The best time of the year to visit California’s wine country

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The wine country located in Northern California enjoys mild Mediterranean weather as well as breathtaking hilly landscapes. Situated two hours from San Francisco, it’s highly accessible and is also home to a host of outdoor activities. The question is, what’s the best time of the year to visit this wonder?


In the winter, it’s rainy season in wine country, and the air tends to be very humid in areas near the shore. In the spring, tourist season starts as the crowds at wineries begin to thicken. The vines and vineyards spot the first signs of growth with green that intensifies as the year proceeds. In the summer, tourists can be seen flocking the wine country, and winery tours are in full swing. Crowds appear for summer events, from Fourth of July festivities to local heritage festivals.


Now, fall is harvest season: tourists witness the process of pressing and bottling the wines, while temperatures slightly cool off and crowds tend to be quite large. But the vines and trees begin to show off fall colors, a delightful time for photographers and those who want some lovely fall colors in their view. Thanksgiving weekend is rather busy.

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November proves to be an ideal time of the year to visit, as it’s undoubtedly the most beautiful time of the year in wine country. During this season, various grape varieties change color at various times, producing awesome patchwork quilt views.


The best time, however, largely depends on what you’re after. Spring offers a good mix of weather and outdoor thrills, and summer provides the same pretty landscapes but with larger crowds. Fall is for falling in love with viticulture, while winter is for simply sampling the wines and enjoying the local life without the crowds.


Doug Grady has been a realtor in Austin, Texas, for over a decade now. He is fond of cooking, wine collecting, and sports as hobbies. For similar reads, visit this page.

Top easy to make cheese-based dishes and tips on how to prepare them

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Who doesn’t love cheese-based dishes? They’re hearty, tasty, and easy to prepare. Here are some of our favorite ones beyond the usual mac and cheese.


Mozzarella gratin

Mozzarella gratin is more of a dip than a dish in itself. However, this briny and sweet combination of buffalo cheese, capers, and honey makes for an amazing appetizer. Put in some bread crumb toppings for an extra crisp. These are good with cocktails.


Eggplant Parmigiana

This exquisite dish is well worth the time and effort it takes to cook it. You’ll need eggplants, tomato sauce, and cheese. There are a number of recipes all over the internet. Choose the one that best suits you with the time you have to cook. An important thing to remember is to add a pinch of salt to the eggplant to reduce the bitterness and moisture.

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Grilled Cheese Sandwich

You’ve only probably sampled your garden variety grilled cheese sandwich. Don’t let your contentment get the better of you. There are many other ways to prepare it. Our favorite is to add caramelized onions with cheddar cheese.


What are you favorite cheese-based dishes? Do you have any tips on how to prepare them? Let us know in the comments section below.


Hey, there. The name’s Doug Grady and I’m a realtor based in Austin, Texas. I obtained my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Texas A&M University. I love to cook. More on my work and interests here.

Who doesn’t love shepherd’s pie?

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Okay, let me ask that again – who doesn’t love shepherd’s pie? Yes. It’s one of those home-made dishes that you never forget. The common myth about it though is that it takes a lot of effort to prepare it. While that isn’t true, it’s only a testament to just how good a well-prepped pie can be.


Before we go any further, here are a few ingredients you need.

- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 to 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 500g pack lamb mince
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- Worcestershire sauce
- 900g potato, cut into chunks
- 500ml beef stock
- 3 tbsp milk
- 85g butter

First, heat the oil in a saucepan and add in the chopped onions and carrots, until they become soft. Increase the heat before adding the lamb. Remove the extra fat.


Pour in the puree and Worcestershire sauce before frying. After a few minutes, you can pour in the stock and stir a bit until it reaches a gentle simmer. Cover the saucepan to allow it to cook. After 20 minutes, remove the cover and leave it again in the heat for another 20 minutes.

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Preheat the oven to 180 C.

Boil potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes, or until they become tender. Take out the water and mash the potatoes with butter and milk.

Put the lamb mince on a plate and lather the mashed potato on top of it. Bake it for 20 minutes, or until you see the top coloring or the mince bubbling.

Wait five minutes for the pie to cool before serving.

Hi, I’m Doug Grady. I love cooking as much as I love sports. Visit this blog for more on the stuff I love.

Can Duke get back to the Final Four in next year’s March Madness?

Sure, we’re downplaying it: after all, most NCAA experts and fans are already predicting Duke to dominate this coming season. Let’s keep our expectations a bit lower and just aim for a spot in the Final Four come March. Still, is the hype real?

For one, Duke will banner a great bunch of highly touted recruits, including the projected top two rookies in RJ Barrett and Cam Raddish. Many see the loss of the core of the Blue Devils’ starters as a blessing in disguise, as this has allowed the school to lure in some of the best new prospects in the country.

Alongside Kentucky and Kansas, Duke is a 5-4 odds favorite to make it to the top four. Some experts will argue that both the Wildcats and Jayhawks are on equal footing when it comes to winning it all, but no one can deny that the talent boost Duke has had this offseason makes them the top choice. Nonetheless, all three schools have a 5-1 probability of taking the title in 2019.

Again, in keeping with a more manageable and realistic expectation, coach K and the rest of the players in the new system must find ways to quickly gel and find that almost-cliché chemistry. The Blue Devils have great depth, but knowing which combination truly wo
rks is key. All in all, they must discover the so-called method in the madness (pun intended) sooner than later.

Hi, I’m Doug Grady. For more than 10 years, I’ve been working as a realtor in Austin, Texas. I’m a huge fan of college basketball and I stay up-to-date on the stats of the teams I follow, namely the Texas M&A Aggies and the Duke Blue Devils. Visit this site for more college basketball musings and insights.

A Few Misconceptions About Wine And The Truths Behind Them

People love wine. What’s not to love, really? However, some experienced drinkers lament at all the myths and misconceptions that the masses have on wine, not because the false information destroys its image (nothing can ever do that), but rather because a lot of these myths and misconceptions keep new enthusiasts from fully enjoying the experience.

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Let’s look at some of the misconceptions about wine and the truths behind them.

Age

The truth is the age of the wine has very little to do with its quality. This is only true in so few cases (pun unintended). What wind drinkers should know is that most wines are best in their first two years from being released. Rare wines that get finer with age are few and are too difficult to maintain.

Legs and tears

Legs and tears refer to the streaks of wine in a glass. They refer to the wine’s viscosity and alcohol content, and nothing more. A general rule of thumb is that fatter streaks mean the wine is more alcoholic.

Caviar

Some people disturbingly think that caviar is best consumed with champagne and vice versa. Nope. Champagne is an acidic wine and needs a partner that’s fried, like chips.

Image source: vinepair.com

Dessert

Much like the errant champagne-caviar connection, dessert wines do not exist the way people think they do. If you’re eating dessert, which is already sweet, it will usually eliminate the flavor of the wine. Moscato is probably best for dessert.

Hi there! I’m Doug Grady, an Austin, Texas-based realtor. When I’m not busy with work, I make it a point to have a laidback weekend and enjoy the finest bottle of wine. More on my work and interests here.

The Difference Between Warm-Climate And Cool-Climate Wines

The taste and flavor of the type of wine we love depends on whether the variety or blend is grown in cool- or warm-climate regions. Let’s look at some places (and grape types produced) which lead to those distinct wine characteristics.

Warm-climate areas will have generally more consistent temperatures throughout the year, giving grapes more time to fully ripen. The warm climate allows more varieties of fruit flavors to come out. However, because of the steady climate, some of the natural acidity in the grapes is lost (which other wine experts prefer). Regions with warm climates include Australia, Argentina, Southern France, Southern Italy, and California.

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On the other hand, cool-climate vineyards have temperatures that quickly drop off nearing harvest time, allowing for a distinct taste in the grapes. It’s harder to get the grapes to ripen, but the preserved acidity allows for the emergence of more tart fruit flavors. Cool weather is likewise ideal in the production of year-specific vintage wines. This is because certain seasons will be much warmer, thus producing riper grapes and better wine.

Cool-climate regions for growing grapes include Chile, South Africa, Austria, Northern Greece, Northern France, and several places in the United States (New York, Oregon, and Washington State).

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The name’s Doug Grady, a realtor based in Austin, Texas. I obtained my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Texas A&M University. During my free days, I love sampling various types of wine. For more about me, do check out this webpage.