{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Wine Tasting in California","description":"On this episode of the California Now Podcast, host Soterios Johnson taps into the wine tasting expertise of three oenophiles.  First up, Johnson chats with Lucy Simon, assistant wine editor at Food & Wine magazine. Simon offers valuable tips for novices looking to up their California wine-tasting skills. \u201cTaking a breath, letting loose a little bit and being honest with your likes and dislikes is the best way to have a positive wine-tasting experience,\u201d advises Simon. She also shares her top recommendations for tasting rooms in Healdsburg, Napa Valley, Paso Robles, and beyond, guiding first-timers through the best spots to start their wine journey. Next, Johnson is joined by Tina Caputo, a writer known for her extensive knowledge on the Golden State\u2019s food and wine scenes. Caputo dives into California vineyards and wineries offering out-of-the-ordinary wine-tasting excursions. \u201cObsidian Ridge vineyard, which is up in Lake County, does a volcano adventure that is led by a professional geologist,\u201d Caputo says. She also gets into more playful wine tours that offer such activities as baby goat petting in Lodi and sound bathing in the Anderson Valley. Finally, Johnson talks with Mary Orlin, a certified sommelier and cohost of the Sip, Sip, Hooray! Podcast. Orlin goes deep on the Sierra Foothills wine region, a historic, hidden gem viticultural scene producing diverse varietals. \u201cThe Sierra Foothills was first famous for Zinfandel,\u201d says Orlin, \u201cand there are some heritage vineyards that are over a hundred years old that are still producing.\u201d The James Beard Award\u2013winning journalist name-drops outstanding spots to sip and stay in El Dorado County and Amador County. ","author_name":"California Now Podcast","author_url":"http:\/\/www.visitcalifornia.com\/podcast","html":"