I got back from a long weekend - exploring new wineries in Dry Creek Valley. I shot 4 rolls of film, took 70 digital photos, bought a case and a half of wine, and now I’m back in the office. It was interesting doing a news fast - I didn’t read a newspaper or hit a news web site for 4 days, and it was quite nice.

Napa Valley is getting way too crowded. Sonoma is starting to get there. Some of the wine regions off the beaten track are producing wonderfully distinctive wines, with a nice relaxed laid-back feel reminiscent of Napa about 10 years ago. Go to Napa, you pay elbow your way to the bar, pay $7.00 for a tasting, and taste a “cheap” chardonnay, a reserve chard, a merlot, an OK cabarnet, and an overpriced cab. Out in Anderson Valley and Dry Creek valley, we’ve found more old vine zinfandels, pinots noir, syrahs, carignanes, a great little wine called a cinsault, and other wines that the mainstream areas wouldn’t bother with. Who needs ‘em?