Greetings to lovers of fine wine and golf (the perfect pairing). With summer just on the horizon, I thought that I would touch on traveling to some interesting places, meeting eccentric people and drinking incredible wines.

If you’re traveling through our beautiful Northwest and find yourself in the Seattle area (Maple Valley), look up a wonderful public golf course called Elk Run. This club is owned by Daryl Connell, a smart, humorous, personal and talented businessman with a disarming smile. His personal touches are everywhere. If you can get a tee time and get Daryl into your foursome, a unique experience awaits. My favorite reason to play golf with Daryl (he’s good, so don’t bet too much money with him) is because when you get to the hole, he first tells you about what inspired him to build that particular hole. After you tee off, he slings the bag over his shoulder and starts walking, stopping to pick up all the litter, garbage, cigarette butts, weeds and anything he thinks does not belong there. He takes a lot of pride in his course, and it shows in many ways.

After golf, head out toward Vashon Island and visit a winery called Andrew Will. It’s a short ferry ride from Seattle and absolutely worth the trip. Owner-winemaker-grower Chris Camarda is an eclectic, bright, renaissance man and master blender. He will take Cabernet Franc and do things with it that might be illegal in other states. He makes many different wines and loves experimenting with new blends. He gives his wines very interesting names such as Two Blonds, Ciel du Cheval, Champoux and Sorella. His wines are concentrated yet graceful. He blends power with elegance and concentration with finesse that defines his unique talent.

Driving down Highway 101 toward San Francisco, there’s a little gas station between Petaluma and Novato. Pull in and look up at the hill behind the station to find Kastania Winery. Knock on the door and you will find a smiling old guy named Hoot Smith. Now you have to believe that anybody named “Hoot” has got to be a hoot, and he will not disappoint. Hoot’s family has been farming this acreage since the late 1800s; in fact, they were the family who sold the land to build Highway 101 through that area. Hoot grows Pinot Noir, and his talented winemaker, Leslie Sisneros, performs magic with the grapes. The Pinots have enticing smoky oak and creamy vanilla aromas that enhance the dark fruit with delicate flavors of ripe strawberry and cranberry. Subtle spice notes of clove and cinnamon interweave with the tannins to add finesse to the finish.

Speaking of Pinot Noir, I have say that the 2007 vintage of California Pinot Noir is the finest Pinot vintage I have ever tasted. I have been tasting wines professionally for more than 30 years, and I have never seen an entire vintage this outstanding. This is the vintage to load your cellar with. Buy, buy, buy. Not only do they drink well now, but they will continue to improve in the bottle for the next 6-10 years. Let me know if you need help finding the right wine for you. — David Turchin