Looking at the two men, one wouldn’t notice much in common; except maybe the worn out pair of jeans each wore and the purple stains under their finger nails. But these two men share the same passion – wine. “Some kids went to preschool,” said D.J. Latcham, a 24-year-old third generation winery owner and operator at Latcham Vineyards. “I went to the tasting room. There is wine in my veins. Some zin is in there somewhere.” For Mount Aukum winemaker Michel Prod’hon, a native of a tiny French village who moved to the U.S. 31 years ago, wine was a part of growing up. “When I grew up, we didn’t wait to drink. I have been drinking wine since I was little.” His childhood memories involved pickin

The El Dorado Winery Association’s Bring Out the Barrel will take place January 29-30, 2011. It features barrel tasting from 26 wineries in the El Dorado wine country. In addition, many wineries feature entertainment, live bands and food pairings. Ticket prices are $20 in advance if purchased before January 23. Discounts are also available for designated drivers and groups. To purchase tickets and learn more, visit www.eldoradowines.org. Before visiting an El Dorado winery, a few tips from veteran wine drinkers and winemakers on how to make the most of your experience: Find a designated driver. Convince a friend or hire a car service to be your driver for the day. These wineries offer g

Wine industry analyst Jon Fredrickson speaking at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium last week at the Sacramento Convention Center, said California wine shipments were down 1.6 percent. The largest disparity in sales included international exports in which 3.2 million fewer cases were shipped overseas. While Fredrickson argued that the decrease in California wine exports is due to the economy, his data and theories were being disputed only 50 miles away. The El Dorado Winery Association held its annual Bring out the Barrel event Saturday and Sunday to packed cellars and enthusiastic wine lovers. “We learned something and had great wine,” said Glenda Lumsden of Placerville, Calif. Along w

To truly understand what makes wine great, it helps if one knows how it is made. The process of creating wine involves more than just the type of grape, the soil and if it is meant for a bottle, jug or box. And although all of these variables factor into the final product, the character of a wine is determined during the aging process, while stored in barrels. Usually the public isn’t provided the opportunity to witness what makes great wine, and more importantly, to sample it before it hits the wine list at The Firehouse Restaurant or the shelf at Trader Joe’s. Not anymore.  For the third consecutive year, over 20 El Dorado County wineries will open their cellars for Bring out the Barre