Photos later after I have a chance to process them.
Wine tasting in Napa and Sonoma must have gotten much more crowded since we last did so in the 1990s. COVID probably had an effect, too. Going to any winery now involves making a tasting reservation. We wanted to go to the Robert Sinskey winery, but they were fully booked for Saturday, 9/10. I had planned to go to the tasting bar and say the following:
“I’ve always wondered if pinot noir was really wine. Everybody tells me it is, but I haven’t tasted the evidence. One of our friends is a wine club member (at Sinskey), and he filled us full of pinot noir one night. I decided to validate that experience by a wine cellar visit. Whatcha got?”
Alas, no Sinskey. However, we found the Laird Family Estate (Deb’s mom’s side of the family are Lairds). They had availability, so we went. Their better chardonnay was very good, so we bought four bottles and two of their Syrah. A cheese plate was a great accompaniment.
We left the winery and crossed the mountains over very twisty roads into the Sonoma valley. Sonoma seems much more laid back and less touristy, at least until you get into the city. With wine in the car and another hot day, we didn’t stop, but drove back to camp.
Steve Steele
I love the Sonoma valley. Brenda and I visited there just before we were married. One of the wineries we stopped at was the Sutter Home winery. This was back before that wine had really inundated the East coast and almost nobody had heard of them. We fell in love with their white zin and ordered it for our wedding. You may have actually had some at the wedding.
I look forward to the pictures once their ready.