Kuleto Estate Vineyards

Sunday afternoon was reserved for Kuleto Estate Vineyards - one of the most amazing vineyards I've ever seen. Our fabulous guide, Rick, gave us an extensive tour of the gorgeous estate and surrounding vineyards. All the while, refilling glass after glass of wine for everyone to enjoy. After the tour, it was back to the veranda for more wine and a selection of specialty cheeses and crackers. There were ten of us in the group - a fantastic collection of people with fascinating backgrounds including an architect, a nurse, and a package designer who's lovely Cuban mother was visiting him from New Jersey. He told me she was preparing a fantastic meal of traditional Cuban food for him and his friends the next day. He even invited me to the party (possibly because he feared I might have a heart attack because of my excitement over the thought of traditional Cuban food) - so generous and kind of him. I wish I could have gone.

I also had a lovely chat with the nurse in our group. She told me stories of other tastings she and her boyfriend had experienced during their vacation. At one tasting they learned the three levels of smelling your wine:
1. Wave the glass gently under your nose - these are the flowers and the fruits.
2. Take a slightly deeper smell - these are the vegetables and minerals.
3. Plunge your nose into the glass and take a deep breath - this is the alcohol and the wood.

After glass number three or four, I couldn't keep up. I had to start drinking water because my head was spinning. Never-the-less, I was still able to enjoy a lovely conversation with the architect about Frank Lloyd Wright (one of my favorite architects) as well as his favorites, whom I'd never heard of, and don't remember, because I didn't write them down. Everyone was so friendly. There's nothing like a bit of wine to loosen up even the most nervous introvert. After I had consumed those three or four glasses of wine, I noticed Zach had left the table with Rick, our tour guide. About a half an hour later, they returned with the ever allusive Pinot Noir. Let me explain....
Zach took this tour with some friends on a guys' road trip several months back, but he was never able to taste the Pinot Noir because it wasn't part of the wine selection on the tour. This time he was determined, so he bought a bottle of 2004 Pinot Noir (the stuff is so good that the 2006 was already gone.) and shared it with our group. Everyone said it was the best Pinot they'd tasted. What a nice guy.

Around five o'clock, we all rolled into our cars, thankfully everyone had selected a designated driver or had hired one, and Zach, who has the alcohol tollerence of an Irish Rugby player, had been drinking water for about an hour. The afternoon was full of great wine and conversation. It was a fabulous experience I will always remember with affection.

Robert Sinskey Vineyards

We started our Sunday morning with a drive to Robert Sinskey Vineyards. I drove the Vette for the first (and only) time through winding roads and tried to imagine I was on the Top Gear test track with the Stig guiding me through the turns. RSV was a picturesque vineyard complete with koi pond. After our tasting, we enjoyed a small bottle Pinot Blanc on the back patio. A lovely morning.

More Wine Tasting

We went to Seghesio Tasting Room in the morning and then on to Guilliams Vineyards in the afternoon. Run by husband and wife team, John and Shawn Guilliams, the vineyard is a relaxing environment in which to taste their wine. Located on Spring Mountain in Napa Valley, this is yet another special place full of casual grace and friendly hospitality. Upon arriving, we were welcomed by John Guilliams and guided down around the back of the tasting room where we relaxed in lawn chairs overlooking the lush vineyards while sipping the most delicious Merlot we've ever tasted. I've never been a fan of Merlot, but this one was superb. It was a relaxing afternoon and a lovely addition to our wine-tasting tour.

Dinner in the Park

We headed into downtown Healdsburg for a visit to Rosenblum Cellars Tasting Room and then on to Riverfront Regional Park, bottle of Reserve Syrah in tow, for a lovely picnic dinner under the Redwoods.

Visiting Medlock Ames Vineyard

Our wine-tasting tour started in the northern part of Sonoma County at Medlock Ames. It could have ended here, and I would have been completely satisfied, because it goes down on my list of favorite places.

We drove up to the sturdy wooden carport with its solar-paneled roof and parked the Vette in one of the few available spaces. After wandering around for a few minutes photographing the woodland surroundings, we decided to venture up to a small house in the distance. I scheduled a vineyard tour and tasting with Shane for Friday at noon. Since there wasn't a single sign declaring this to be Medlock Ames, we could only hope we had followed the directions correctly and made it to the right place. As soon as we neared the house, Shane came out to greet us; welcoming us as if we were family.

The front porch of the ranch-style house sheltered a sizable wooden table just waiting to accommodate a large group of wine-loving tourists. But there was no large group of tourists, just Zach and me. And that is how they do things here at Medlock Ames - relaxed and personable. Shane brought out a bottle of white (cue Billy Joel) and two glasses from the kitchen where several people were canning fruits and vegetables from the organic garden. They all looked like they were having so much fun, I was ready to roll up my sleeves and go help them as they hovered over steaming pots of boiling water and produce. Before I knew it, I had a glass of white wine in my hand, and we were off on our tour.

Shane walked us through the grounds, explaining the origin of the vineyard's namesake - a combination of the middle names of the two men who started the vineyard. Medlock, if I remember correctly, is Shane's brother-in-law and he and Ames were long-time friends who decided to start the vineyard together after leaving other careers. Shane pointed out the organic methods used in the vineyard, including four ponds used to collect rain water for irrigation and the introduction of barn owls as a natural method of reducing a gopher problem. We sampled some of the grapes and learned that around harvest time they know when the grapes are ready, in part, based on how the seeds give way between their teeth. We meandered around organic gardens and talked about the importance of using sustainable growing methods. Growing a garden with nature in mind often works better than "traditional" methods, which aren't really that "traditional" since farmers haven't always had synthetic fertilizer, but they have always had manure.

The tour was casual and informative as well as inspirational. We learned so many interesting facts about the process and the place. We even got to meet Ames! Through it all, we always had a glass of wine to enjoy. After we finished the Sauvignon blanc, we sampled a rose. The best rose I've ever had. We sipped it while touring the gravity flow system used to make the wine. Selected for its gentle processing, gravity flow helps retain all the subtle flavors as the grapes move through the stages that advance them from juice to wine. We saw the large metal vats that hold the delicious liquid as well as the barrels housed below that nurse it on its journey to become some of the best wine Zach and I have tasted. Every decision from the addition of natural predators (barn owls) to the inclusion of a large window in the winery so the workers are exposed to healthful natural light is made with the highest regard for the environment and the well-being of Medlock Ames' employees. It's a remarkable place.

Upon completion of our tour, we sat out on the front porch around that large table (joined by the vineyard dog - whose name I unfortunately can't remember) and talked with Shane about wine, photography, the environment. We were hooked. We loved the wine. We loved the vineyard. We loved the tour (thanks to the best tour guide ever!). I know I'm gushing, but I seriously can't say enough about this place. As if the day couldn't get any more perfect, Shane showed us where the picnic table was so we could enjoy the picnic lunch we had packed. He then sent us on our way (but not without filling our glasses with more Rose first), and we strolled over to the picnic area. Truly a perfect day.

Heading to Sebastopal... Try to say that three times fast.

Thursday morning we checked out of the hotel, and I waited for Zach to finish up at the VMware conference. Luckily I was able to hang out in the lovely outdoor courtyard located in the center of the Marriott where we stayed. Then we headed over to Hertz to pick up our second rental car (a Corvette - yippee for specials!) and headed up north to wine country, Sebastopol to be specific.

For dinner, we found a fabulous little place called Starlight Wine Bar. The restaurant was actually a converted train car inside a large barn - super cool place. Our meal was fantastic. We each sampled three types of white wine. Zach had the most amazing Duck confit pizza with roasted onion, fontina cheese, and fresh herbs as well as, of course, mac & cheese. For starters, I had one of the best crab cakes I've ever eaten served with fennel apple slaw and creole mustard vinaigrette. For my main dish, I had Warm Beet and Arugula salad with Chevre Croquettes, pine nuts and 25-year aged sherry vinaigrette which was superbly complex and flavorful. I'm salivating while I'm writing this.