It's Time for a Trip Up to the Foothill Wine Country

With all the fires in Northern California the air quality is from unhealthy to hazardous. Outdoor events are being canceled in the Sacramento and San Francisco Bay Area, schools are closed and people are being urged to stay indoors.

Just a short drive from Sacramento in the foothills to the east is the beautiful foothill wine country. Whether it is up 80 to the Placer County wineries or up 50 and 49 to the Eldorado and Amador County Wineries you will be above the smoke with good air quality and bright clear skies.

Some wineries have events going on at this time so if you are looking for a place to get out of the smoke and bad air take the short drive up the hill. Don't forget to pack a lunch and have a picnic. The area is beautiful.

Note: If wine is not your thing there is also Apple Hill, arts and crafts, historic towns and this weekend is the Mountain Mandarin Orange Festival in Placer County.

More on California Wine Country

To add onto yesterdays post, in the Fall the wineries have special events celebrating the harvest. You will find BBQs, grape stomping contests, arts and crafts, etc. You won't get this at other times of the year. Check online at the county website or at specific wineries for more information.

California Wine Country

Now that I am back from Italy I need to say something about our California wine country.

October and early November are the best times to visit California as the temperatures are moderate, the rain usually hasn't started and it is less crowded. Some people make the mistake of coming during the summer. California can get very hot in the summer but one thing people don't realize is that in Northern California the heat pulls in the marine layer from off shore and can make San Francisco feel like winter in other parts of the US. Mark Twain was right when he said "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco".

I came back from Italy to temperatures in the mid 70's to low 80's with no rain in sight. Children are back in school so it is less crowded during the week.

My cousin David came to visit from Denmark so we took  him and his family to Sonoma to taste some Pinot Noir on a Thursday. It was a perfect day of temps in the high 70's. The wineries were empty and the harvest was finishing up. We had a relaxing day of sitting outside tasting wine and at one of the wineries we had a cheese platter.

My advice is that if you are in the area visit any one of the wine regions in California. From Sacramento you have the foothills, Napa, Sonoma and Lodi. If you can, go mid-week. You won't be disappointed.