Podcast Title: Wine Road – Episode 232 Hosts: Marcy Gordon & Beth Costa

This show is made possible by the generous financial support of River Road Family Vineyards & Winery, and Ron Rubin.

Overview: This episode is a mix of updates, wine adventures, and local highlights from Sonoma County. The hosts share personal experiences, wine insights, and community happenings, all while sipping on sparkling wine from West Wines.

Key Highlights:

1. Wine Writers Educational Tour:

   • Marcy recounts her experience on a deep-dive wine tour organized by Fred Swan.
   • The tour explored Sonoma County's wine regions, including visits to wineries like J. Vineyards, Gary Farrell, and Fort Ross Vineyard.
   • Marcy rediscovered her love for Sonoma County, appreciating its beauty, terroir, and community.
   • The tour included seminars, tastings, and interactions with winemakers, offering a detailed look at Sonoma's diverse AVAs.

2. Zinfandel Throwdown:

   • Beth shares her experience at Dry Creek Vineyard's annual Zinfandel Throwdown.
   • Winemakers from the region participated in a blind tasting to crown the best Zinfandel.
   • This year's winner was Baca Wines, with Dry Creek Vineyard and Mauritsen taking second and third place.

3. Local Gems:

   • Marcy highlights Gather, a new store in Sebastopol focused on home arts like canning, knitting, and preserving. She attended a lemon-preserving class and shared her creations.
   • Beth celebrates The Beat restaurant in Cloverdale, recently named one of Sonoma County's top 20 restaurants.

4. Book Recommendation:

   • Marcy recommends 1000 Vines: A New Way to Understand Wine by Pasqueline Le Pelletier, praising its holistic and literary approach to wine education.

5. Upcoming Event:

   • Tickets for The Wine and Food Affair (first weekend of November) will go on sale around August 30th.

Closing Notes: Beth encourages listeners to explore Marcy's blog (ComeForTheWine.com) for more wine stories and insights.

LINKS:

Dry Creek Vineyard

The Beet

Come for the Wine

Gather (in Sebastopol)

1000 Vines - A New Way to Understand Wine

Sponsor:

River Road Family Vineyards and Winery

Credits: The Wine Road podcast is mixed and mastered at Threshold Studios Sebastopol, CA. http://thresholdstudios.info/