Wine Tasting Begins...

Jim and Ann arrived at Jimtown House on Wednesday night, and wiped out from the trip, Ann headed straight for her pillow. On Thursday morning, we bought some great baked goods from the Jimtown Store along with excellent coffee (Laurie was happy and that's important for everyone but especially Laurie) and a to-die-for ham, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich with a roasted red pepper rub. What a great way to start the day!

Then, Jim, Ann, Laurie and I drove into Healdsburg to pick up our hybrid bikes that we would use for the next three days. We had reserved them ahead of time from Wine Country Bikes, a great little bike outfit that L and I had rented from before. After getting sized up for the bikes and signing the requisite paperwork, Jim, Ann and Laurie rode the bikes back to our home base while I threw my bike in the van and drove back.

When I got back to the house, I just had to get on my bike and ride. Riding between the autumn vineyards with the characteristic sights and smells really is a joy. The aromas are ever-changing and it's one of my strongest memories from these California trips. The smell of eucalyptus, fruit trees, and other vegetation is omnipresent and heavenly. When we stepped outside our house, there was a strong odor that had an uncanny resemblance to maple syrup. On some of our bike rides, we would pass vegetation that smelled like anise. Now, I'm not one to normally like black licorice but the smell of it on a bike ride was great.

So after our quick bike rides, all six of us headed off in the van to do our first wine tasting. Today, we visited Simi, Mazzocco and Quivira Wineries. Simi had really nice grounds nestled among tall Sequoia trees. Even though I have enjoyed some Simi wines in the past, I must say that today, the trees were more impressive than the wines. Sure, there were some decent samplings but nothing that knocked our socks off at noontime.

Wine Tasting at Simi

Our socks were about to be knocked skyward though as we headed to Mazzocco. They advertise their gold medals at the entrance and maybe that helped set the tone. BUT, the Zins at this place are ridiculous. We tasted 4 or 5 Zinfandels on their list and they were subtly different but definitely unique. I can't wait to receive the case (!) that we ordered that day.

Ann was thoroughly into the wine tasting thing now (as were we all, except mom who was patiently doing crosswords on the couch) and was experiencing first hand how quickly one can become inebriated when trying to carefully decipher the subtle differences between the wines. She was double-fisting it at one point and very determined to pick up on the characteristics of each. I was impressed with her gusto. This was a good wine-tasting experience at a friendly winery.

But, it was clearly time for some lunch by the time we left Mazzocco...

Late Harvest Cabernet Grapes at Mazzocco

We picked up some great vittles at the famous Dry Creek Store and moved on to Quivira Winery about a mile or so up the road. The weather was less than ideal today but at least it wasn't raining, just cool and cloudy. After our lunch outside on the patio, some of us tasted the Quivira wines. There were some nice whites here and a nice dry rose too. Laurie and Ann got a quick lesson on the wine-making process at Quivira from one of the employees.

Tonight, we made reservations at one of the highly touted local restaurants called The Farmhouse Restaurant. It was Jim and Ann's 27th Anniversary so this was a special celebration night. The restaurant is located in Forestville and it was about a 40-minute drive from our house.

Let's just say it was well worth it! Dad and Ann had "rabbit, rabbit, rabbit" (which is rabbit served three different ways), Laurie and I had the ribeye steak, and Jim had elk (mom was not eating since it was late). The highlight for me though was the chanterelle bisque and Laurie's Goia cheese appetizer. Simply sublime... And, the Rochioli Pinot Noir wine was insanely delicious (this winery is just down the road and it is known for its high quality pinot).