Mostly bad weather during the first week of our trip, so not too much hiking. Got to learn more about the Paso Robles wine area, discovering to my surprise that there are really two distinct ones. Although they are only maybe 20 kilometers apart, the better-known one is in sunny and dry conditions, favoring powerful red wines like Zinfandel. The second is in the hills, higher up, foggier, and wetter. These conditions are good for Rhone varietals, so I got to sample lots of Mourvedre, Granache, and Rhone-style blends of the type rarely found in California.

Yesterday we arrived in the desert resort of Palm Springs. And here there’s nothing much to do but wait for news. The book is to be reprinted tomorrow. Shipping date is said to be Friday. Release date for the new PPW panel is supposedly Wednesday. This site will go live within the week.