View along East Side Road, Healdsburg, CA.
East Side Road Barn
Category: Wine Country
Cycling Asti Road
One of the more popular outdoor activities here in the Northern California, besides the obvious wine tasting, is cycling on a warm summer day among the grape vines.
Jade Lake
Jade lake and the surrounding gardens at Chateau Montelena Winery, Napa. Watercolor in handmade sketchbook.Jade lake and the surrounding gardens at Chateau Montelena Winery, Napa. Watercolor in handmade sketchbook. From my book Impressions of Wine Country.
Cabernet Vineyard at Chateau Montelena
With the 40th anniversary of the Paris Tasting coming up next month I thought I’d post some of my sketches of Chateau Montelena. As the story goes, on May 24, 1976, a wine tasting took place in Paris that changed the world’s view of California wines forever. The 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V. and the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay from California won first place in a blind tasting. I sketched this under a shady oak at the far end of the property looking back towards the Chateau. This sketch is from my book Impressions of Wine Country available on Amazon.
Good Friends, Good Wine
For those of you who live in the Bay Area, specifically Sonoma County, get a copy of today’s paper (Sunday April 17, 2016) and you’ll see the first installment of an ongoing series of stories about wine and grape growing. The Press Democrat will be publishing excerpts from my new book, “Impressions of Wine Country” over the next year!
My book “Impressions of Wine Country” is, of course, available on Amazon.
Vince Tofanelli’s Vineyard
Sketch of Vince Tofanelli’s Vineyard located in Calistoga, CA. On this day, Vince taught me how to prune grape vines which is a fascinating process. From my book Impressions of Wine Country.
Wine tasting at Chateau Montelena
In honor of Alan Rickman, here’s a sketch from my new book “Impressions of Wine Country.” Aside from his role in the popular Harry Potter series, Rickman starred in countless other films. One of my favorites is his turn as British wine merchant Steven Spurrier in “Bottle Shock.” The film captures a pivotal moment in California wine’s history, as it transitioned from a serviceable bulk product to its current status as a serious contender in today’s world of wine. It was Spurrier (played in the film by Rickman), who organized the blind tasting of 1976 that has come to be known as the “Judgment of Paris.” Though the screenplay is not historically accurate, the story is fun, and of course, Alan Rickman’s performance makes it all worth while.I drew this sketch in the Sun Room at Chateau Montelena, while tasting their Chardonnay, Cabernets, and newly released Riesling. If you haven’t yet been to the winery, I highly recommend a visit, as its estate is as gorgeous as are its wines.
Tofanelli Vineyards, Napa
Sketch of Vince Tofanelli’s vineyard located in Calistoga (Napa County) just before harvest. Though Vince sells most of his grapes to wineries, he reserves a portion for his own label, Tofanelli Wines. They are some of the best I’ve tasted. Vince was nice enough to allow me access to his vineyards many times over the course of a year. I cover all the details in my book, “Impressions of Wine County.”