Cheers to the Delish Delights of California Wine Month

GOLDEN HOUR? We all know generally what that means, whether you call it twilight, or the gloaming, or the moments just before sunset, or just after, or the few minutes you spend winding down, with a good glass of wine, before the first star begins to twinkle. It's a special stretch of the day, something rather meaningful and sweet, and a time we'd like to extend by a few hours, or a day, or even a week. But there is a Golden Month that occurs in several parts of the Golden State, and it atmospherically unspools throughout the golden span of September. For the ninth month is California Wine Month, meaning that oenophiles, travel buffs, and anyone who appreciates a funky/elegant/memorable tasting room experience can find plenty to do, wherever they might be rambling. For all of California's lauded wine countries, north to south?

YOU CAN BET THEY'RE ON BOARD... with a host of happenings, from tours to auctions to grape stomps. Rodney Strong Vineyards in Healdsburg is hosting a Harvest Dinner on Sept. 18, with Pacific Connection helming the wine-complementing cuisine, while the lively Lodi Grape Festival unfurls that same day (in Lodi, of course). Country music is in the sound-strong spotlight at South Coast Winery's via Rhythm on the Vine, which adds a tuneful twang to the Temecula Valley on Sept. 23. And if you want to connect with the Napa harvest scene? Best make for Merryvale, in St. Helena, on the final Sunday in September. For all of the vino-vivacious doings, spend a few golden minutes perusing the California Wine Month site.