Today for a change we thought we would go and visit some vineyards, maybe sample a little wine, eat some food and enjoy the brilliant sunshine. So we did...
It was the turn of Silverado vineyard today – a beautiful estate owned by family of Walt Disney although you would never know it (no Mickey Mouse ears on their wine bottles for example). We took an interesting tour as they told us how they pick the grapes (from 3am in the morning so the sun does not further ripen them after they have decided it’s time to harvest.) We were then taken through the rest of the process ending up with another fine wine tasting session – me and Peter are loving the NV Pinot Noir – liquid nectar. Sonya is destroying all white wines that come across her path...
Some great entertainment from the pensioners on the wine tour today – “err excuse me mam”, piped up one geriatric American “how do you know what wine is going to come out the barrel”. The professional guide took this in her stride as she explained that the wine that came out was dependant on what grapes/blend was put in the barrel. Obvious I would have thought. Sonya, Peter, and I were less subtle as we could not stop giggling at such stupidity.
On the way to lunch the tour guide asked the coach a question to which he likes a raised hand response (he does this annoyingly frequently to which I refuse to join in!) Today’s was “has anyone tried the Ménage a trois” To say I was shocked by the question let alone the amount of raised hands from the Saga gang is an understatement and the enthusiastic manner in which they shot their hands up (to hell with the arthritis) was the quickest I had seen them move since the last free drink was given out. However as I regained composure I caught the rest of the question – apparently it’s some local wine which is only 7 bucks a bottle. No wonder they were so enthusiastic!!
Lunch was taken at an Organic farm called Long Meadow Ranch Winery (a name which covers most bases of food production!) which served only produce grown locally by themselves – it was truly wonderful (a much over used phrase by our guide Ted – literally everything is “truly wonderful”). Fresh salad, amazing bread and Highland Beef – yes the Woolly Mammoth type beastie better suited to the Scottish Highlands rather than the 30+C heat of Napa. I was sweating in shorts and a T-shirt...although I am growing a beard so maybe I am closer than I think...
The evening was spent at cookery school helping to prepare a meal under instruction from the professional chefs. This was great fun and I started it off well by writing my name badge up as Gordon Ramsay – although the joke was lost on them as they referred to me as Gordon thereafter until it was pointed out to them! Yet again Peter and I were asked if we were Australian – we must stop drinking Fosters, wearing the sleeveless checked shirts, and hats with corks round them! Perhaps go for bowler hats...P, S and I were on Quesadilla making – we specialised in chopping mushrooms – even Sonya “cooked” although we felt her declaration that she could now cook was slightly optimistic...The dinner was amazing, plenty of wine and quite high brow conversation – we were split up to dine (deliberately I reckon).
Day off today and I am off on a hot air balloon ride over the Napa Valley...cannot wait
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