Wine tasting

From Vegas one weekend to wine tasting in Sonoma the next, I have to admit, life is pretty good. This past Friday evening I hopped on a Southwest plane headed for the golden state and despite landing a bit late, was happy to spend the evening in the home where I grew up.

The following morning Lindy and Laura picked me up and we hopscotched over to Oakland to pick up Meghan. We couldn't have asked for a better drive north to Sonoma County.  The sun was out, the sky was clear and we managed to avoid any possible traffic slowdowns, making it to the hotel in no time.  No doubt the constant chatter helped pass the time as well.

After checking in we loaded back in the car to head to the initial winery of our "Winter WINEland Tour".   Upon checking in we received our commemorative wine glass and wrist band and set our sights on our first taste of the day.  The tour included 140 wineries, each sampling a few different types and vintages of wine, accompanied by an often tastefully flavor-paired small bite or snack.  We had no intention of hitting up anywhere close to the total number of wineries available on the tour, so having left my camera in Arizona, my phone in Alameda and my worries, who knows where, this lady was ready to enjoy good company, new flavors and a fabulous weekend no matter how many wineries we visited.

I certainly prefer white wines, but quickly learned I was in the land of Zinfandels and Pinot Noirs.  No worries, like I said I was just along for the adventure. After a few sips and a scrumptious bite of tri-tip, we paused for a photo opt before heading down the road.  Our second stop was more indoor than out and included a rather chilly barrel room. Again we sampled the wines, enjoyed samples of polish sausage and bratwurst and eventually made our way to another winery.

We opted to stop and stay a short while at the next location and savored our wine and three-meat-chili while enjoying the unseasonably warm weather in the outdoor patio.  Interestingly enough, no matter where we went all weekend, without fail and to her own chagrin, Meghan managed to find, and sit in, the spot where the sun was the strongest. Most times a table rotation would ensue, or Meghan would steadily inch one direction or another to maintain any minimal shade coverage available.  It was truly an uncanny talent.

















About a handful of wineries, grilled cheese sandwiches, fresh tortillas, orzo and chips later, we settled in at our final winery to await our final group member, Alicia.  We chatted and laughed for quite some time until we realized we were starting to get a bit chilly, then headed for the hotel.

It wasn't quite time for dinner, but we knew we'd be making our way downtown at some point, so we headed out on foot in the small town of Windsor. We walked about 5 blocks and were one turn from exiting the town, not on purpose mind you, when we saw, and made our way to the town pub. Just as we were finishing up dinner we noticed a small DJ station setting up behind us.  What's this, an opportunity to, as my mom says, dance like no one's watching? Sign me up!  As the DJ started mixing I knew I could only resist the need to boogie down for oh so long.  Meghan was in at the start but Lindy, Laura and Alicia initially tried to deny their dancing ways.

 
A few requests here, a little tomfoolery there, and voila, all us were on the dance floor shakin what our mamas gave us!  I grew up a rather shy kid, but having broken through my shy shell as an adult and knowing I was likely never going to see these pub occupants again, I planned to dance to my heart's content! Like magic, when we'd dance, others would join us.  That's right, I'll say it, we were the life of the party.  On rare occasion when we'd sit a few songs out, the floor would clear, but as soon as we got back to rockin out on the dance floor others were quick to join.  Alicia was the most shy of our dancing party, but she undoubtedly enjoyed her time gettin down and funky before sneaking off to observe our silly ways.  Around last call we were all danced out and had certainly worn out our song request welcome on the local DJ, so we headed back to the hotel.

Cherry stem knots... that's right!

The next day I was a bit stiff from all our dancing, but was still a happy little clam, having had such a fantastic time the day/night before.  A little hotel breakfast later, we searched for some decent coffee before eventually ending up in a sports bar/restaurant to watch the 49ers play the Falcons.  The 9ers were off to a bit of a rough start, but made a great comeback, winning themselves a spot in this year's Superbowl. Post 49er glory we made our way home and again made great time. I finished up the day watching the Ravens, Patriots game and was more than pleasantly surprised with the Ravens who dominated New England, to gain their spot in the Superbowl. This Ravens victory even inspired me to buy my very first football jersey!

Heading home Monday I felt truly enlivened by the time spent catching up, goofing off, and wine tasting in sunny California.  Plus, add on two great football games and my team in the Superbowl, this weekend was certainly a 12 on a scale of 1 to 10.  As the plane coasted along I watched the California coastline slowly fade out of sight and was a bit sad to leave my favorite state; however, once I stepped out into the 80 degree January afternoon with the knowledge that soon I'd see Jonathan, Mr. Jackson, and the kitties, I knew I was quite happy to be home.  

Till next time ladies!