A bubbly bevy of ‘California Wine Month' festivities will shimmer in September

THE GOLDEN STATE'S GOLDEN MONTH: No one would dare dispute the fact that California is pretty golden throughout the year, from the yellow desert wildflowers that add warmth to wintertime to the summer sunsets that glimmer goldishly. Californians' outlooks are frequently pretty golden, too, or at least sunny, adding more credibility to our state's carat-worthy character. But the most gold-strong stretch of the calendar arrives with the start of September, when mellower fall days are around the corner and hundreds of Golden State wineries begin to host harvest-related happenings. September is, in fact, California Wine Month, and if you're hoping to raise a glass of something golden while strolling by amber-hued vines, look to the California Wine Institute, which has several suggestions on making the most of this sublime time.

TOURS, TALKS, TASTINGS: Given that there are numerous wine countries around California, and each has its own oomph, you may want to decide which region you'll focus upon, if indeed you must focus upon only one. (Surely it is an oenophile's dream to hopscotch, or vineyard-scotch, from around the state's different wine countries for much of the month.) Dutton Estate in Sebastopol is offering Crushpad Tours on select dates while Escondido's Grape Day Festival will add zing to September's second Saturday. And on Sept. 17? This might be a bucket-list-y sort of outing: Yoga enthusiasts will gather at Oyster Ridge Barn at Ancient Peaks Winery in Santa Margarita for a morning on the mats.

GOLDEN GIVEAWAY: There are oodles of oeno-outings and appetizing adventures afoot in 2023, but if this is the year you plan to keep close to home all while dreaming of future wine adventures? Take heart: A free e-book, filled with recipes and California wine inspiration, is available on the California Wine Institute's site.