Sunday Salon: Pickled Blogger

Ooofa! I THINK I am finally home for awhile. There are no planned trips anywhere in the short-term future and now perhaps I can concentrate on the holidays! Not that I'm complaining. Our trip to Napa was spectacular, and I am as yet uncertain how to share it all with you. My intention is to write up a couple of features, but I wouldn't place any bets right now on my productivity.

So this was our third trip to Napa. On our first trip, for our tenth wedding anniversary, my husband and I took a week and blasted through 40 different wineries in Napa and Sonoma, most of them consisting of the ones you can visit without appointment. On our second trip, we were in San Francisco at a conference, so we only had a couple of days to spend, and most of our tastings were by appointment only. This time, we were getting into wineries that are nearly impossible to see (if you aren't trade). We stayed with two different wineries in their guest quarters. We met head winemakers and owners. We walked through the vineyards, we touched and smelled soil, we tasted grapes still on the vine, we listened to the struggles of the 2010 season. We learned about the history of the vintners...ones that came to the US on boats with only the shirts on their backs, couples that gave up their corporate careers for their passion, a man that learned the trade from his poor farm laborer parents. It was all pretty mind-blowing.

This is our tasting at Shafer Vineyards, home of one of the best cabs on earth. Look at all that glassware!

The vineyards at Quintessa.
















We were able to experience a wine-blending seminar. We tasted 12 different cabs from 15 of Napa's AVAs (or unique wine-growing territories), then blended our own bottle wine. I felt like the mad chemist (with purple teeth)!

So long story not-so-short, the four of us are trying to figure out when we can go back again. After I have dried out, that is.

I was able to get a good deal of reading done, surprisingly. I finished "The Store", a bizarre and scary little read by Bentley Little, then proceeded to read Beth Kephart's "Nothing But Ghosts", and the graphic novel "French Milk". I was faced with having no books to read for the flight back, so I loaded the Kindle app on my phone and started reading "Affinity" by Sarah Waters. How many ways can I say that I love this woman? Her writing is so delicious. I hope to finish this book within the next few days.

On audios, I finished "Cane River" for one of my book clubs, and started "The Book Thief" for my other book club. Because the kids are out of school next week, and there is all that turkey-eating and shopping and other fun, I doubt I will make much headway on audios. Just a guess. My daughter has declared she "is over audios", so I guess for now we won't be listening to them in the car. I just shake my head. She is such a delight at times.

I have quite the day planned for myself today. After church, I am thinking that the fam will go see Harry Potter (I know it is a sin we have waited this long!). And then tonight, my friend Marianne and I, along with Heather/Zibilee from Raging Bibliomania, will see "The Girl That Kicked the Hornet's Nest" at the local indie theater. It may be more fun than this pickled and weary blogger can handle!