Relaxing for a change

Today was a nice easy day...a nice change. Got to watch the entire Giants/Dodgers game, wash both cars, and have a great dinner: steak, corn, al dente vegetables, and a nice mellow 1993 Renaissance cab.

I remember when we visited this winery. My folks were still alive and my dad had read about it in the paper. He wasn't so much interested in the wine, as the fact that they were making wine in Yolo county. So my folks, Judi, and I took a trip over there. When we got there it was like a fortress without walls. A guard hut at the entrance, and they seemed non-plussed that we would show up without an appointment. After a bit of a wait, they allowed us in, but "you have to stay on the road. Go right to the tasting room and don't stop between here and there."

So we stopped off when we saw a gorgeous rose garden. We walked around for a while, then went to the tasting room. When we got there, clearly they had been timing us, because, they asked how it had taken us to long to get there. There were other people in the tasting room, so I was able to poke around a little, and I found an open door, which led to an amazing little concert hall, which was all set up for a performance of a baroue chamber opera which was to happen that night. Lovely acoustics, and really top quality instruments.

I slipped back into the tasting room very impressed. The vines were terraced along the (foot)hill sides, and the wines were tasty. So we bought some, and went home talking about whether or not it was a cult disguised as a winery. No conclusion there, but the wines have held up quite well. And, for about 5 years or so, I would regularly get calls from a guy named Joseph, who would offer me "deals" on the wine. Strange in many ways...