons and other members of the monied set call neighboring Napa home instead.&nbsp; </p> <p>In some ways these stereotypes ring true: I&rsquo;m yet to spot a Ferrari in Sonoma but am rarely in Napa for more than 15 minutes before one or even two of the slick machines whiz by me en route to brunch at Bouchon or gallery hopping in St. Helena.&nbsp; </p>

<![CDATA[&copy; WineCountry.com]]> Courtney Cochran 2007-03-20T23:41:56Z 2007-03-20T23:41:56Z urn:uuid:770c1ba0-8d96-8bf8-847f-db06b0a81d82

<h1 class="headerContentName"><strong>Yes, Virginia, There is a Wine Country</strong> </h1> <p class="headerContentName"> </p> <div class="authorName">by <a class="authorName" href="file:///writers/w003/robert_bio.html">Robert P. Farmer </a></div> <p>It&rsquo;s not uncommon anymore to travel the world and find &ldquo;wine country&rdquo; wherever you go. As wine and its appreciation has grown in prominence and popularity, so too has the industry designed to serve it. These days, grapes are planted with breakneck frequency and wine producers are taking root in regions previously better known for corn and wheat. </p> <p>For good or ill, there are wines coming from all parts of the globe. But not all wine regions are created equally. While some are well known, others have reputations still sung by only a few lucky erudite. And some of the lesser-known regions are deserving of mention alongside the names of the great wine-producing regions of the United States.<br /> Few such regions are as noteworthy or ambitious as Virginia. </p>

<![CDATA[&copy; WineCountry.com]]> Robert Farmer 2007-03-20T23:38:54Z 2007-03-20T23:38:54Z urn:uuid:4002b7b2-dde6-e8d5-9512-c51e0e58b72e

<h1 class="headerContentName"> <strong>Temecula to the Stars </strong> </h1> <p class="altHeaderCatName style1 style1"> Celeb opens B&amp;B in trendy Temecula</p> <div class="authorName">by <a class="authorName" href="file:///writers/w001/courtney_bio.html">Courtney Cochran</a><br /> </div> <p>Guilty pleasures &ndash; we all have them. </p> <p>For some, they involve junk food and bad reality TV like Fox&rsquo;s salacious Temptation Island. Others indulge in expensive spa treatments or buy things they don&rsquo;t need (like the fifteenth BBQ accessory you recently picked up). For me, the ultimate guilty pleasure is the hour or two I spend every week soaking in celebrity gossip in the deliciously shameless celebrity rag Us Weekly. </p> <p>Only this week, my guilty pleasure took a decidedly un-guilty turn.</p> <p>While flipping through the mag&rsquo;s splashy pages filled with paparazzi pics, the week&rsquo;s latest inter-star indiscretions and other worldly news, I discovered that ex-&ldquo;Beverly Hills 90210&rdquo; star Tori Spelling has just opened a Bed and Breakfast in Southern California&rsquo;s trendy Temecula wine region. </p>

<![CDATA[&copy; WineCountry.com]]> Courtney Cochran 2007-03-14T23:12:14Z 2007-03-14T23:12:14Z urn:uuid:5c105906-a9c7-ab85-1489-4897d853a9a5

<h1 class="headerContentName"><strong>Say Hello to Healdsburg</strong> </h1> <p class="headerContentName"> </p> <div class="authorName">by <a class="authorName" href="http://winecountry.com/writers/w003/robert_bio.html">Robert P. Farmer </a></div> <p>In a galaxy where the stars of Napa and Sonoma shine like supernovas, there are a few glimmers in the sky that also command the attention of wine country stargazers. Take for instance the town of Healdsburg, for years content to exist in the outer reaches of what most people thought of as Wine Country. But these days, the gravitational pull is proving too great to resist.</p>

<![CDATA[&copy; WineCountry.com]]> Robert Farmer 2007-03-14T23:11:18Z 2007-03-14T23:11:18Z urn:uuid:b6ab8b3e-2288-d638-3fa8-7dc0d8770d53

<h1 class="headerContentName"> The New Magic of Meadowood </h1> <div class="authorName">by <a class="authorName" href="http://www.winecountry.com/writers/w002/erika_bio.html">Erika Lenkert</a> </div> <p><br /> Meadowood may be the hot spot for most of the wine-loving world during the extremely high-profile annual Napa Valley Wine Auction, which is held there each June. But around my household the luxurious hillside resort is the place to go whenever R&amp;R is an order and the credit card can afford it&mdash;especially given its recent improvements. </p>

<![CDATA[&copy; WineCountry.com]]> Erika Lenkert 2007-03-14T23:06:03Z 2007-03-14T23:06:03Z urn:uuid:42c56682-dd31-3d89-504d-a470f24209f0

<h1 class="headerContentName"> <strong>Spring Forward to Wine Country</strong> </h1> <p class="altHeaderCatName style1 style1"> <em>Get the Jump on Wine Country This Season</em> </p>

<![CDATA[&copy; WineCountry.com]]> Courtney Cochran