Tag: wine

Celebrating 50 Years

Fifty years ago Joann and exchanged wedding vows. Little did we know what the future would hold. It’s been a marvelous adventure, and I can’t imagine sharing fifty years with anyone else. To celebrate we decided to go wine tasting. We booked a couple of nights at a cute AirBnB in Sonoma called The Hacienda.

My grandparents moved to Sonoma in 1957, so I have many childhood memories, so I always enjoy a visit to Sonoma. On Wednesday morning we dropped our dog Carson off at Metrodog and drove up to Sonoma. We arrived with time to spare before checking into our accommodations. We walked around the square and had lunch at the Plaza Bistro. I had the special, a paella, which was out of this world. Delicious! After lunch we stopped at the Cheese Factory where we bought wine, cheese, crackers and a few other snacks.

Then it was off to the Sonoma Botanical Garden, a lovely place with large collection of Asian plants and a couple of lily ponds. It was a warm day so the walk through the shaded woodlands was welcome.

In the morning it was time to go wine tasting. Joann was inspired by an article in the San Francisco Chronical by Sara Schneider talking about the Moon Mountain Wine District. We had reservations to visit two wineries, Stone Edge Farm and Repris.

The road to Stone Edge was a very pretty, very windy, drive up the mountain. Philippe, the Director of Hospitality greeted us and gave us a tour of the facilities along with the history and philosophy of the farm. Mac McQuown, the Proprietor is quite and innovator. The estate produces first-growth quality Bordeaux-style wines from organically grown grapes in keeping with the highest environmental standards. The estate also has a microgrid that supplies all the electrical needs for the facility.

The wine tasting was quite educational, learning how to distinguish between wines with nuances of site, age and a host of other factors. We tasted some truly exceptional wines.

From Stone Edge we drove back down the mountain and over to Repris. As with Stone Edge, Cabernet grapes do well here. The yield on the mountain is less than that at the lower elevations, but the quality of the fruit lends itself to some excellent wines. Our tour included a jaunt around part of the mountain to a vantage point that gave us a good view of the property and a tour of the caves.

Once again, we tasted some excellent wines, and left with one bottle from each of the vineyards.

On Friday morning, the date of our actual anniversary, we had breakfast at Baker and Cook, which had excellent food. Then it was a tour of the Sonoma State Historic Park, where we refreshed our knowledge of the history of California, including the 25 days in 1846 when California was an independent nation.

Quixote Winery: A Hidden Napa Valley Gem

The Quixote Winery is a hidden gem among the better known wineries of the Napa Valley. It’s located on the east side of the valley in the Stags Leap District. Having returned from Spain in June with a fascination for Antoni Gaudi’s designs, a friend suggested we check out the winery.

  • Quixote Winery
  • Treve in the doorway at Quixote Winery
  • Quixote Winery

The whimsical architecture is like nothing else in the valley. The original winery owner, Carl Doumani, was fascinated by Don Quixote the Novel by Miguel de Cervantes. In his search for somebody that could create a winery to fit his vision he commissioned Friedensreich Hundertwasser, a Viennese artist and architect.

  • Quixote Malbec
  • Cheese Plate
  • Patty, our host pouring wine at Quixote Winery

We visited the winery on August 27, having made a reservation the day before. Tasting is by reservation only, although you might be able to get same day reservations. We signed up for the White Label Experience that included an estate tour and a tasting of five wines paired with a plate of gourmet cheeses. With just two of us we had a rather exclusive tasting. It was a delightful experience and we left with three bottles of wine. This is a small winery. The estate vineyards cover 27 acres with Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

  • Quixote Winery
  • Quixote Winery
  • Quixote Winery

If you are planning on visiting the Napa Valley keep in mind that there are some 400 wineries with tasting rooms, and the valley includes some 16 distinctive appellations, each with it’s own distinctive soils and climate that lend themselves to different varieties of grapes.

The Los Carneros AVA at the southern end has a cool climate moderated by marine winds from the Bay and soils dominated by a clay-hardpan. This region produces Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Noir. Thirty miles to the north the Calistoga AVA with warmer temperatures and rocky volcanic soil is better suited to thicker skinned grapes such as Cabernet, Zinfandel, Syrah and Petite Sirah.

If you are thinking about wine tasting check out the Napa Valley Winery Map and the Napa Valley Vintners.

Oh, and after our wine tasting we drove the short distance to Yontville where we split a Pulled Pork Sandwich at the R+D kitchen; a delight to the palate after the wine tasting. There’s no shortage of options for wine and food in the Napa Valley and the surrounding areas.

More photos here.

Anderson Valley

On Saturday November 24, with Thanksgiving behind us, we decided to hit the road for a three day trip to Mendocino. We grabbed a few items of food, a change of clothes, hopped in the truck and headed north, taking Highway 101 to Cloverdale where we turned west onto Highway 128. We logged 126 miles from our house to Mill Creek Retreat, where we had reserved a camp site ahead of time.  The drive took us four hours, since we’re inclined to take our time and enjoy the drive.

  • Fall color in the oaks in Anderson Valley.

As we headed west on Highway 128 we were surprised at the color along the route. Oaks and willows were putting on a show of yellow. We stopped to take a few photos. We just drove past many wineries and tasting rooms along the way. Being preoccupied with the color and beauty in the valley we didn’t stop for wine tasting. We did stop at the market in Boonville to pick up a bottle  of wine from one of the local wineries,  a bottle of Husch Pinot Noir which proved to be quite nice.  There are dozens of wineries along this drive, so you could easily spend a day or more just visiting wineries. 

Treve, Carson and our Four Wheel Camper at Mill Creek Retreat

We arrived at our intended camping destination at 3:30, set up camp and let our dog Carson loose to roam free. One of our criteria for selecting Mill Creek Retreat was the fact that it’s a dog friendly and dogs can be off leash. We found this location through Hipcamp.com, a website that lists camping locations on private property that may not be listed on other camping directories.  

The next morning, before heading off to explore the town of Mendocino we walked down to the creek. I was curious to see what photo opportunities I might discover. I can usually find something close at hand. 

  • Mill Creek
  • Window in the woods. Mill Creek

Sure enough there was some color along the creek, and with the soft-misty light of the clearing fog, I captured a few pictures. I had to improvise a camera support, since my tripod got left behind. I jury rigged three trekking poles with with a little  Ultra-pod. This seemed to be sufficient for my Sony RX 100.

At the end of the day we found ourselves at Van Damme Beach where we watched the sun sink into the ocean before heading back to camp.

Sunset at Van Damme Beach. Mendocino

More on Mendocino in the next post.

World Tourism Day

La Cité du Vin. Bordeaux, France.
La Cité du Vin. Bordeaux, France.

Having just returned from France, I thought it would be appropriate to share something from our recent travels for World Tourism Day. One of the locations we visited was La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux. I was struck by the design of the building, with it’s flowing curves and ribs. Evocative of  knotted vines, wine barrels, wine turning in the glass, and the swirls and eddies of the the adjacent Garonne River. The website says “Each and every architectural detail evokes liquid elements and the very soul of wine.” Beyond the design, the museum houses exhibits about wine, covering every aspect of wine that you might imagine.

Vin s’il vous plaît?

Forest at Parc Naturel Regional des Landes de Gascogne
Artwork at Chateau de Villandraut
View of rolling hills and vinyards.
Churh of Sainte-Croix du-Mont
Churh on our bike route

We’ve logged 102 km on our bike ride, having left the town of Cadillac on the morning of September 17th. Our ride has taken us over the rolling hills of the wine country in the Bordeaux region, past Chateaus, churches, through a variety of villages and hamlets to the small town of Origne, where we’re taking a day to just relax. The french motorists are very courteous and respectful of cyclists it seems. A contrast to riding at home. Enjoying fabulous food and wine along the way.

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