Robert Skalli, co-owner of St. Supery Winery, loves this spot atop the western ridge above Big Lake at Dollarhide Ranch, where I scouted a few routes for potential future winehiking on a bright and clear mid-November day. With just a little effort at putting one foot in front of the other, you, too, can enjoy these same supreme vineyard views. You might enjoy a tasty post-hike lunch, and wine too!

~winehiker

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Caroline

The wind that whips
The cold that bites
On chilly North Dakota nights
Urges me on
My spirit warms
As I know I’ll soon be in your arms

You tease my heart
You fill my mind
I crave your tender love so kind
Yet struggle on
The driving sleet
Drains me for I am incomplete

I know it’s true
A man it seems
Had preyed upon your thoughts and dreams
I knew that I
Must see this man
My true intentions not so grand

I found him soon
His eyes searched me
We had some words but carelessly
I lost my nerve
I feel so old
By now, my dear, he’s lying cold

I falter now
I’m fading fast
I know I soon will breathe my last
But not before
Your lips meet mine
I’ve always loved you, Caroline

~winehiker

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Happy winehikers, cavorting along a woodsy path on a late-September morning. These folks joined me last year; would you like to join me this year? If so, you’ll find all the details on my Romp through the Redwoods page.

~winehiker

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Though the nights can be chillier, there are often three to four good weeks remaining of warm days good for hiking the deserts. The aspens of the high mountains begin to morph into their many shades of gold and red, too – always a signal to me that Winter will soon voice its might. When camping at altitude in September, one must always stay vigilant knowing that sooner or later, volatile weather will be approaching.

While in camp one late morning high up on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, the air around me seemed to take on a furious energy, suddenly whipping up a volatile frenzy of leaves and dust. Clouds had begun to loom and grow large above the rim, and the threat of an imminent thundershower was palpable. Lightning was flickering across the skies above this darkening part of the canyon, which itself portrayed a roiling juxtaposition of heat rising from its depths and cool winds aloft. The advancing smell of high-altitude ozone suggested that I had better prepare for an onslaught. I rounded up what little gear I had set out in camp and had no sooner packed it away in the truck when those thunderbumpers opened up and spattered down.

I latched the tailgate, dove in over it and latched the camper shell door behind me just as the deluge struck. Within seconds my life was reduced to a penetrating, deadening roar of rain on the camper-shell roof; I was suddenly witnessing the heaviest downpour I had ever experienced. I could do nothing but simply wait out the storm, marveling at its ferocity, huddled there in my truck, as the water level upon the ground grew alarmingly fast around me.

The raven, according to Native American legend, brings light to the world.

In fifteen minutes it was all over. In thirty minutes the skies were completely clear. The abrupt temperature drop that preceded the storm had now reversed and steam was rising everywhere – an evaporation so profound as if to suggest I was suddenly living in a time-lapsed eternity. The silence in those moments was almost as eerie as the spectacle itself. I opened the camper door and stared out at Nature’s tableau, drinking it in, and allowed my mind to wander.

Within moments, as the mists cleared and the ground drained of water, I seemed to feel rather than hear a distant, steady whock whock whock, growing louder, drawing nearer. And then a large shadow, moving quickly, passed low overhead. I smiled as a raven appeared, larger than life, ten feet above the truck. I watched it fly away down the clearing below me, heavy wings flapping, clearing the silence before it.

And Life came back to the Rim.

~winehiker

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The 6th annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival is a five-day wine and food extravaganza featuring 170 world-class wineries and spirit producers, 70 of San Diego’s award-winning fine dining restaurants offering gourmet foods, celebrity chefs, wine dinners, cooking classes, and live silent auctions, personalities, and unlimited food and wine tastings. It is the largest event of its kind in Southern California and may draw a crowd of over 8,500 wine & food enthusiasts.

The Festival runs from November 18th to 22nd. Though he’d love to, this winehiker cannot attend, but perhaps you can! Tickets are now on sale for the event; see this page for a price breakdown and to purchase your tickets.

Check out the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival’s fan page to learn more.

~winehiker

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Winemaker Bradley Cooper of Penticton, British Columbia, produces exquisite wines from the south Okanagan Valley, including this delicious handcrafted small-lot Cabernet, of which he made 752 cases.

I simply adore this wine’s cherry, coffee and cola overtones, especially when enriched by a broad silkiness on the palate and an enduring finish that will cause you to delay brushing your teeth too soon. Lovely with red meats or on its own, here’s a special, affordable Township 7 Cabernet that you should be drinking.

Price: $25.99 per bottle / $311.88 for a case of 12
Heat: 13.9% ABV
Where to purchase: contact the winery.

Disclaimer: this bottle was a sample, stolen fair and square from the winemaker when he wasn’t looking.

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There is a vast array of wildlife at Dollarhide. Ducks, geese, egrets, cranes, owls, bees, jackrabbits, foxes and a bald eagle family can be found frequenting one of the seven lakes on the property which teem with large mouth bass. Our rattlesnake population helps keep the burrowing pest population from munching on the vine roots and eroding hillsides with their tunnels. It is not uncommon to see mountain lion or bear prints after a rain, a warning to deer who love to eat grapes and tender young vines.

“What is a Dollarhide,” you ask? Why, it’s the name of the 1500-acre vineyard that produces the grapes from which St. Supery Winery makes its deliciously noble wines. For more, I recommend checking out St. Supery Winery’s blog.

~winehiker

If one of your hobbies is collecting exotic or expensive wines, then the next step on the path in your wine storage evolution is how you’re going to maintain your investment. There are a lot of different types of storage units for properly storing wine at home, yet between wine bottle coolers, wine racks, portable wine coolers and custom walk-in wine cellars, it’s easy to get confused.*

However, with an easy-to-follow guide about the importance of storing your investment properly and a quick breakdown of the different types of wine storage, you’ll have this category covered. Before discussing the different options, however, it’s important to understand why simply sticking a bottle or two in the fridge is far from adequate for storing your precious bottle of wine.

Why Refrigerators Don’t Work

A wine refrigerator is only a quick, easy way to store wines in the short term - often only a maximum of one year; the same goes with a traditional kitchen refrigerator. However, even a year is quite a long time; with refrigerator temperatures varying, its likely that your kitchen fridge is just not set to the proper temperature for storing your bottle of wine - typically between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

However, with a wine cooler you can easily maintain a correct constant temperature range for storing your wines so they will be ready to serve at all times.

Types of Wine Storage

When it comes to choosing a method for wine storage, you want to consider and compare the different features available to you. There are three basic types of wine cooler storage devices:  wine bottle coolers, (multiple bottle) wine coolers, and wine cellars.

If you’re new to collecting wine, you may want to consider a wine bottle cooler, which also works great for dinners and smaller events. With a wine bottle cooler, the temperature of the bottle can be maintained while you dine. This is a particularly key table setting item if you expect the meal to last through a number of courses. A wine cooler also adds a level of sophistication to any dinner or cocktail party, an element you can never go wrong with.

If your collection is a little larger, consider a wine cooler that comes equipped with wine racks to prevent your bottles from coming into contact with each other. Wine cooler technology has advanced a long way and most (such as NewAir wine coolers) now also feature thermoelectric multiple independently-controlled temperature zones for both red and white wines and complete with touch screens, sleek lighting, glass doors, casters for mobility and a wide variety of styles for various space needs. Plus, depending on the model, you’ll have the ability to store anywhere between 14 to 32 bottles.

When buying a wine cooler, you should also understand the specific differences between a wine cooler and a wine cellar. If you have wines that are currently aging, wines that will require long term wine storage or expect to require more storage capacity for your growing collection, then you may need a more sophisticated wine cellar. Small or large, a wine cooler unit protects your investments until you’re ready to drink them.

Wine Cooler Capacity

Wine coolers come in a variety of sizes, ranging from small coolers with a capacity to store 6 to 20 bottles to larger models, such as wine cellars, that can accommodate 100 to 200 bottles. If you plan to store several hundred bottles of wine, you might want to consider having a wine cabinet or wine room installed in your home. For avid oenophiles, it is generally a good idea to buy a wine cooler that can hold at least double the number of wine bottles you currently own; you’ll find that it’s often quite easy to fill up the space you have quickly, especially if you are constantly looking to buy wines.

Of course, you also need to consider the capacity you have in your home for a wine cooler. If you don’t have a lot of room, then a small 6- to 12-bottle wine cooler can be an excellent space-saving option. If you don’t drink wine very often, it can be a good idea to get a small-footprint single- or double-bottle wine cooler in order to meet your practical needs.

Choosing a Wine Cooler

Once you’ve narrowed down and determined the capacity and features you need, it’s time to consider the prices of various models of wine coolers. Wine coolers, like all other appliances, should have you looking for good quality. Durability and reliability are still key and, after all, we’re talking about your precious wine collection! And yet if you cannot spend a lot of money on a wine cooler, you should at the very least find a wine cooler that has all the features you need for a reasonable price.

An added benefit to wine coolers and wine cellars is that they’re far more eco-friendly and cost-efficient compared to traditional wine cooling options. Traditional cooling methods include refrigerators that use an R-22 compressor to run. (R-22, also known as Freon, will be outlawed for domestic sale effective January 1, 2010.) While some wine coolers also use a compressor, select wine cooler manufacturers ensure that their products feature thermoelectric cooling, which makes wine cellars not only chic but smart.

Above all, when it comes to home wine storage, don’t store your wine merely to hoard it. Remember your friends, and that wine is for enjoyment!

Shireen Qudosi currently lives in Orange County, California and loves to chill down with a fine glass of wine. To learn more about wine coolers, such as dual temperature zones, control features, dimensions and technical specifications, Shireen recommends visiting the Air & Water, Inc. website.

*Editor’s note: In case you’re confused already, you should probably know that we’re talking about home wine storage, not comparing wine coolers such as Seagram’s vs. Bartles & Jaymes.