I'm gonna be a mighty king so enemies beware! Well, I've never seen a king of beasts with quite so little hair.

King Estate Winery

She Said:  We made it to King Estate Winery on the drive up to Albany, Oregon!  I had been here last summer with my aunt, cousin, and mom and was blown away, so I knew I wanted to take G.  The views of this winery are breath taking.  I highly suggest if you are in Eugene to make a stop here.  King Estate has a wonderful restaurant with delicious food. You can sit out on the patio sipping wine and enjoy the panoramic view.  We lucked out and the weather was hot, complete with blue skies, a rarity for Oregon.  The most random part of the entire King Estate adventure was while tasting G was wearing his New Jersey hot dog shirt.  A family tasting next to us was from New Jersey, and when they see G's shirt, struck up a conversation.  Before we knew it; their doctor was G's uncle!!!  Small world.

Goin' places that I've never been, Seein' things that I may never see again, And I can't wait to get on the road again.

She Said:  McMenamins is an Oregon institution.  Listed as one of the top 50 largest craft breweries in the United States, over 60 brewpubs, microbreweries, historic hotels, theater pubs that make up this McMenamin empire.  It is amazing to see how they take over old buildings and restore them in to works of art.  On Saturday before the wedding a group of us went to eat at the Black Rabbit, one of the restaurants on the Edgefield property in Troutdale.   After lunch we walked the grounds to see the distillery, golf course, gardens, and there was a line of Willie Nelson fans waiting for the concert later on that evening.



This place is a sight to see, and I am excited on future trips to Oregon to explore more locations.  I must say the food at Black Rabbit was sub par.  My risotto was bland.  I should know better then to order a dish that G makes, setting the bar way too high.  Usually I am a strict Corona Light drinker, and I rarely experiment with beers, but at lunch had the ale light Ruby.  This beer was refreshing, and processed with raspberry puree to give it just the right fruity kick.  A new favorite.  We did check out Edgefield’s wine tasting room.  This was the first time G and I had ever done wine tasting with my mom and she was a good sport and dived right in.



On our way out I was taken back by all the small details.  Every traffic sign is hand painted, murals cover the walls, and the labels of beer and wine are artfully designed.  I am blown away by the thought and creativity around every corner at Edgefield.



 

Oh Lord! Stuck in Lodi again.

This weekend G and She set out on a Lodi wine tour. First stop Michael David.



Although the names of the wines were catchy: Incognito, Heavenly Chards, 7 Deadly Zins and the labels were eclectic the wine was sub par.

G said: Big extracted Lodi style. If you love Lodi wine it could be for you. The whites struggle. Wasn't impressed. Quixote has ruined me for Petite Sirah. Although for 18 bones a bottle it may be for you.



This particular label is the exact replica of the seismograph reading from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Outside on the grounds, there was a beautiful you-pick garden filled with dalias, zinnias, and sunflowers. We even played a game of bocce ball. G kicked butt as always. Never challenge an Italian stallion to bocce ball; you will lose.





Next stop m2!



This place is a diamond in the rough that is in dusty Lodi! A must stop. Michael Perry the pourer is as knowledgeable as they come. There are no pretty views, no flashy artwork; this place is down and dirty warehouse style. Take it or leave it.

G Said: Quote of the day, "the 07 Petite Sirah pulls up a lazy boy on your pallet and parks there." Really impressed with wine making here; there is actually a sense of place in the wine. M2 seems to be ahead of the market in predicting the rise of mediteranean varietals such as Albarino, Temparnillo, and Verdelho. The wine wasn't high alcohol or RS it was actually wine not candy.

Lane, the wine maker, we did not meet, but he is supposedly quite the story teller. Hopefully we will see him next time.  We will be coming back for sure.



G getting the back stage tour and nerding out.

Next stop Peirano Winery. She was in heaven because chips and salsa were paired with the wine.





G tries hard to look creepy in pictures or maybe he is just sad due to the horrible wine?

Blasé. Ok, so their wine 'The Other' has broken through and made its way to Costco. The pourer was celebrating this; unfortunately, our taste-buds weren't. Overly raisened was the consensus. In fact all the wine tasted the same. Our last taste was the cab a #2 best seller. Not impressed; just an Ocean Spray cranberry bog of a wine. Our pourer ended our tasting with Barbera and came right out and said how bad it was, but great for sangria. Personally who wants to end an already bad tasting with the worst copper penny smelling wine. Blech! Come on, this place should be embarrassed.

G tip: Any time you walk into a winery and they are blowing cases of their wine on sale for $28 think red flag.

On the way home to Modesto to fire up the grill and make burgers.

See the time we shared it was precious to me, but all the while I was dreaming of revelry.

She and G...the ultimate kidnappers!

Today we kidnapped mama She and whisked her away to Napa for the day. When whisking someone away to Napa , the first stop ALWAYS must be Oakville Grocery to pick up lunch.



G made an appointment at Reverie Winery for 11:00. Our host, a retired police officer, wowed us with his knowledge. We laughed when he said he used to arrest drunk people and now his mission is to get people drunk and loving wine. We tasted in the cave. Tasted in the redwood tree grove. Then we ate our Oakville lunch with a bottle of Roussane and waited for the oyster tasting. Unlimited BBQ oysters with parmesan and chipolte peppers made by the oyster guy were divine! www.oysterguy.com





Fully stuffed on oysters we headed to our next appointment at Outpost on Howell Mountain Road. This place is a must, MUST visit!!!!





We chatted with both wine hosts who were incredibly knowledgeable. We are hoping one will be a guest post on this blog and tell of cross country stories from Philly to Napa stay tuned... Anyone who travels cross-country to immerse themselves in wine is fascinating. We purchased the Grenache and a Zin, both 09s, and tried the just-bottled 09 Cab...still inverted and shocked, but a blockbuster.

Dinner was at Hurley's in downtown Yountville. Food is not Bottega or Rutherford Grill worthy. Bland tastes but ok.

Great day!

Sandy, the fireworks are hailin' over Little Eden tonight

Loma Prieta Winery

She Said:

G and I hit this winery on a perfect blue sky day.  The views of the Santa Cruz mountains are amazing and worth the windy drive.  Unfortunately, we were not able to snag a seat outside or play bocci ball because of the weekend crowd (thumbs down).  Of the wines I tasted the port was my only favorite. Most ports are too sweet for my taste buds but this port hit the spot.  The flavor reminded me of oozing cherry cordial insides.  Our jovial pourer won his way in to my good graces by pairing each wine with hershey's chocolate, salami, and dark chocolate.  Although most of the wines I tasted fell flat I will definitely go back.  I am a sucker for a good view what can I say.

G Said:
I judge a winery based on the following criteria:

1.  Quality product.  Not just one or two that you really like, but the whole line-up.  Anyone can make generic wine...take in all your fruit, process it all in the exact same fashion, and blend accordingly.  Show me individual, lot-specific attention that highlightsdifferences and unique qualities.  With that in mind...
2.  A quality second-label or lower wine.  It's easy to make a $100 bottle--buy well-farmed grapes and try not to mess it up.  But if a winemaker can take lower-level material and turn that into something head-turning...that takes real talent.
3.  Knowledge of the staff.  Having a winemaker or someone associated with production (for me) is always best, because I ask a ton of geeky questions and will pick a brian or two.  But a knowledgeable tasting room attendant is worth his or her weight in GOLD.  Hear that, wine industry?  Train your staff and hold them to a standard.  And quiz them....for the love of God, quiz them often.  And have them taste around to get a feel for the competition and identify how their wine fills a market niche.  There are wineries who are good about it (and it shows!), and I realize that not every visitor is going to grill the pourer; however, upping the level of general knowledge can only serve to benefit.
4.  Vision.  How does the winery see themselves within the business, and how do they plan to move forward?  What is their winemaking philosophy?  Do they cut corners with equipment?  Where do they see themselves in 5 years?  20 years?  The answers usually separate those in the business who are there to show off wealth and those who really care.
5.  Price.  Does price = elitism?  Yes and no.  The ultimate question is "Is the wine worth it to you?"

Notice how I didn't say anything about grounds or fountains marble walkways or a gift shop.  I could honestly care less.  Not that I don't appreciate a good view or a dog or romantic scenery (yeah, I said it.  Bring on the comments), but it doesn't influence my opinions on the wine.  I'm not fooled by the showpiece...so to all those with $$ to display...your efforts are wasted on me.

Loma Prieta?  To me, it's a showpiece.  They went for the whole "Tuscan-villa" design, and they nailed it.  It looks great--I don't want to take anything away.  They're also at the highest elevation in the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation, so on a clear day you're able to see the ocean from the top of the vineyard.  Hell, I dig a good view.  The wine, though?  Bland and uninspired.  The Viognier (a varietal that I love) left too much to be desired...aromatically-challenged and criminally thin.  Cab and Merlot were nothing to write home about; however, they did do a Pinotage (only 105 tons crushed in the state of California in 2010--but that's up from 82 in 2009).  It was decent...a little overripe, but decent.  I recommend them for an afternoon--find a day with your friends and head up there to spend some time.  But if you're looking for ground-breaking wine, try this instead.

Later, kids.