(FoxNews) - The three friends, all in their late 20s, were enjoying their annual weekend getaway. But they weren’t lounging by a pool, getting tipsy on beer or sugary cocktails.

Instead, they were out in the sun, sipping wine at Acorn Winery in Sonoma County, Calif., during a recent Barrel Tasting weekend. They were talking about wine with the people who make it, and they were sampling it, sometimes straight from the barrel, at more than 100 wineries.

“All of our friends are interested in wine,” said Andrea Montalbo, 27, a nurse from San Francisco.

“Drinking wine is social,” said Montalbo's friend, Emma Symons, 27, who works in marketing.

“You develop a palate of what you like, and you are much more aware of what you are drinking,” said Marlon Figuero, 27, a portfolio manager in San Francisco. “You appreciate the time it takes to make the wine, and how much work went into it…. When I get together with my friends, we bring our favorite discoveries. It’s fun to share wine and create memories.”