Santa Maria is the last of the Central Coast wine regions for us to explore and after spending a few days here, I'm ready to head back... and I want to bring some guys with me! Santa Maria is situated at the north west end of Santa Barbara County and roughly half way between Santa Ynez Valley and San Luis Obispo. On the surface, it lacks the glamour of Santa Barbara and the prestige of Paso Robles and that's why we'd passed over it so many times before, just simply driving past. However, this might just be one of the most exciting destinations when it comes to planning a guys weekend getaway anywhere on the Central Coast.

Chardonnay is one of the most popular wine varietals around the world and in the United States, Chardonnay generally is the most popular choice for non-sparkling white wine (Moscato is the clear fav for white overall). For me though, I've never been a fan since the dominant style seems to be the iconic "Kendal Jackson" style that some simply refer to now as "California Chardonnay". It is iconic for being both buttery and a bit oaky with a medium balanced body. For me though, that just means you are sacrificing easy drinking for being able to truly enjoy the grapes. Recently though we had a chance to work with Center of Effort winery in Edna Valley, California who opened my eyes as to the diversity that Chardonnay grapes could provide. 

Tucked away in the northwestern portion in the Commonwealth of Virginia is the Monticello AVA, or American Viticultural Area. This AVA is nestled southeast of Charlottesville, and northwest of the capital, Richmond. This particular AVA stands out among most others because of the history in the area along with the great wine. Any true American oenophile should have this region on their list of places they must visit.

Ventura California is one of those iconic Southern California "surf towns" that you probably have heard of from classic rock songs like, "Ventura Highway" or seen in countless TV shows and movies. It's essentially the bridge between the laid back country living embodied by Central Coast California and everything you think you know about Los Angeles. Personally, I've driven through here several times on my way to somewhere else but never stopped. Last week I broke that cycle and now I'm wondering why I didn't visit earlier.

While we are nearing the end of this phase of the pandemic, hospitality businesses, including the wine industry are still needing our help and support. We spoke with entrepreneur and financial services innovation, Matthew Goldman about the work he's doing leading the team at Grand Reserve Rewards. 

The wine industry can be full of paradoxes sometimes and one of the ones that I currently enjoying the exploration of is Napa wines. At one level, this is the pinnacle of technical excellence in terms of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The region has reached the point where for most Americans, Napa is California wine country. It has rightfully earned it's place as one of the world's best wine producing regions and that has led to high prices and attracted a lot of wine snobs. However, tucked beneath the surface are stories such as that of winemaker Joe Harden of Nickel & Nickel.

Sideways is one of the greatest Guys Weekend movies as far as I'm concerned. It's raw and fun - without being stupid and silly like tends to be the the case all too often. Most of all though, it highlighted one of the most fabulous parts of the country - the Santa Ynez Valley, including Santa Barbara and Solvang. This is an absolutely gorgeous part of California that is located just far enough away from Los Angeles to be a different world... but still close enough for a quick getaway. Let's take a look at how you can walk in the footsteps of Miles (Paul Giamonte) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church).

Almost every month a friend or associate talks about visiting, or wanting to visit "California Wine Country". Inevitably this is their way of saying they are coming out to see Napa but the reality is that California has 160,000 square miles of vineyards and more than 1,200 wineries. This "California Wine Country" stretches from the Mexican border in the south, to near the Oregon border in the north. While I'm in love with all of the areas that I've explored so far, Sonoma is possibly my favorite to visit and I can't wait to plan another visit there later this year. It offers a blend of some of the world's best winemaking and viticultural talent, phenomenal soil and environment for growing grapes, and yet it is able to maintain a casual and laid back atmosphere that is all about celebrating life.

You've probably had sparkling wine from California, prosecco from Italy, and maybe even authentic Champagne from France... but did you know some of the world's best sparkling wine comes from just across the channel in England? I didn't either till the folks at Nyetimber sent me a bottle to try recently. Not only was it absolutely phenomenal but I'm absolutely in love with the heritage and story since it is unlike anything I've encountered before.

Napa has a reputation for being snooty and unapproachable but there are some gems that manage to produce exceptional wines while maintaining that approachable atmosphere that makes winemaking special. Wine is a luxury good and to some, that means it has to be something only accessible to the "right people" with the "right pallets". What I enjoy about the folks at Kenefick Ranch is that they are different and that's why I was excited to try Chris's Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon and share the experience with you guys.

Merlot has gotten a bad name in recent years and much of that stems from the famous line in the movie, Sideways, "If anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving". Miles from the movie quite literally changed the popularity of this varietal of wine for millions of American wine drinkers - and indeed created a world-wide impact as well. Merlot isn't that bad but its reputation still suffers in the face of popular red wine alternatives including Cabernet Sauvignon and of course, Pinot Noir.  Let's take a deeper look at merlot and how you can better appreciate it once you get an opportunity to sample it at your favorite winery or wine bar.

Paso Robles is an interesting example of the secret side of California. To many folks who have never visited the state, they think only of LA and San Francisco as well as possibly places like Yosemite and Tahoe. When it comes to "wine country" Napa and Sonoma are the go-to places that everyone thinks about. California's Central Coast region however is a completely unique area with wines that are just as good - and depending on your preferred varietal - maybe even better than those areas. However, what makes it truly unique is the backdrop of ranches and a feeling that you are in a completely different world than the rest of the state. That translates into wine tasting for sure... but also other great guys weekend activities such as hiking, off-road driving, and hunting too.

Tolosa Winery, located in San Luis Obispo's Edna Valley is a manages to match beautiful landscapes and a gorgeous tasting garden with some of Central Coast California's best wines.

Red wine is notorious for causing stains in clothing and fabric but the other day while sitting in a vineyard drinking a grenache of rose I began to wonder... will rose cause a wine stain too?  Sadly, the answer is yes but it will be less noticeable than with a deep heavy red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or a Malbec. 

One of the most important social things that a man can do is to make a great toast and so that's what we're going to be talking about today. From capturing your audience's attention with the right sentiment to ensuring you have the right champagne for the moment, there are a lot of elements that go into making that moment special.

We visited Dry Creek Vineyard during our tour of Sonoma wineries in 2019 and fell in love with not only their amazingly beautiful grounds but also the fact that they are dedicated to continual innovation and challenging what it means to be sustainable and transparent. Not only are they innovators among California wineries dedicated to being as sustainable as possible, but their wines are among some of the best that I've tasted and they have an excellent portfolio at different price points as well. Now, with the release of their 2019 Fumé Blanc, they are focused on improving transparency about the grape origins, winemaking techniques, and the family winery's viticultural philosophy.

Chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, cabernet, port… The wine connoisseur you’re trying to buy for probably has a favorite bottle. And, because he loves wine, he probably has a varied collection ranging in years and varieties. Let’s go beyond finding a bottle of wine to gift him and look at some practical, unique, and fun gift ideas for your wine lover.

California wine is respected around the world and has been leading the way in proving to the rest of the winemaking world that California has earned its spot next to the other leading wine regions. To some, this is a race to "We're Number One!" or "Napa is better than..." but the reality is that "California Wine" can be found throughout virtually every part of the state and has evolved from chasing popular vintages to innovating and creating a new generation of wine lovers that are willing to explore and try new things. I'm part of that group and as you can tell, I'm intensely passionate about wine even though I started out rejecting the coventional notion of what "wine" represented when I was younger. I know many of you share this view, so let's take a look at what makes California wine great and how individual parts of the state help make that happen.

With the Passover starting on April 19th, many of you may be getting ready for the holidays and others, like myself simply enjoy exploring other cultures and traditions. So I thought this was a great opportunity to take a look at what Kosher Wine is and why it is an important part of Jewish holiday traditions.

Members of the Millennial Generation tend to be more likely to get into craft beer than into great wines, which is a shame because many of them do not know what they are missing out on. Besides producing great beer, focused marketing is something that American craft breweries are really good at, and it is a business aspect that the wine industry should improve upon in order to invite younger aficionados.