I'm a little mixed up. Someone asked about direct-sowing in the fall, but I can't really tell from the replies if anyone who responded actually direct-sows. I do see a couple of replies which seem to be about fall-sowing, in pots, but that's a different animal.
I've direct-sown before, but on a very small scale, and my winter isn't much to speak of. The germination was almost all in the early spring, and weed competition makes it a real chore to deal with.
Curt explains the details of his sowing method in the All Things Plants podcast #52. It's well worth listening to.
