Portable Mind: A sort of travel guide

adventures in wine tasting

Vineyards at Chateau de Vie

The aroma of fresh coffee woke me sometime around 8:30 on Sunday morning. It had been placed outside our door on a tray, fully serviced with the proper accoutrements.  The temptation to sleep in was strong, but I'd read so much about the fantastic breakfasts prepared by Phillip that we forced ourselves awake, and joined the other guests in the dining room. Cranberry corn muffins and eggs benedict with an orange hollandaise sauce were on the menu that morning.

There were eight of us at the table. A mother and daughter from the South, and two couples. I was eager to ask everyone for wine tasting recommendations, but no one wanted to get a conversation going. A B&B risk I'd forgotten about - awkward silence at the communal table.

Peter, who'd served breakfast that morning, had suggested several places; and so we began in Sonoma at Ledson. It is family -run winery housed in a 16,000 square foot faux-French Normandy "castle" with a gorgeous view, although compared to rustic Charbay, it felt like a wedding hall. Nonetheless, it was lovely and the wines were outstanding. Of note, the 2004 Reserve Redwood Valley Old Vine Zinfandel and an exquisite Reserve Pinot Noir that I couldn't buy, because it was a Future release. I seriously thought about joining their wine club so I could purchase it, and am still thinking about it. Ledson wines are only available for purchase at the winery, a very select group of wine shops and restaurants, or via the online store.

From there we stopped in at Kunde, which was forgettable; then Mayo Family Winery in Glen Ellen. We had to try the "Adventure Tasting", of course, which featured 12 wines. I have since decided that 12 wines in one tasting is too many to process. Thankfully I had my notebook, and jotted down things like " '05 Page/Nord Syrah, lucious plum, delectable, tastes like dessert", and  "the Sangiovese... walking through the vineyard on a late summer afternoon"... my notes became more colorful with each glass.

The 2002 Syrah we tasted at Merryvale was glass number 25. I love Merryvale reds, particularly the Cabs, so it's always a stop for me when I am in Napa. It was the end of the day, and our server had lost track of which tasting we had ordered (we'd kind of lost track as well), so we ended up tasting 6 wines in total, including the pricey "Profile" flight and a fantastic Cabernet 2004 Reserve.

The only wine we purchased that day, oddly enough, was the Libertine from Mayo. My notes about LIbertine read: "Libertine, an easy evening wine". Not so much, it turns out.  The wine is indeed true to it's name - and probably the reason we ended up outside in the hot tub, in the middle of the vineyards, at midnight.

Another Perfect Weekend

Napa afternoon

A woman in the elevator at Hotel Rex in San Francisco told Dan that she hadn't slept during her entire stay. It seemed as though she was implying that there was a strange history to the hotel - ghosts, perhaps? An idea I brushed off until after I'd had two restless nights, and then had to agree - as nice as the hotel is, perhaps there really is something strange going on. Regardless, it was the beginning of another perfect weekend in California

Every time I go to San Francisco, I have a desire to linger. It is a result of being on the west coast in a city where being outdoors is part of the everyday experience, and culinary pleasures are found in every neighborhood. This time, I created an itinerary that would take us to Napa and Sonoma for the weekend which, after a few busy days and sleepless nights, was a much needed break. But before we left, we made sure to hit a few key spots - drinks at the Big Four, dinner at Chouquet's, and brunch at Beach Chalet for a Ramos Fizz and some fresh Pacific air.

I'd sifted through Trip Advisor before we left for California, and chosen a small but highly recommended inn called Chateau de Vie in Calistoga, a small town at the northern end of Napa. CDV, as it's called, is known for flawless customer service and incredible food provided by hosts Peter and Phillip - and the reviews are exactly right. The inn had a calming effect that we didn't even know we wanted until we arrived. Warmly greeted by Phillip, we got our room key, dropped our bags and headed off to our first wine tasting, at Domaine Charbay in St Helena.

Up winding Spring Mountain road, Charbay is located in an area reminiscent of the way things were back in the 70's, when the California wine scene was starting to bloom (I was told, and it's easy to imagine). And, that's exactly when the winery/distillery - "the still on the hill", as it was described to us - was founded. Charbay is owned and operated by the Karakasevic family, who have been making wine and spirits since 1750. Based on our afternoon tasting, they clearly know what they're doing. I had originally chosen Charbay because I wanted to taste their whiskey, which a friend of mine raved about - but, our timing was off and they were doing wine tastings that Saturday. It did not disappoint. Lara Karakasevic was our hostess, and she sat with us for over an hour, telling us about her father Miles, their family history, and stories about the more interesting visitors they receive at Charbay. Miles was working in the lab next door during our tasting, and I was secretly hoping he would join us because he'd just returned from Mexico where he had been making tequila - I knew there were probably some good stories there. (no such luck)

It was late afternoon when we wrapped up, and we took with us a Chardonnay dessert wine that Lara served over ice, but can also be served in a brandy snifter; and a really delicious Port, which is unlike any other I've tasted.

Charbay is a refreshing departure from the stripmall-esque scene that Napa's Highway 29 can resemble on a Saturday afternoon. Still, beginning a wine tasting journey there sets the bar fairly high. A sense of adventure from that point forward, is required.

Spring in Jersey City

I realize that this blog is supposed to be about travel and lately I've done nothing but post photos of my move and the new apartment. Or done nothing at all. My excuse is that since leaving Princeton I have started a new day job that is way more demanding than expected and is really starting to interfere with the rest of my life... but that's what you get when you're involved in coordinating elements of one of the biggest events in the world, I guess. I have tried to spend any downtime unpacking and making the new place very glamorous - but clearly, the day job has won out, as the only thing I've been able to do is buy a bed and two barstools, hang some drapes, rather badly I might add - and put a few of my many, many (too many) books on a shelf. I have managed to buy a decent amount of wine (thank god for the internet) and despite the fact that I am not traveling at the moment, have two great recommendations for you, dear readers...

Although the weather has been nothing but a gloomy misery this month, it's still Spring and I am celebrating by drinking lots of Sauvignon Blanc. I recently tried these two gems - a 2006 Preston, a vineyard I am loving more and more (their Viognier is beautiful and sadly, sold out) and a 2004 Laughing Raven from Alexander Valley, which I purchased from a great online store called My Wines Direct. Cheers.