As this week approaches its climax, I face a very memorable and paroxysm-inducing experience for my liver at the 2nd Annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference at the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa, California. And yet before I show up Friday morning, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to those who have made it possible for me to attend.

For I was not going to attend this year.

I simply could not afford to go. The cost of attendance for business-related blog writers had doubled this year over last, and yet the real reason I had decided to decline was that I’ve been out of work for quite a long time: July 31st makes one full year of being unemployed at my profession as a technical writer. It’s the longest period in my adult life in which I’ve been without a paycheck. Not for any lack of trying to improve my situation, mind you – I simply could not justify the cost. And therefore I was truly going to miss hobnobbing with my family of wine-loving scribes and scalawags, makers and mentors, brothers and sisters.

It’s not news that the California economy has been poor. Relative to other U.S. locales, the technology sector as exemplified by my local Silicon Valley economy has been even worse. And to top that off, my tour business has dried up.

It’s not to say that my website isn’t getting visitors. In fact, quite the opposite: my hit rate has sprung dramatically upward since early Spring. Even Alexa.com now ranks californiawinehikes.com as being at or near the top 250,000 websites worldwide for traffic – quite a leap in traffic compared to this time last year. Interest in me and conversation via Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook has rocketed in that timeframe, too; in the case of Twitter, that interest has reached well beyond the subscription level of my blog, and in much quicker fashion. These things have occurred despite the decrease in frequency of my blog postings over the same timeframe. But despite the heat-map stats telling me that 50% of my website visitors on average over the past six months are clicking through to my shopping cart, it’s become painfully obvious that they’re not clicking further: nobody since January has purchased a single California Wine Hikes tour. Those numbers are staggering, and they’re problematic.

Mind you, I’m not griping. But I am scratching my head. Nevertheless, I’m only facing a reality that many business owners large and small are facing. In short: in a down economy, the general population, despite maintaining some lifestyle interests, is and has been pulling back on discretionary purchases. They’re beginning to save, they’re staying home instead of traveling, and they’re not spending on luxuries. Certainly, despite my site stats, guided hiking and wine-tasting tours are a luxury not included in the same vein as keeping a roof over the family’s head or putting food on the table. In my particular niche, it’s easier to justify buying a tangible bottle of wine than it is to justify the purchase of an intangible tour guide service for which perceived need is not nearly so great. (Until you’re actually participating in a winehike, that is – you can trust me on that point.)

And so I find myself scrambling to execute my next moves. I’m not always certain about what those next moves should be. But I do know that over the last four years, the collective notion of combining wine and hiking has yielded a very tangible Gestalt.

Some wineries are already folding, unable to stay afloat – the aptly-named Midlife Crisis Winery being a recent prime example. And yet other wineries are finding ways to keep the interest in their products high, even employing social media strategies to bring in new consumers. These strategies seem to be working; at least there appears to be interest in the wineries who are executing on them. Time will tell if such strategies will positively affect the bottom line. But in the meantime, these wineries are initiating and maintaining conversations with many wine-loving consumers. One of those consumers is me.

I want to work with these and other wineries who have acknowledged a passion and desire to build two-way relationships with their customers. I especially want to work with California wineries that maintain their own vineyard plantations. Why? It’s simple, really: you have a beautiful property that exists beyond the experience contained within your consumers’ wineglasses, plus you have a built-in supply of wine club members eager to experience your wines. In my view, those wine club members are also eager to know not only about the grapes that go into each glass of your wine that they pour, but the land upon which those grapes grow.

That land is key to so much of what draws every wine lover to his or her love of wine, whether they know it or not. For anyone who’s ever spent a day walking the land – or merely working or exercising outdoors – it’s no stretch to believe that such an experience only heightens the desire and taste for the good food and wine that can follow.

Big Lake and hillside Cabernet vines showcase their allure at St. Supery’s Dollarhide Ranch

I’d like to say that as a naturalist, I know a few things about the relationship between love of wine and love of land. I therefore put forth the notion that a reasonably large proportion of your wine club membership will always appreciate a guide who can connect them to the land which ultimately bears the wines that they love. That connection may be vital to my business in the short run; but to your business as a winery, it will undoubtedly reap multiple long-term benefits, the best of which will be the building of a solid and loyal base of repeat purchasers – purchasers not only of wine but of real, honest, trail-dust-breathing wine experiences. The kind of people who tell others about what they’ve experienced only because you chose to approach them.

Heck, I probably don’t have to sell you with that last paragraph; you’ve no doubt walked your vineyards and know what it means to want to be out there on the land every chance you can. But why keep that to yourself? It’s a potential revenue stream. So I would ask you to consider another way in which you can solidify your customer base via the experience channel – the winehiking experience channel.

Think about it, won’t you? And then, please share your thoughts with me on twitter – I’m @winehiker.

The beauty of Hahn Estates’ vineyards under the Santa Lucia Range

In the meantime, I plan to personally show my gratitude to all of the following individuals and organizations – people who found common purpose in supporting and funding a scholarship program that has made it possible for a number of wine bloggers to attend the 2nd Annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference. As a recipient of this scholarship, I can now anticipate networking with the members of my wine family new and old, people I may not have otherwise had the chance to learn from and engage with this coming weekend – laments from my liver notwithstanding.

To each of you I say: thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Individuals

Melissa Dobson, Family, Love, Wine
Thea Dwelle, Luscious Lushes
Marcy Gordon, Come For The Wine!
Ward Kadel, WineLog
Megan Riley Kenney, Wannabe Wino
Jeff Lefever, Good Grape: A Wine Manifesto
Diane Letulle, Wine Lovers Journal
Amy & Joe Power, Another Wine Blog
Liza Swift, BrixChicks
Ed Thralls, Wine Tonite!
Joel Vincent, Wine Life Today
Michael Wangbickler, Caveman Wines

Organizations

~winehiker

I have two spots open for a day hike up Half Dome that a friend of mine is ramrodding. The hike will be very strenuous and will include nearly a mile of elevation gain over 16 miles of hiking; we’re going to be attacking at dawn.

We have a campsite at Hodgdon Meadows Thursday night June 4th and we’re talking about dinner at the Ahwahnee; Friday night we have a yurt reserved in Groveland, where we’ll celebrate our adventure with a bottle of Dominus 2004.

Are you interested? Leave a comment.

~winehiker

The sweeping grassy cow-cropped ridges of Vista Grande Trail, looking southeast.

I love to return to Sunol Regional Wilderness every Spring. Sometimes my timing is right and I’ll be greeted by welcome displays of orange California poppies and purple lupines. But even when I’ve arrived a week or two early and the wildflowers haven’t yet wandered onto Nature’s stage, I still find Sunol’s vast expanse of oak-dotted, green-velvet hillsides soothing to my soul.

And to my soles! For Sunol Wilderness, a gleaming gem in the East Bay Regional Park District’s treasure trove of managed lands, is also a hiker’s paradise, offering hiking challenges large and small. From families enjoying a creekside Nature Walk to outback overnighters who wish to explore Sunol’s hilly, bucolic backcountry, and to dayhikers like us – outside and on the trail – we all come to breathe the wind-washed air, to smell the oak and the laurel, and to feel the sun and the spirited beating of our light and happy hearts.

Before all was said and done early this past March, our crew of 16 had squandered away five precious hours hiking over seven glorious miles, a time which included plenty of stopping to enjoy splendor and distance, diversion and serendipity, and the sound of each others’ laughter.

True to form, our day at Sunol Wilderness was yet another classic episode in a series of wanton, whimsical squandrage. And we were all the better for it.

Descending from the upper reaches of Vista Grande Trail.

Yes indeed, it is another High Gorgeosity Factor day in sunny California.

The view down upon High Valley from our Vista Grande Trail vantage point.

Calaveras Reservoir, looking southward from Vista Grande Trail, Sunol Regional Park.

My fellow hikers pausing at Vista Grande Overlook, with Mission Peak looming behind.

Approaching Sunol Regional Wilderness Park’s High Valley Camp.

The horse stable at High Valley Camp.

The view south toward Calaveras Reservoir from atop our destination, Flag Hill.

Me, Mr. Winehiker Guy, posing atop Flag Hill, Sunol Regional Park. Howdy!!

Looking west from the approach to Flag Hill toward Maguire Peaks.

From Flag Hill looking directly down upon the Sunol Visitors Center. Oh, the vertigo!!

A not-too-atypical juxtaposition of rock, tree, meadow and sky.

The pastoral splendor of High Valley Camp from above. I love this wide-open country.

—————-
April may soon be drawing to a close, but there’s still time to explore and enjoy Sunol Wilderness before the heat of summer turns those East Bay hills from green to gold. Meanwhile, the wildflowers are putting on quite a show as I write these words, and they’re waiting to greet you and your camera.* You need to put on your boots, go to Sunol, and squander some precious time.**

~winehiker

*For an even better visual treat, I recommend viewing this fine photoset from my friend and hiking companion Yi Ding, who was along on this adventure.

**If you’d like me to accompany you at Sunol – and if we can arrange it – you’ll find a trail that’s tailored to you as well as learn the names of a number of pretty wildflowers. Plus, I’ll show you where the wine is being poured!

A hiker’s view of The Palisades, above the Napa Valley floor. Image source: yelp.com.

Table Rock is a flat rocky outcrop surmounting The Palisades, a craggy set of cliffs on the northeast edge of Napa Valley, prominently visible from downtown Calistoga. Walking the trail to Table Rock, high above the vineyards of the valley, you may hear the scream of a nearby raptor and, through binoculars, the sharp-eyed might just see a Peregrine Falcon perched on a rock below.

Despite what you see and hear, however, it is the Table Rock Trail itself that is among the most captivating in the California wine country. When joined with the Palisades Trail and the historic Oat Hill Mine Road, the Table Rock trail combines amazing 19th-century trail engineering with bizarre rock formations, a pygmy knobcone pine forest, and nonstop spectacular views. In the cooler months, when rain-washed skies are free of summer’s haze, one can smell the volcanic dust below one’s feet, then look up to behold a vista extending 100 miles.

If you’ve read this far – and, assuming you like to hike – I’ve got a proposition for you: how’d you like to hike to Table Rock with me? Furthermore, if you knew you had an option to, rather than a simple four-mile out-and-back walk, instead walk the complete ten-mile mildly-butt-kicking route from summit to valley floor, would you raise your hand to volunteer?

And, if you also knew you’d be hiking – above Napa Valley, mind you – with a handful of winemakers, would you shout “just lemme grab my boots”?

Then save the following date, fellow winehiker, for we shall meet to experience the glory that is The Palisades on Saturday, November 22nd, at 8:30 a.m. After the hike is over, we’ll drive a little ways down the Silverado Trail to nearby Cuvaison Winery, where we’ll bask in happy euphoria over a potluck lunch, great local wines, and – if we’re of a mind to – a round or two of bocce ball.

Thus far there are 9 people interested in joining me on this hike, including Dick and Kathy Keenan of Kick Ranch Vineyards, who originally approached me with the idea for this outing. I’m thinking of capping the group at a manageable 15 people, however, so if you’d like to sign up, don’t wait too long to do it! Merely leave a comment to this post that includes your email address, and also let me know if you’re interested in the moderately easy four-mile out-and-back option or the relatively strenuous ten-mile one-way option. I’ll get back to you with driving directions and additional details.

Thanks! I look forward to walking The Palisades with you.

~winehiker

“Follow me, señor.”

The voice spoke to me in a baritone, richly smooth in timbre, uniquely Castilian in tongue, yet it was coming from inside my head. Or so it seemed. Willingly, I shouldered my Camelbak and complied with the voice.

Along the gentle westward grade of Rogue Valley Trail I followed the voice, stepping upward through the deep bay forests of Wildcat Loop, ever rising above the high meadows of Rancho San Antonio. I climbed, mile after mile, all the while that voice repeating in my mind’s ear.

“Come with me, señor.”

The voice resonated from without and within, always gentle, never chiding, yet powerfully intoxicating, so much so that I could not begin to disobey its alluring imperative. I was a mound of unshaped clay under the voice’s command, ready to be molded into whatever guise I was to become. It was if I was guided by the unseen hand of Nephi.

I was just glad I had my boots on.

At five miles, at last I reached the high point of the trail, a place uncrowded, serene, and glowing with warm sunshine. Panting slightly and ready for lunch, I stepped into a semi-secret off-trail oasis that few could know, one that would afford me a commanding view. I doffed my pack and reached in to relieve it of its edibles. That’s when I discovered the Torremoron.

Strange it was that I had not felt the pack’s extra weight on that climb. Light of foot on the trail yet heavy with hunger now, I tore into my roast beef-and-grilled pepper sandwich and studied the bottle’s label.

Ribera Del Duero
Denominacion de Origen
Torremoron
Tempranillo 2006
Estate Bottled by Bodegas Torremoron S.C.
Quintanamanvirgo – Burgos – Spain
100% Tempranillo

Without thinking, I set down my sandwich only to find my Swiss Army knife suddenly appearing in my hand, corkscrew at the ready. And, as if to demonstrate to me that miracles do occur, a wine glass dramatically appeared, intact and whole, gleaming inside my pack. I smiled to myself, feeling glad I had risen out of bed this morning.

“Drink me, señor.”

And so I opened the Torremoron and, setting serenely on top of a hillside, I poured. I studied the glass, sitting silently, complaining of nothing, contemplating everything. Beyond a mere breath of wind on my cheek, there was a fine stillness. As the morning drew toward noon, juncos chattered in the thickets below and the dry grasses of Autumn whispered their secrets. I swirled the glass, catching the late-morning sunlight in the wine’s many crimson facets. I could hear my own heart pumping, as if it were the drumbeat of misión ejemplar, a call to action!

I drank. The Torremoron was at once delicious, cherry red, and meaty. Full-bodied, concentrated, and rich with aromatic earth, cinnamon spice and fruit flavor, well-balanced in palate and exquisite in finish, a wine for the season, heady with promise, underpinned by lush desire and strong passion. It was a wine divine, one only the Spanish could make. A wine both easy on the wallet and easy to call mi vino de la casa. And I didn’t even have to be en la casa!

I wanted to taste every drop of it.

I poured again, and listened for the voice. But there was no longer any voice; it had become—¡evolucionado!—something so much more profound.

For in this Tempranillo Tinto, I tasted—I had become—the very soul of Iberia.

Heat: 13% alcohol by volume
Closure: plastic
Price: US$11.99 per 750ml bottle
Where purchased: BevMo, where it is on sale now; also available on snooth.com.

Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve is nestled in the western foothills of the Santa Clara Valley above the town of Cupertino. Here’s how to get there:

From Interstate 280 North or South, take the Foothill Boulevard exit and proceed south on Foothill Boulevard approximately 0.2-mile to Cristo Rey Drive. Turn right on Cristo Rey Drive, continue for about 1 mile, veer right around the traffic circle/roundabout, and turn left into the County Park entrance. There are several parking lots, including a dirt lot designated for equestrian trailers. The trailhead for the preserve is located adjacent to the 85-car parking area in the northwest lot.

A virtual clink of the wineglass to all who have participated in this month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday, the 50th in a series originally conceived by Lenn Thompson at LENNDEVOURS.

~winehiker

In the mercurial materiality that is my life, I sometimes find that I’ve got the gumption to read all I can about a particular wine. Often, I’ll have designs on pairing the wine with a meal I’ll be sharing with friends; sometimes I merely want to experiment in the kitchen, then reap the rewards of my culinary frivolities with the right wine. So I’ll study winemakers’ notes, click through a handful of Google results or, as is frequently the case, become interested in a wine based on a fellow blogger’s recommendation.

Often there is only one write-up about a wine that I can glean online; sometimes I feel lucky to be able to read comparisons across multiple blogs. I consider it a special bonus when I can track how one wine from a particular vintage is tasting over a period of months, if not years. That can be the exception to the rule, however; the price tends to go up and the availability tends to go down when a wine is tasting well over time. More’s the case that I’ll want a wine which is affordable and easily obtainable. As one who occasionally reviews wine, I know my readers will find more value in reading about a wine they, too, can obtain and enjoy without resorting to HELOC havoc.

It’s certainly an influence on me when blogs come to consensus about the same wine; indeed I was intrigued about a recent exercise in which a number of wine bloggers were asked to review a premium-priced Sonoma County Cabernet during the same week. While that particular exercise devolved into a silly, almost hateful debacle about blogger’s ethics—a notion that seemed, to me, to be obtusely irrelevant to the task—I was interested in the exercise simply because, as someone who might want to share that wine over a nice meal, I felt I would benefit by a real-time comparison study, one that was not compromised by time’s effect on a wine’s aging.

Then again, sometimes I don’t feel the proclivity to read read read read read. Sometimes I would just rather lace up my boots and go admire a beautiful sunset from a rocky perch. (Yes, you’re right: I do this more than just sometimes.)

O wine! O sunset! I’ll gladly go wherever you glow.

Sometimes I’ll take a flyer and, before I hit that sunset trail, actually place trust in a paid expert’s opinion* and (gasp of horror!) grab a 92-point bottle at BevMo. (Come on, I know you do it too.)

Well that’s precisely what I did as I looked toward tomorrow’s Wine Blogging Wednesday selection. Should you dare to read that forthcoming post, please don’t hate me because the wine was beautiful.

~winehiker

*Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Robert Parker, blah blah, yadda yadda.

Bradley Cooper lives in Canada’s Okanagan Valley, an immense winemaking region of British Columbia. It’s where he produces small lots of Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, and a whole host of white wines for Township 7 Vineyards. Now that he’s finished bottling his latest batch of Rosés, he and his wife, Audralee, are going to visit California for their first real vacation since their honeymoon nine years ago.

Bradley’s my kind of guy. Sure, his winemaking efforts attract my interest, and so does his blog, Wine & Vine BC, but so does his love of jazz and baseball. What’s more, he and Audralee, who together also consult for Daum-Cooper Winery Services, are ready to engage in some winehiking.

We’re getting together on Saturday, May 31st, for a five-mile tour of the redwood forests at El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve, followed by a picnic and wine tasting at Saratoga’s Savannah-Chanelle Winery.

And Bradley and I invite you to join us!

Walk with Bradley, Audralee and The Winehiker in the redwoods of California. Then let’s do some wine tasting!

This event is essentially free but for the cost of your own transportation, lunch (shared potluck), and tasting fees at the winery (credited to any purchase of their fine syrahs and pinots). If you plan to join us, just add a comment to this post, and I will follow up with the details.

~winehiker

Debbie Miller Nelson at Wine Goddess posts today about a Wine Lover’s Best Friend. I think she’s onto something. Lord knows I could keep a few handy in my dining room, in my truck, even in my Camelbak.

Perhaps you’ve seen the commercial of the (DAG-GONE!) drill sergeant who nearly goes apoplectic at the sleight of hand performed by his (DAG-GONE!) recruit with this (DAG-GONE!) pen thingy.

But does it really work on red wine stains? Petite Sirah, even? On, say, your best white cotton shirt or blouse? If you have had experience with this product – pro or con – please tell me. Tell the world! Inquiring winehikers want to know.

~winehiker

It’s better to have what you need on the trail than need what you don’t have.

I discovered an online article the other day that lists a few items which its author considers to be basic gear for day hikers, listed in the following order:

• Whistle
• Map
• Water
• Handheld GPS
• Compass
• Mountain money
• Book
• Waterproof matches/lighter
• Knife
• Binoculars
• Windbreaker/waterproof shell
• Bivvy bag
• Flashlight/headlamp
• First aid kit
• Cellphone
• Snack

Instantly, I found myself wondering about the outdoors experience of the author, especially when considering the need vs. want aspects of the items in this list, and any priority one might place on them. Many of the above items I consider optional; you either haul a pack large enough to contain it all and you don’t mind sacrificing the extra weight and bulk, or you realize you just plain won’t use many of these things or get by just fine without them.

That being said, I’ll admit that most hikers won’t carry all the stuff that I carry on a typical day hike. But I have a handy excuse: I tend to lead a lot of group hikes, at least one every two weeks, year-round. With that kind of frequency, somebody on the trail is bound to need extra water, moleskin, or an aspirin every now and then – even spare socks and underwear. Yes, I carry spare undies in my pack, all the time, because they’ve nearly been life-savers for me and others. Why do I haul this stuff around all the time? Because there’s nothing more unnecessary than suffering on the trail when there’s miles to go.*

When you’ve been hiking as long as I have, you develop a sense of what you and your hiking buddies really need out there, and what’s merely extra weight. After all, how many times have you carried a set of binoculars or 330-page bird-finding guidebooks on the trail and not used them? Do you really need a GPS device, or do you just want to let people know that you have one? When you’re visiting the wilderness with a group of hikers – or by yourself – do you need your iPod, or do you really need to hear the tranquil sounds of Nature?

I chose to reorder the above list in terms of must haves and nice to haves, as well as how often a regular day hiker will typically use them. I’ve even added some things I consider important; these items are in parentheses.

Basic must have items for day hikers

Things you’ll use nearly every time you hike (at least you should, so you might as well have them with you at all times):

Things you’ll use often when hiking (not everybody can be MacGyver, so do carry the following items):

Things you know you’ll need sooner or later (your friends will admire your resourcefulness):

Optional nice to have items for day hikers

You may not need the following items, but you may want them from time to time. In fact some, like a whistle or a bivvy bag, can be must have items if you are pursuing extreme or high-elevation activities. If you have a predilection for getting lost, carry a GPS if you must, but first rely on a good topo map and advance planning. It’s important to understand that a GPS device is a tool, not a toy; if you carry it, know how to use it, as well as when.

Consider the following to be luxury items. If you think you might actually need them, consider examining your motives for venturing onto the trail, whether you want to carry them, and if you think you’ll put them to good use. First of all, however, make sure you pack your must have items, then see what room you’ve got left in your pack.

Some may quibble with me about my characterization of the above items. But experienced hikers, prior to hitting the trail, know to examine the contents of their packs. They’ll ask themselves a simple question:

Do I need it, or do I merely want it?

Your goals for the day should dictate what you carry with you, so remove what you won’t need and add what you will need. Next, consider what you may need, then what you want. Prepare your pack based on need rather than want, and do it every time.

Now, lift your pack. Ask that simple question again, and be honest with yourself about what you want from that great day of hiking that you have planned.

~winehiker

*You might think it embarrassing to ask a fellow hiker for a spare pair of underwear. But considering the alternative – chafing and discomfort of tender areas – it might just be more embarrassing not to ask. If that’s a pain point for you, well, now you know to pack a pair of undies.

**Mountain money = toilet paper. You can search every tree, rock, and crevice, but you won’t find an ATM that dispenses this stuff. Don’t let yourself go broke out there!

If you were to take a vacation for a week, would you consider your body’s health to be one of your vacation priorities?

Sadly, many of us who lead stressful lives tend to deal with our stresses on vacation by doing more of the things that have caused us to want a vacation in the first place: overeating, drinking too much, sleeping too little or too much, unhealthful habits, not getting enough exercise. Many Americans, however, are beginning to recognize their need for balance in their busy lives, and realizing that their health also comes first when they’re on vacation. There’s actually a term for this kind of person, and that’s active traveler. The demographics of active travel are indeed staggering.

At California Wine Hikes, we feel that the vacation you really deserve is the vacation that your body and mind both need. We also believe that a California wine country experience shouldn’t just include wineries but the wine country itself. Indeed, much of the California wine country is readily adjacent to great explorations of Nature. That’s why on our tours, we choose to add healthful outdoor exercise followed by good, healthy food plus wine tastings, to result in an active wine country vacation.

Learning about wine is part of the California Wine Hikes experience, and so is learning about the world that surrounds us outdoors. All of our five-day/four-night tours are designed with a quality California experience in mind, and are therefore limited to a small group size. At California Wine Hikes, we’ve learned that there is a trade-off between quality and quantity, and that the small size of our group tours, at only 11 guests, offers every guest a greater number of enriching discoveries and memorable moments, from the trail to the tasting room.

As you look ahead to your next wine country escape, we hope that in addition to your love of wine and great dining, you’ll consider the health of your mind and your body. Make it a priority to allow yourself a relaxing, uplifting, and educational tour with California Wine Hikes.

We’re looking forward to hosting our 2008 wine and hiking tours at a variety of top California destinations for hikers and wine lovers of all knowledge and skill levels. Here’s our new lineup of multi-day tours scheduled for the 2008 season:

• Paso Robles & The Santa Lucia Range
  February 17-21, 2008
  Take delight in tasting fine Central Coast Syrahs and Zinfandels and enjoy moderate-level invigorating hikes offering incredible views of the surrounding Pacific Ocean and the Central Coast wine country.
• York Mountain & Edna Valley: Hiker’s Paradise
  June 4-8, 2008
  Veteran hikers will find ecstatic pleasure in this budget-oriented Central Coast tour, which offers tough hilly hikes and incredible views of the San Luis Obispo wine country and the deep blue Pacific Ocean.
• Jack London & The Valley of the Moon
  June 15-19, 2008
  On this deluxe adventure, hikers and hedonists alike will get a thrill from all that Sonoma County has to offer in the variety of hiking terrain and fine wine, as well as the region’s historical richness and laid-back character.
• Chiles, Pope & Napa Valleys
  June 22-26, 2008
  On this premium hiking and wine-tasting adventure, you’ll enjoy some of the best exercise and best wines possible in a region known the world over. Wine lovers and outdoor enthusiasts will benefit immensely from all that Napa County has to offer in its rich variety of fine wines, dining, and hiking trails.
• Calaveras Big Trees & Gold Rush Country
  July 27-31, 2008
  This budget-oriented tour will have you wishing you lived in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, for it is here that you can soak up some Gold Rush Americana and also visit renowned wineries, discover giant sequoia groves, and hike High Sierra peaks, all within a day’s drive.
• Santa Maria Valley & The Foxen Canyon Wine Trail
  September 7-11, 2008
  Easy hiking, an affordable tour, beautiful scenery, bird watching, and some of the world’s finest Pinot Noir await you along the famed Foxen Canyon Wine Trail.
• Santa Barbara & The Santa Ynez Valley
  September 14-18, 2008
  Flanked by the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south and the San Rafael Mountains to the north, this well-established wine region maintains a pleasant, temperate climate. Moderate hiking, exquisite luxury, and some of the world’s finest Syrahs are in store for you on this deluxe California wine country adventure.

More 2008 tours will be added in the coming weeks, including day tours, overnight tours, midweek wine dinners, and more. To learn about these upcoming events before the public does, be sure to subscribe to this blog today. Subscribing is easy, takes only moments and, best of all, it’s absolutely free.

~winehiker