Author Archives: waywardwine

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About waywardwine

Follow Wayward Wine (WSET3) to tour the world's exciting vineyards, breweries, and distilleries, while discovering new drinks.

Raymond Vineyards and The CIA Greystone Conservatory Restaurant

Posted on March 8, 2016 by waywardwine

Unlike storied Freemark Abbey (read our visit: here), Raymond Vineyard opened with the Napa bandwagon of upstarts in 1970. Roy Raymond did begin by marrying into and working for Beringer in the 1930s. Since then, five generations of Raymonds had created elegant serious Cabernet, Chardonnay, and dessert wines. Continue reading →

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River Pointe Resort: Napa Valley

Posted on March 7, 2016 by waywardwine

After cutting through the deluge, we find our adorable, red, tiny mobile house, #59, happily alone at the end of the road’s bend. If we could see through the rain, Napa river would look lovely. But it is cozy and clean … Continue reading →

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Freemark Abbey Napa Valley

Posted on March 7, 2016 by waywardwine

In 1980, Ted Edwards took the helm as winemaker. Most fields suffer a musical chair game of aspirational people climbing ladders, hopping from jon to jon. Yet Ted has stayed at Freemark ever since.

When Jess Jackson bought Freemark in 2006, they wisely kept Ted in control. KJ also saw that Freemark needed restoration. The original 1890s Lombarda cellar looked in rough shape. The tasting room seemed dark and small. So, with 40 million dollars, work is underway to expand and overhaul the stone cellar into a premier tasting palace and restaurant with two Michelen starred Japanese cuisine winemakers. Continue reading →

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Napa Trip: Somewhat Soggy

Posted on March 5, 2016 by waywardwine

It’s our eighth wedding anniversary (my wife and I…the website is pushing 11)! Wayward Wine has left Oregon for a week tour of Napa Valley. Just Napa Valley. Everyone said, “oh! This and that Sonoma, it’s next door”. But we … Continue reading →

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Paso Robles 7: Lone Madrone

Posted on February 29, 2016 by waywardwine

Last Monday’s post visited Firestone Walker Brewery. Also found twenty years ago in 1996, our stop today is Lone Madrone Winery. The nineties clearly provided busy times for Paso.

Our pickup heads west from Paso Robles on Adelaida Road. The world turns a sandy sable and olive shrub. Hills mount each other, as we climb and wheel round them. Soon, orderly vines draped in mesh add militant structure to this wild place. Continue reading →

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