Today the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and daffodils are blooming in my yard. The urge to throw open the doors and sweep winter out of the house is almost irresistible. It’s time for spring cleaning.

It’s been a while since I’ve gotten excited about RSS newsreaders, but Google Reader has caught my eye.

When folks here in Napa town ask me what it was like living and growing up in New York City, I really don’t know where to begin. “It’s entirely different than Napa life,” I tell them, and most of the time leave it at that.

I was asked the other day what the effect of global warming will be on the wine industry.

The warm weather of last week got everything going; bass fishing is wide open. Berryessa is giving up lots of small and large mouth bass. Some fishermen are even site fishing. The water is clear enough in many cases to spot the bass. Clear Lake is turning out lots of 3- to 4-pound fish.

There’s an old expression that everything in a pig is used except the squeal. Now a similar comment might be made about wine.

Is all the mustard in the vineyards culinary mustard you can eat?

Like a bug crawling from his cocoon, I staggered out into the warm sun last weekend.

Chosen from close to two dozen entries in this year’s Napa Valley Mustard Festival chef’s competition, Dean and DeLuca sous chef Michael Messmer’s Taleggio Soufflé with Fruit Mustard was selected as the best dish at the festive Awards event last Friday night.

Whether or not you feel Carl Doumani possesses the traits of the fictional hero for which his winery is named depends on how well you know him.

Dear Len & Rosie, My mother is 72-years-old and has an old $1 million life insurance policy. She no longer has a need for this policy and she can’t afford the premium payments anyway. She has enough problems paying for her care at home, and her life savings is rapidly depleting. Her insurance company has offered her very little if she were to cash in her policy. Does she have any other options?

The Silver Rose Winery and Inn in Calistoga has been sold, and new owners Bill Shoaf and David Wickline plan to tear down the 20-room inn and replace it with 35 two-bedroom, shared ownership residences. They will also add a restaurant and spa.

If it is not one thing, it’s another. The stock markets are affected by many events. The latest is the horrendous publicity from the so-called sub-prime mortgages.