Wine Tour Reviews
Becky Larson of Larson Family Winery writes:
“Corinne has done an excellent job capturing the essence of each winery. I loved the comments from the various winery principals, the selection of music that accompanies each track and, with all those coupons included, this CD is a must-have for anyone planning on touring the Carneros region.”
Jo Ann Truchard of Truchard Winery writes:
“Corinne has done a fabulous job of giving a picture of Carneros—bits of history and personalities, all with wonderful musical background. General wine knowledge is also offered to make your wine trip more enjoyable.”
Marin IJ
Cuisine Scene: Tour before you quaff
Leslie Harlib
Article Launched: 12/11/2007 07:55:59 PM PST
Corinne Van Houten loves touring the Wine Country so much she decided to turn her passion into a business.
The 54-year-old Terra Linda resident has just released a new CD, "Wine Tasting in the Carneros Region of Sonoma and Napa Valley," retailing for $15.
It's an audio driving tour of 11 wineries: Roche, Cline, Schug, Robledo, Larson Family, Homewood, Domaine Carneros, McKenzie-Mueller, Bouchaine, Ceja and Truchard.
"Each one has its own track so you can choose which wineries you want to visit and in what order," Van Houten explains. The CD also comes with a map detailing their locations, and $40 worth of coupons for complimentary tastings at four of the wineries.
The idea, she says, is for people visiting Sonoma's Wine Country to listen to the CD in their cars as "something to whet your appetite for these wineries, and to get familiar with what each winery is about and what the wines are like when you want to tour Sonoma County."
Van Houten, who conducted interviews with either vintners, the owners or key personnel at each winery she briefly profiles, also does the narration. Music's part of the experience; a different tune is linked to each winery. Van Houten says she's particularly proud that the French group, Bagette Quartet based in Berkeley, donated songs to the soundtrack in exchange for credit.
With a doctorate in women's studies, art history and literary criticism from Emory University in Atlanta, one self-published mystery novel about art, "A Feast of Small Surprises," under her belt and a second novel in the works, Van Houten's no stranger to dreaming up projects.
"When we first moved out here five years ago from Paris, I couldn't wait to get to the Wine Country," she says. "My husband noticed I was up there all the time. He said, 'Why don't you do something productive?' I thought the idea of a CD would be cool."
It's available at Cline, Homewood and Larson Family wineries in Sonoma, Enoteca Sonoma in downtown Sonoma on the Square or online at www.corinnevanhouten.com.
Carneros Wine Tour
Author and art historian Corinne Van Houten has released a new CD of a tour of the wineries of Carneros. Even if you’re reasonably familiar with the small wineries hiding in our cool southern hills, I bet you’ll learn many interesting facts as you listen to the CD, perhaps in your car as you visit.
It would be a great resource to lend to visiting guests to get them out of your hair for a day, or to give them before they come to Napa.
A map and tracks for each winery make it easy for anyone to pick and choose the wineries they want to visit.
The CD includes $40 worth of tasting coupons for wineries. The CD is available from her web site (www.corinnevanhouten.com).
Paul Franson
NapaLife
1/22/08
