After yesterday's "vineyard crawl" in downtown Sonoma - a couple initial thoughts on the eight wineries we went to:

1.) Ledson wines are too perfect.

2.) Loxton is the perfect change of place winery on your visit.

3.) Jeff Mayo of Mayo Vineyards knows how to put on a party.

VJB had what I considered to be some of the best wines we tried. Their 05 and 06 Barbera's are perfect food wines, but still hold that burst of fruit Cali wines are famous for. Would I buy their barbera over top tier Piedmont wines? Probably not, but I think Barbera's in Sonoma are starting to gain ground. If u disagree, pls check out Jacuzzi wines (Across the street from Cline) and I guarantee u will jump on my bandwagon.

VJB's Primitivo (Zinfindel) had more guts than most zingy Zins and I almost bought a bottle.

VJB's "Dante" super Tuscan Blend was super sexy. It was one of favorite wines of the day and much richer and complex than their flagship Cabernet. Even the old Italian guys pouring the wines for us thought the Dante was the vineyards best wine.

Finally, The Barbera Port had a super rough texture that made it hard to stop drinking. Almost like sweet real wine as opposed to syrupy port - I think the VJB Barbera port is worth seeking out.