OAKHURST – Under clear blue skies, the Oakhurst Fall Festival had people from all over out and about last weekend, enjoying arts and crafts, food and beverages, kids activities, exciting carnival rides and plenty of entertainment. The weather was cooperative, with warm days and cool star-studded nights to climb aboard the Ferris wheel, and take in the other midway rides. ...

The next day we took a train to Siena to see the sights. We were a bit disappointed because we learned — with both Siena and Florence — that the cities are okay, they have a number of pretty spectacular churches, but the real things to see are the items in the museums and they take far longer than we ...

By Karen and Ken Geiszler, Winery-Sage.com —  Wine and chocolate. To some they are an integral part of a special Valentine’s Day. I know many people tend to view chocolate as one of the basic food groups (my wife certainly does) and Valentine’s Day seems like the perfect occasion to celebrate the pairing of wine and chocolate. Contrary to popular ...

By Karen and Ken Geiszler, Winery-Sage.com —  Valentine’s Day – it’s a holiday unlike any other. The traditional autumn and winter holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve revolve around lots of family, friends, food, and parties. The summer holidays of Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day bring visions of parties, picnics, BBQ, and swimming. Valentine’s Day is ...

MADERA COUNTY — Visit Yosemite Madera County suggests we all do something unique for Valentine’s Day, and they’ve got just the thing. On Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 10 – 11, the Madera Wine Trail will host its 16th annual Wine & Chocolate Weekend. Visitors can travel to eight Madera wineries and taste a wide variety of award-winning wines, sample gourmet ...

By Karen and Ken Geiszler, Winery-Sage.com —  Welcome to part two of our Holiday Food & Wine Pairing blog feature. Today, the focus is on pairing some of the traditional Holiday Appetizers with wines. General Rules for Pairing Appetizers with Wines Choose lighter wines to start. Starting with a heavy wine destroys your palate’s ability to detect the subtlety of ...

By Karen and Ken Geiszler, Winery-Sage.com —  Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a first timer, if you are planning to serve wine with your holiday meal, serving the right type of wine can’t be overstated. Below, we’ve provided some general terms and guidelines along with some handy links that are good to have at your fingertips. Once you’ve read ...

OAKHURST – Stop by Western Sierra Nursery on Friday, June 9 for “An Evening of Whine and Noses” to benefit the Eastern Madera County SPCA (EMC SPCA) and help outfit the shelter. This marks the second time the event will be hosted by Western Sierra Nursery owners, Dianna and Jeff Conaway. The night out includes live music and special human ...

MARIPOSA — The Mariposa County Courthouse is the oldest courthouse in the state, and west of the Rocky Mountains it’s the oldest courthouse still in use. Now, the public is invited to stroll around the stately grounds and enjoy a blend of fine art and great wine, as Mariposa Yosemite Art and Wine Festival returns for its 13th year on Saturday, May 27. ...