My name is Cathy Gartley. I live in New England with my husband and two beautiful sons. I have a full-time day job as a project manager. When I’m not working or taking care of my family, my favorite pastime is wine. Most of what I have learned about wine comes from all of the tastings and tours that I have been to or from the wine books and magazines that I read avidly. I love drinking wine more for the educational aspect than the social aspect. I get excited when I can blindly identify a specific type of wine or pick out aromas, and I like learning about the history behind the winery that made it. I started converting family members and friends to wine by sharing this knowledge with them. Although I have primarily documented my experiences in Napa and Sonoma thus far, I have been to wineries in Canada and a number of other U.S. states including Washington, Oregon, Virginia, and all over New England. I also want to tour the wine countries throughout Europe and other parts of the world.

During my many visits to Napa and Sonoma I have learned a lot about the history of the wineries I have visited. Each winery has a unique story. This journal represents all of the stories and lasting memories of the wineries that I have collected over the years. I always have a companion with me when I travel to wine country. A lot of the appeal of visiting the wineries is having someone to share the experience with me. Besides, I need a designated driver to cart me around to all of the places I want to visit. Throughout my journal I will refer to “we” when talking about visiting wineries. Most of the time I am referring to my husband Ryan since we have now made it a yearly tradition to visit wine country and we try to stop in at new places each time. There are some other occasions when I have brought a friend or sister along. I hope you enjoy reading about my adventures as much as I enjoy writing about them!