Outside the dugout: What's cooking?

This is the best way to do wine tasting. Go to California (Sonoma/Russian River, Anderson Valley, Paso Robles west in the hills were my favorite destinations. Napa not so much. Some excellent wines but they are too full of themselves) in March during the week. Nobody is there and you get personal attention. And they can get you "ins" at places that don't normally have walk in tastings. Also a great time to go to the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

In 1990 I was in France for a scientific conference and then spent some time in Bordeaux. The chateaus don't normally have public tastings but I talked my way into a few by driving to the working area and talking about wines I have had from that chateau (none of the first growth ones but all in the original classification) and got tours from assistant vintners. It was mid-summer so not a lot of activity. I wasn't looking for a tasting but just a visit. At one place I got a barrel tasting. That was unexpected.