The public gets a chance to learn from grape growers at the Carneros Heritage Fest May 31. New this year, the fest’s Growers-Vintners pavilion will pair Carneros grape growers with the wineries that use their grapes.

 Dr. Seymour Wineblut, renowned Viennese therapist, bon vivant and wine lover, started our weekly session with a query  “Mein boy, I heard through the grapevine that you were telling your wine group how to become wine schnapps.”

A patch of former cattle land in east Napa has been turning out some of the valley’s most-prized cabernet sauvignon grapes since 2002. The 22-acre Meteor Vineyard, planted in 1999 by Barry and Tracy Schuler, sells fruit to well-respected wineries like Etude, Vineyard 29 and Arietta.

KENWOOD — Vineyard manager Steve Thomas grasps the trunk of a zinfandel vine, a redwood of the vineyard, gnarled with age and planted in the days when irrigation meant a barrel of water on a horse-drawn cart.

Why is it that Champagne and indeed all sparkling wines seem to be reserved for special occasions?