Nothing like the sport of wine-tasting - if you can call it a sport - likely not, I realize that. No sweat. No elevated heart rate. No pain. In fact it's quite the opposite - wine-tasting is all pleasure. And last weekend it was all pleasurable during my personalized Tour de Napa at some of the best wineries in town. Friday afternoon, my dear friend Sally, visiting to escape the Seattle rain, went direct from Oakland (International) Airport to the lovely Patz & Hall tasting room in South Napa. Here the specialty is Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Each sip was sumptuous - and truly worth every single penny. A+++.
From Patz & Hall we headed to downtown Napa to the Olabsi tasting room - a sort of classic hole in the wall on one of the decrepid side streets of Napa - actually this particular street is not as bad as others -- though there really is a retail problem in Napa, which would be LACK of retail. It's amazing to me that there are first rate restaurants, hotels, and bars, but if a girl wants a sexy pair of slingbacks or a refill of MAC or just a fun throwaway Tee, well it's not happening in this town.
So back to wine....Napa sells wine. Not clothes. Olabsi....Well all I can say is that we bought into the "buy a case and get one free" -- and that's what we did --- I now have a fabulous case of Chardonnay sitting adjacent to my wine fridge because that puppy is full.
Saturday morning - 10:30 - the limo arrives -- I know - so decadent --- I keep thinking about how I could use (or save) this money in so many other ways -- it's hard not too feel guilty -- at the same time it's not worth wine-tasting and driving around the Valley -- I already seem to be a police magnet.
First stop - Fleury. Now, hear this one out. You drive up to a semi-modern chocolate brown barn and you think you might be in store for an 18th century sort of situation - sitting on haystacks and watching chickens wobble around you - but I walk in and see Las Vegas. SUCH a disappoint. They had two rolling racks of logoed Polo's, two cases of OAKLEY sunglasses (well one was filled with jewelry), and then a hodge-podge of other crap. The good news, however, was that the wine was fantastic - and once the tasting began, their poor taste in "accessorizing" went bye the bye.
From Fleury we drove (or rode) to Quintessa - a MUST SEE FOR all - so so so beautiful. It's a classic tour. The wine - well ask my friend JoAnn - she was not one to taste and pour out -- it all went into the "taste category" - and once again I left with several bottles in tow. We left Quintessa to head to St. Helena to the revered Spring Mountain. Our host, a nice Jewish boy from New Jersey who happens to have the very same birthday as moi, was most lovely and most knowledgeable about our 5 wines we sipped on. Or was it 6? Or 7. Who's counting?
While I could have been on a 4 hour bike ride that day, I spent 4 + hours living the high-life. No regrets. Just the feeling of fortune. And a mild case of the obese-fairy and her imminent arrival....though she really arrived the next day, at the cheese-tasting affair - but that story is for another day.
Really good post. I am impressed much this time with Tina.
800 HD
Posted by: Glen Dimon | 04/20/2011 at 09:19 PM