If you’re new to Jeff’s Wining Again, you’ve come to the right place.  From here you can get a synopsis of all the columns and jump right to the ones that are likely to interest you.

The articles fall generally into two categories: learning about wine and travel.  So, are you here for education or adventure?  To get right to the heart of winemaking, immerse yourself in The Crush, where we learn about harvesting and fermentation in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where great Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet are made.  You can’t enjoy that wine without the proper Tools of the Trade, including glasses, cork screws and stoppers.  And what is up with all those numbered clones?  Read all about it in Send in the Clones.

As your love of wine grows, you’re likely to spot fine wine in many settings and be intrigued by curious connections like Wine and the Movies.  What should one expect if offered to do a little Barrel Tasting?  Maybe you’ve wondering what it would be like to work in a tasting room, Behind the Bar.

Some of the most popular columns have been dedicated to travel adventure stories.  Fess Up, you’ve always wanted to read about a Sideways tour of Central California wine country.  On your way there, be sure to stop at Pismo Beach or Paso Robles.

Or maybe you want to get back to your Napa Roots where you had that first taste a fabulous Cabernet Sauvignon.  For the best of Napa, of course, you’ll want to venture out the Stags Leap District.  Perhaps you’d prefer the more accessible and laid back Sonoma Valley for your next excursion.  It would be hard to find a better home base than Healdsburg.

Since my home base is the Monterey Bay, I’m often found at some of the local family owned and operated favorites.  The Brothers Bargetto and their assistant Olivia Tuetschel do great work at Soquel Vineyards.  Richard and Mary Kay Alfaro sold their famous bakery, bought 70 acres in Corallitos and now grow and produce about 10,000 cases a year at Alfaro Family Vineyards.  For great wine and hospitality, be sure to stop by their tasting room on Hames Road.  You can find world class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in nearby Monterey County in the Santa Lucia Highlands.

For anyone looking to explore beyond California, you could go north and follow The Oregon Trail to the famous Willamette Valley.  Or do the opposite and go South of the Border to Mexico’s Calafia Valley.

Jeff’s Wining Again is published six times per year, so be sure to stop back soon for more adventures.