COVID Safe Tasting Room Visits Archives

Rolling Hills and Spanish Varieties at Bokisch Winery in Lodi

Bokisch was the second winery we visited during our tour of the Lodi Wine region, and we were pleasantly surprised at its location on the crest of a small hill overlooking a vast vineyard. While the majority of Lodi vineyards are planted on the flat sandy soil of the Delta, Bokisch is located in the Clement Hills AVA. Here the elevation can range from 100 to 450 feet above sea level, and provides beautiful views of undulating hills covered with vineyards and wildflowers. Bokisch Winery in Lodi, California Liz Bokisch welcomed us, and we followed her to a beautiful outdoor [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-03-22T18:08:24-07:00March 21, 2021|

A Gourmet Wine Picnic Lunch at Swanson Vineyards on a Toasty Day

We scheduled our COVID safe visit to Swanson Vineyards in Napa Valley on a clear sunny day with temperatures hovering around the 100 degree mark. When we booked the Gourmet Picnic wine-tasting experience online, we didn’t know the heat would be so intense, but with the beautiful shade trees casting dappled patterns over the French style garden, complete with pea gravel and padded chairs, it turned out to be a lovely meal. Whimsical French Garden at Swanson Vineyards in Napa Valley Friends Rave About Swanson Vineyards For years I’ve had different sets of friends tell me how wonderful a visit [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-22T21:48:59-08:00August 22, 2020|

Two New Napa Wineries Created by Same Family – Accendo Cellars and Trois Noix

The name “Araujo” is quite famous in Napa Valley, as Bart and Daphne Araujo ran their namesake winery for 24 years, crafting a string of some of the most highly rated Napa Cabs from the legendary Eisele Vineyard. But with an offer “that came out of the blue” from the Artemis Group to purchase Araujo Estate in 2013, they decided the timing was right to move onto another “project.” Fast forward to 2020 with a brand new winery at Wheeler Farms, a private custom-crush facility located in St. Helena, where the Araujo’s, along with daughter Jaime, have created two new [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-06T21:06:20-08:00August 16, 2020|