Two women with white wine in glasses toasting outside.
Wine Tasting Tips Free Wine Tasting Along the Wine Road

Free wine tasting. Yes, you read that right. No wine tasting fees. Complimentary wine tasting. No kidding. It’s happening now!   Free Tasting a.k.a. Sip Into The Weekend Around mid-summer, several wineries along the Wine Road in Northern Sonoma County started offering free wine tasting on Thursdays and Fridays through August 31st. You may have […]

Rebecca Germolus / Sep 15, 2025
Sunset over a vineyard with a large tree in the foreground
Wine Tasting Tips Happy Hour and More

Happy hour conjures up thoughts of relaxing with friends after work while sipping your favorite beverage. This time-honored tradition usually means gathering at a bar, restaurant lounge, or on a neighbor’s deck, but do you know you have other options along the Wine Road? Wine Road wineries have been hosting happy hour for a while […]

Rebecca Germolus / Aug 3, 2025
Group of people toasting
Wine Tasting Tips Wine Tasting with Groups

Wine tasting with a group of friends or family members is a wonderful way to enjoy each other’s company. You’re in beautiful surroundings with a relaxed friendly environment, sounds perfect. But, there’s one challenge. Most wineries require advanced reservations for groups of six or more. That can put a damper on your day of fun, […]

Rebecca Germolus / Jun 3, 2025
Wine Tasting Tips ’Tis the Season for Sparkling Wines

If you love the holiday season, you probably also toast a time or two with your favorite sparkling wines. Not that sparkling wine is just for the holiday season, quite the contrary. It is so easy to pair with foods, and is a great spirit lifter after a long and less than perfect day at […]

Rebecca Germolus / Dec 1, 2024
photo of Nebbiolo grapes just before harvest
Wine Tasting Tips Lesser-Known Varietals Revised

The joys of wine appreciation include checking out unusual or lesser-known varietals. This means varietals that aren’t the standard Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, etc. When wine tasting Along the Wine Road or elsewhere, I find most wineries have some of the standard classic varietals, but I’m seeing more lesser-known varietals […]

Rebecca Germolus / Feb 15, 2024
Vinotastr kits with the 1-2-3-4 strips shown plus the front of the instructions.
Wine Tasting Tips Vinotastr: Defining your Palate Preferences

A visit to a wine bar or wine shop can be daunting with what appear to be endless choices. You know you like red wine, but not all red wines. You’ve often wished there was a way to figure out what you like without randomly buying bottle after bottle until you find the wines you […]

Rebecca Germolus / Nov 16, 2023
Four people toasting with wine glasses on the patio of Robert Young Estate Winery.
Wine Tasting Tips Enjoy Wine Tasting Again

Ready to venture out and enjoy wine tasting again? Please keep reading. They’re Open By the end of May, a few wineries had reopened their doors for tasters. Others needed more time to retool their tasting venues to accommodate social distancing. During the month of June, winery after winery reopened their doors with renewed enthusiasm. […]

Rebecca Germolus / Jun 29, 2020
Winemaker removing wine from a barrel with a wine thief during Barrel Tasting.
Wine Tasting Tips Creating the Ultimate Barrel Tasting Experience

The annual Wine Road Barrel Tasting is just days away, and attendees always seek the ultimate Barrel Tasting experience. Here are some tips to help you create that ultimate Barrel Tasting experience. Let’s Start with Some Details The focus is to taste newbie wines directly from the barrel before they are bottled, meet the winemakers […]

Rebecca Germolus / Feb 5, 2020
Friends toasting with glassed filled with red wine
Wine Tasting Tips What Am I Tasting?

We love wine—how it tastes, how it smells, how it enhances a meal—yet we sometimes struggle with the question, What am I tasting? After a tasting weekend along the Wine Road, your work colleague asks you to describe your favorite wine. You know which wine was your favorite, but you can’t describe what you liked […]

Rebecca Germolus / Jul 30, 2019
Vineyard image with grapes just before harvest
Wine Tasting Tips Harvest Tasting Experiences & More

Wine Road harvest tasting experiences can include more than just sipping wine. With harvest upon us, wineries are offering an array of experiences. How about going behind the scenes on a cellar tour to see the action of harvest first hand, or conduct your very own wine blending trials. Take an in-depth vineyard and cellar […]

Rebecca Germolus / Sep 5, 2018