Budding Vines Heralds Spring Travel

Bud Break - Spring Travel © Cori Solomon


In wine speak, the cycle of life for the vine begins in the spring. The vineyard starts to come to life as bud break approaches after laying barren and dormant during the winter. It is a new beginning and a new vintage, and signals a time when I am ready to explore what the vineyards have to offer. Therefore, wine lovers should consider spring travel as the ideal time to visit a wine region or a specific winery.

The smells and sounds of spring are all around in the vineyard, from the blossoming of flowers to the chirping of birds; I know this is the time for me to travel up the coast to my favorite wine regions as they beckon me to visit. Those calls are often from those wineries that practice sustainable, organic, or biodynamic farming.

Star Lane Vineyard View
Star Lane Vineyard View

Spring Travel And Down To Earth Month

Another signal of spring in California is Down To Earth Month, which celebrates California wines and wineries utilizing sustainable practices. Many wineries offer special events during April, encouraging spring travel to the wineries.

Venturing to the Central Coast

As spring comes to the vineyard, my favorite place to visit to discover the new vintage is the Central Coast. The area encompasses wine regions within Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, and San Luis Obispo County, including the Edna Valley and Paso Robles. In addition to bud break, another clue that spring has come to the vineyard is the mustard flower as it blooms in the fields adjacent to the vineyards. The rolling hills are alive with bursts of yellow, orange, and purple flowers. Between vine rows, wildflowers may bloom because they have a purpose in the regeneration of the vineyard.

first cluster © Karen Steinwachs
First Cluster. Photo courtesy of Karen Steinwachs

Spring Travel and Picnicking In The Vineyard

In the spring, I enjoy visiting my favorite wineries with areas for picnicking in and around the vineyards. Some have lovely ponds where the wildlife engages us with their presence., This is all part of the mystique of spring travel to Central Coast wineries and vineyards

Melville Winery © Cori Solomon
Picnic at Melville Winery

Buttonwood Farm Winery & Vineyard

One favorite winery to picnic and enjoy the scenery is Buttonwood Farm Winery & Vineyard in Solvang. Buttonwood is a sustainable winery and farm. The property features a lovely pond that is ideal for picnicking. Adjacent to the winery is a farm stand where one can purchase fresh produce.

For Buttonwood, vineyard life is structured around harmony, which begins with the soil utilizing organic materials to create a healthy mineral balance. In the vineyard, Buttonwood created natural ecosystems that encourage wildlife and birds of prey to reside and keep rodents and unwanted insects, birds, and animals in control. The pond is an enticing ecosystem for ducks, turtles, and others to dwell in its natural habitat. This harmonic balance comes together in the spring as the vineyard comes to life.

One of my fond memories at Buttonwood Farm Winery & Vineyard was the Annual Spring Vineyard Walk & Scavenger Hunt. I remember walking through the vineyards during bud break with winemaker Karen Steinwachs followed by a brunch at the pond. We were harmonizing with the vineyards and the wines on that glorious morning. This annual event signals bud break and the advent of spring.

Buttonwood Farm Winery and Vineyards Pond Spring Travel © Cori Solomon
Buttonwood Farm Winery and Vineyards Pond

This is an excerpt from an article I wrote for Travel World International.

To Read The Full Article Budding Vines Herald Spring

Note: Common to the wine industry, this writer received hosted spring travel winery visit. While it has not influenced this review, the writer believes in full disclosure.

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