Livermore Valley has been enjoying a flurry of new wineries. Its growth rate is similar to that of Napa Valley in the early days. Each year brings more wineries, bed and breakfasts, restaurants and art-related businesses. Keep your eye on this region. What you think you know will more than likely surprise you before you know it.

It’s been a few years since I taste around the wine region of Livermore. More than dozen (perhaps two) have sprung. Wineries here are very supportive of everyone’s efforts. Wineries will happily pour a small-time novice winemaker’s wines to the same audience, out of their same tasting room. The staffs behind the counters are great sources for recommendations too. Everyone tries to help the “guy down the road” so they both can enjoy the foot traffic.

This time I was pleasantly surprised with the service and quality found in our day of tasting. We visited Bodegas Aguirre, Big White House (which also served el Sol and John Evan wines) and la Rochelle. Big White House served most the most wines, which included a barrel tasting and did NOT charge a fee. The others charged anywhere from $5 - $10 for tasting.

For me, Bodegas Aguirre was the clear favorite. They offer great wines with great prices while their reserve wines aren’t much more and really bring that “wow” factor.

I met a wine lover at my new job who has intrigued me and my palate about South African wines. He raved how wonderful they are and the incredible values one can find. He told incredible stories about the picturesque views from winery tucked away in the hillsides of lush green vineyards and mountains. Breathtaking moments through this region's wine country are common and even more impressive than the familiar Napa and Sonoma valley.

With all this talk about South African wine, it prompted me to start tasting some. I visited the only place in the area I knew carried wine from South Africa - Andronico's Market in Walnut Creek. They didn't have a lot compared to other regions but they did carry more than I would have expected. I picked up some bottles and was on my way. The first among many more tasting notes to come:

2002 Indaba Chenin Blanc $9 - cross tasting with my recent love for Chenin Blanc - This wine is awesome and a great value.

After digging around for more info on Chenin Blanc and South Africa, I've come to learn that this varietal is noted as the world finest when coming from this region. It also is called Steen which originates from one of the first 3 varietals planted on the cape of South African (Groendruif/Semillon and Fransdruif are the others).

For more on Chenin Blanc and South Africa check out the Chenin Blanc Association of South Africa to find more info and other producers. More wines from South Africa coming soon!

Mendocino County wineries band together to launch a nation's first: a region specific wine controlled by fixed blending and again parameters dubbed "Coro Mendocino." "Coro" means "chorus" in both Italian and Spanish. These wines with dominated by Zinfandel with help from Petite Syrah, Syrah and other Mediterranean varieties only grown in the Mendocino area.

So what does this mean? It means you will be able to find wines made with consistency from various wineries. This method of classification is foreign to America and other New World region but is the norm in the Old World like French, Italy, and Germany.

But you've never heard of anything from Mendocino right? Wrong. This region has been growing quality grapes for well over 100 years. They've just been selling them to other wineries who make them into medal winners.

I have yet to taste any of these new Coro wines but I'm anxious to seek them out. If anyone has tried them, I'm interested in your comments. Those wineries joining the Coro family include Gabrielli Winery, Graziano Family Wines, Eaglepoint Ranch, Brutocao Cellars, Golden Vineyards, Fetzer Vineyards, Pacific Star Winery, and Parducci Wine Estates.

I'm going to look into distribution to see if I can get my hands on a few bottles to see how consistent they are and what kind of value they offer. Stay tuned for more.

Livermore Valley has been growing grapes for quite some time now. Local residents also found themselves owning vines in their backyard, many, not sure sure what to do with them. Well, the growing trend has taken the fast track and many of these residents are not finding themselves turning their vines into wine rather than simply selling their harvest to the wineries. The community here in Livermore is a close-knit group of folks. Many vintners are banding together to help these hobbyists by offering tips and advice through one of the coolest associations. Its call Home Winemakers and Grape Growers which is now an arm of the group Friends of the Vineyards. Thomas Coyne of Thomas Coyne Vineyards has become a pivotal resource for these up-and-comers for a long time and been deemed the master consultant and friend for many. He has always opened his doors to those wanting to learn just a little more in the vast world of winemaking.

These novice winemakers now have major resources to tap into and are able to share stories with neighbors whom they would have never otherwise met!

I recently returned from a long weekend wine tasting in and around Santa Barbara. It was my first trip to Central Valley and my first experience tasting wine from the region. I had heard here and there that they were making incredible Rhone-style wines so I opted to see for myself. In summary: they ARE making dazzling wines! I was only able to visit a handful of wineries. I focused on wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley and even still only hit a few. What I found interesting is most places charged for tastings, anywhere from $5-$10 per glass. You could walk home with the glass which was nice but no one ignored the charge even if you bought wine. Overall, the wine was very affordable for the quality they're making. That was the biggest shock! You could easily walk home with a case of wine for $100 that most would pay double for had it come from Napa or Sonoma. I thought it was incredible and will visiting whenever possible. I'm curious to know what others think of their experience in Central Valley. Please comment and let me know!

To help promote the domestic winery business in Pennsylvania, the state's first enologist is visiting wineries across the state to gather input and offer suggestions.

Currently, Pennsylvania is home to 87 wineries with more on the way. There are seven wine regions and eight wine trails. The state is ranked fifth nationally in the number of wineries, fifth in the production of grapes and eighth in the production of wine from grapes.

"Sometimes people overlook what's in their backyard," said Christine Bega, who added that, at the most, a winery can be found within 45 minutes of any location in Pennsylvania.

I'm sorry, but a 45 minute drive to go wine tasting is a damn long time especially when they refer to them as "in your backyard" ...

For more on PA wineries visit: www.pennsylvaniawine.com

I'm a skeptic when it comes to Livermore wines. I'll admit it. Don't get me wrong, I have my favorite Livermore wineries and I religiously buy my favorites. I want to see Livermore Valley blossom into the next wine country tourists come to. I'll always support the locals but when it comes to my money, I want good wine and good prices - and that's just where a lot of the LVM wineries loose me.

Livermore Valley needs to step up their game if they truly wish to compete with the Napa/Sonoma Valley and attract the tourism they're demanding. I find wineries noted as the upper crust of places to visit charge considerably more while their wines fail to dazzle or inspire.

There are those that are making incredible wine. Steven Kent is hands down one of them - they do wonders! But look at their prices - they average almost $30/bottle! They're good but I can find a LOT for that kind of money. They're the extreme end of the spectrum but a few other aren't far behind. White Crane and Murrieta's Well also fall under this category.

On the other hand there are a handful of wineries that are producing quality wines for reasonable prices. Thomas Coyne is one of them! Good wine - great value! Eckert Estate is another favorite on this list. Kudos to them for knowing their market.

Most people I talk to feel Livermore wines are good but they charge too much to make them a regular in their homes. If Livermore gets serious and retaliates offering quality wine for reasonable value, they'll become the next tourist valley they're hoping for. Until then, we frugal wine shoppers continue to struggle justifying their increased prices.