I'll be the first to admit, moving to the Bay Area and working in consulting has turned me into a wine snob. For you fellow Bay Area consultants who don't consider yourselves to be wine snobs or haven't turned, fine. Maybe there is a little bit of wine-snobbery inherent in me, flowing through my dark purple-ish veins. But I digress; I love wine. For those of you who know me, yes I love liquor and beer as well, but this post is dedicated to vino. Specifically, wine tasting, Wine Country, and wine clubs.
Let me introduce you to my latest love affair, Elizabeth Spencer...wine. Located in the heart of Napa Valley, this winery oozes Sonoma at its heart with its small, welcoming tasting room with a spacious back patio to kick back and taste while seated on comfy wicker couches underneath the sun. Hannah and I weren't even planning on going there but we had some time to kill between reservations at two other wineries.
Upon walking in we were greeted with a complimentary tasting of their 2010 Rosé of Pinot Noir. Full disclosure: I have no idea what varietal Rosés are normally made from, but this one was exceptionally yummy. This was a limited production (4 barrels, or 1,200 bottles) vintage and wasn't your typical overly sweet pink wine. Bottom line: We bought a bottle.
Hannah and I went through the rest of the actual tasting flight and eventually signed up for their wine club. We couldn't resist! Our pourer's name was Miguel, from the Mission district of SF, and was friendly, fun, and attentive. He actually spent more time talking to us than a few other visitors who didn't seem to be enjoying themselves as much, but that's their loss! We also got to sign one of their mega bottles on display for becoming a member, and later came back with new friends that we made at another winery to give them free tastings, and of course, taste again ourselves!
Wow, so this post quickly turned into a Yelp-like review, which I wasn't intending. The point I wanted to make was that while I am in love with a new winery, I'm not a wine snob at heart. My taste buds might be snobby, but living near California's Wine Country has just allowed me to try a lot of wines and learn what makes each of them different, both in price, aroma, and flavor.
Also, the experience you get at each winery is unique and adds something special to the wine itself. I don't mind paying $30 for a bottle from the winery when opening it months later brings me back to the gorgeous, sunny day that Hannah and I bought it from a nice guy named Miguel, who also loves the wine. Similarly, a bad experience at a winery will pretty much guarantee that I'll never buy any of their bottles--no matter how good it might be. So, POOH on you, Rutherford Hill Winery!
For those of you counting, we're back up to 4 wine clubs: Imagery, Chateau St. Jean, Tin Barn, and Elizabeth Spencer. Cheers to Bay to Breakers weekend!
Update: With the Blogger snafu last week I think this post got un-published. This was originally posted on May 13, 2011.
Let me introduce you to my latest love affair, Elizabeth Spencer...wine. Located in the heart of Napa Valley, this winery oozes Sonoma at its heart with its small, welcoming tasting room with a spacious back patio to kick back and taste while seated on comfy wicker couches underneath the sun. Hannah and I weren't even planning on going there but we had some time to kill between reservations at two other wineries.
Upon walking in we were greeted with a complimentary tasting of their 2010 Rosé of Pinot Noir. Full disclosure: I have no idea what varietal Rosés are normally made from, but this one was exceptionally yummy. This was a limited production (4 barrels, or 1,200 bottles) vintage and wasn't your typical overly sweet pink wine. Bottom line: We bought a bottle.
Hannah and I went through the rest of the actual tasting flight and eventually signed up for their wine club. We couldn't resist! Our pourer's name was Miguel, from the Mission district of SF, and was friendly, fun, and attentive. He actually spent more time talking to us than a few other visitors who didn't seem to be enjoying themselves as much, but that's their loss! We also got to sign one of their mega bottles on display for becoming a member, and later came back with new friends that we made at another winery to give them free tastings, and of course, taste again ourselves!
Wow, so this post quickly turned into a Yelp-like review, which I wasn't intending. The point I wanted to make was that while I am in love with a new winery, I'm not a wine snob at heart. My taste buds might be snobby, but living near California's Wine Country has just allowed me to try a lot of wines and learn what makes each of them different, both in price, aroma, and flavor.
Also, the experience you get at each winery is unique and adds something special to the wine itself. I don't mind paying $30 for a bottle from the winery when opening it months later brings me back to the gorgeous, sunny day that Hannah and I bought it from a nice guy named Miguel, who also loves the wine. Similarly, a bad experience at a winery will pretty much guarantee that I'll never buy any of their bottles--no matter how good it might be. So, POOH on you, Rutherford Hill Winery!
For those of you counting, we're back up to 4 wine clubs: Imagery, Chateau St. Jean, Tin Barn, and Elizabeth Spencer. Cheers to Bay to Breakers weekend!
Update: With the Blogger snafu last week I think this post got un-published. This was originally posted on May 13, 2011.
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