Poppies

Such an intense shade of red with the morning light glowing on these poppies 

at Kunde Vineyards in Sonoma Valley.

Calaveras Vineyard

Very tired this week; I'm lying low and not taking photos.  This one was taken last month somewhere out in Calaveras County.  By now all the grapevines are starting to leaf out. 

Valley of the Moon

Today was my recon through Sonoma Valley, or as I learned today, Valley of the Moon.  When I first saw this nickname I had to chuckle.  I was imagining it came about in some New Age sit-in.  A quick web search suggests that the name is quite a bit older, dating back to the 1850s and likely coming from a Native American term for the valley.  It turns out there's a book by Sonoma native Jack London called Valley of the Moon that makes this claim.  I found this valley very interesting in comparison to Napa Valley.  Sonoma has a much more "rolling hills dry California" feel to me, and Napa seems much more lush and more flat in the valley.  Anyway, it was pretty, and a fun recon.  I'm looking forward to getting back here soon, and hopefully in different light.

Napa Valley

A short intermission from Capay to show a different valley.  The mustard flowers are thinning in the Napa Valley vineyards this weekend, but I think the California poppies will be arriving soon!

The Old and the New

Here's another stretch of old vineyard with a fresh new covering of wild mustard.  In the background is a newer more geometric vineyard.  There is a variety of vineyard configurations in the valley.  I imagine each vineyard style depends on the type of grape grown, although I don't know much about it.  It really is a science though.  Here at UC Davis you could get a bachelors degree in viticulture! 

Berryessa Wine Country

I've been giving a lot of thought to my 2014 calendar, if you can believe it.  We're hardly in 2013, but I need to have my new calendar printed by July!  I was thinking I wouldn't photograph a spring Napa scene this year because I included one in last year's calendar.  I'm really hoping to get an almond blossom photo for the 2014.  (Expect a lot of almond blossom photos this week, I think!)  I was searching through my files from last year, and I came upon a few Napa photos that I didn't post last spring.  This one isn't exactly Napa; it's up past Lake Berryessa, which is a route I can take to Napa.  After looking at my spring Napa file, I decided I just have to get out there this week.  I'm still not planning on using a Napa mustard photo in the calendar, but at least it will break up the monotony of all the orchard shots I'll be taking this week!

Napa Valley Fog

The morning fog was thick in Napa Valley when I was here yesterday morning.  I'm no viticulture expert, but I understand that this pattern of morning fog and midday sun is part of the wine-making process here.  This vineyard was probably 20 feet away from me when I took this photo, and yes it really was that foggy!  I think it's a nice low contrast image.  Not at all in my style, but that's part of what I like about it. 

November 8

Pretty colors today in Napa.  Interesting too how each stretch of vineyard turns a different color.  This one was the most orange that I photographed.  I like the orange.  And I like how the open spaces make a triangle shape as they fade to the left.  I don't know though, as a photo maybe it seems a little cliche.   f/6.3 at 1/200, ISO100, 170mm.