August 5, 2012
I’ve been living in California for-28-years-now, and, have never had the occasion to visit California’s wine country. Sure, I’ve tasted wines in a number of locales, and, I even road tested “Resurrection: The Road Back” in the Bedstemmor’s wine cellar – but, I’ve never done the Napa Strip in-all-the-time I’ve worked towards becoming an honorary Californian.
I’ve done Paarl and Stellenbosch in S. Africa (which are beautiful and a-ton-of-fun), and, Margaret River in Southwestern Australia – which is also superbly scenic and-a-palate-of-fun – but for some reason…I have never made the Napa Trip…
It was a perfect Summer’s Day in Cali Wine County (I’d say about 80 degrees Fahrenheit), and, with-not-a-cloud-in-the-sky – the two valleys showed off their vineyards and colorful, contoured hills to this first-time visitor; but, because I was driving the new van (yes folks, Livingston VW managed to fix the bugs and get me my roof racks – so I’m going to advertise them for-a-couple-of-years [as promised]); and, had a-party-of-7 (including Yours Truly), I couldn’t get quite as schnockered as I would have liked: but I could still revel in the ambience.
Our first stop was at the Persian winery, Darioush (so my readers know that I was with Giti and her friends on this trip) – which, although architecturally impressive and very classy – was very over-priced. It looked like we wouldn’t be tasting here — because of the prohibitive pricing — until we bumped into a young party (touring by limousine) who didn’t have a wine opener for their magnum of cabernet. Since I always carry a wine opener with me (I’m tired of punching corks through the neck [and not all Cali wines have made the conversion to screw tops]) – my briefly loaned wine opener got us all a taste of this most excellent cab.
At Peju – we went through the entire tasting process; which, definitely set-the-tone for-the-day. Though I’m strictly a Chardonnay drinker — because of my rosecea — we had-to-get a-couple-of-bottles of exquisite Sauvignon Blanc. Then we went to Sattui’s…which was one massive party: with a wedding going on and music and wine and cheese tasting and the biggest, most full, parking lot I’ve seen at any winery (and you know how many wineries you pass on the Napa Strip). If I lived up here, I’d try a different winery each weekend: If I can ever afford a chauffeur – I’ll come up every Saturday Evening!
Because I was with a large crowd and the designated driver – I didn’t get to be the Wino I am on my first trip to Napa and Sonoma, and, I certainly wasn’t going to be able to play THE GREATFUL DEAD – what with a Farsi sing-a-long going on the entire time I drove. It wasn’t till the next day, upon my return from the River Rock Casino (where I was ahead for a few moments) and full of the House Chard – that I was able to put on THE DEAD’s “100 Years’ Hall,” and, finally, became a certified Californian:
…I want to go where the climate suits my clothes…
In my wine buzz, with the sunshine and the temperature a replica of the Napa journey the day before — I cast off all those bullshit worries that the work-a-day-world puts on us, and, felt golden for the first time in-a-long-time – serenaded by the Dead. I was either in heaven or ready for it.
And now, with the Rosenthal Winery putting a tasting house right-across PCH from my Topanga surfing spot – life in Cali has definitely taken a golden turn onto that golden path. If a chilled cabernet doesn’t heat up my rosecea-tainted blood, I might be able to color the golden stairway with some hues of red…