Travelogue – Saturday, 2 August 2008

Previously … 

Saturday morning came far too soon … largely because we were getting up far too early. I’d arranged for us to go ballooning in Napa Valley this morning, just as we’d done on our last trip, 14 years ago. Margie was tickled pink.

Problem #1: We have to meet there at 5:30a. The locals said it was an hour and a half; Sheila suggested a bit over an hour. So that means we should leave, comfortably, at 4:15a. Problem: We set our alarm for 4:15, and left at 4:30. So we’re already running late. 

Problem #2: It’s a very dark and winding road from the Alexander Valley to Napa (CA 128). Making up speed is not easy, esp. not knowing fully where we’re going (though Sheila did, and we knew in general, but we certainly didn’t know the road).

Problem #3: The “fill ‘er up” light came on the dashboard as soon as I started the car. Less than an eighth of a tank. And, it being 4:30a, there’s certainly nothing open in Geyserville. Will there be something open in Calistoga … and will our heroes make it? Or will they run out of gas on a pitch-black mountain road, in the middle of the pre-dawn dark, missing their already-committed balloon ride and probably out of cell phone range to boot?

Short story — we (a) found gas at a blessed Arco station in Calistoga, and (b) made it to the Red Hen Cantina, where Napa Valley Balloons gathered up their passengers.

We had a very nice continental breakfast and briefing, then hopped into our vans to the launch point. It was a beeyooteeful day, not a cloud in the sky nor a patch of fog on the ground. We had a nice breeze in the sky once our balloon (one of three NVB was putting up that morning) took off, and we ended up sailing down from Yountsville down to the southern tip of Napa, on a baseball diamond by the tidal estuaries, able to see everything from the valley behind to the glitter-above-the-fog towers of San Francisco. Then, after the balloon was being put away by the chase crew, our pilot, Gabe, drove us back to the Cantina for mimosas and a nicely made breakfast buffet.

The whole experience — including optional photographer — was not cheap, and it was certainly not convenient, but it was very well done, and, once we were in the air, all the hassles of the early morning just melted away.

We headed out from the Cantina at 9:30a or so. Too early for pretty much any wineries on the Napa side to be open — and, truth be told, that wasn’t a huge loss to my mind. I like being able to go to someplace that’s interested in winemaking, go into a simple tasting room, chat with the wine maker (or maybe a family member of same) about the wines being poured, and make a connection. There’s a lot of that in Paso Robles, and over in Dry Creek Valley. Napa, on the other hand, is Vegas Vineyards, with each winery trying to outdo the other in the architectural magnificence and trendy artistry of their tasting rooms. I’d rather be paying a high price for the wine maker having taken out a loan to buy some new acreage, than to pay for marble-clad fountains and fine art on the walls.

But that’s just me.

So we scooted over to Calistoga, bought some coffee at the local coffee joint, and wandered a bit. Then we got in the car and headed over the hill on 128 toward the Alexander Valley.

Alexander Valley Vineyards , aptly named (actually the farm owned by Cyrus Alexander who gave his name to the valley), was the first place we stopped. They are most famous, perhaps, for their “Sin Zin,” but they also have an interesting tryptich of wines (Temptation, Sin, Redemption) that may not have been all that great, but made for a fun t-shirt. We picked up a couple of bottles for gifts. Wine tasting was free for some, a nominal fee for others, and the staff was very friendly and helpful. Recommended.

Sausal focuses on estate-grown Zins, and they have some very good stuff. Tasting staff was friendly, and they’re on our list to follow up on at a later date. 

We stopped at the B&B, unloaded wine, changed into shorts, and forged on back into Dry Creek, dodging bicycles at some big race going on everywhere we drove.

We had passed by Yoakim Bridge the day before, but stopped in today. Aside from having eclectic music, and serving meatballs with a yummy Zin sauce, they also have some very nice Zins. Chatted with the husband and wife owners (who were manning the counter), which, again, is just one of the coolest things about Dry Creek. Well recommended.

Talty is another place just like it (and right next door). The owner/winemaker was right there, just open, serving up his two still-in-stock Zins, and open to a casual chit-chat. Good stuff, well recommended.

Family Wineries is an odd beast, basically a show room for six Dry Creek small wineries that can’t afford (or can’t get their neighbors permission for) a showroom. The result is a bit of the country store amateur hour. The wines were, mostly, so-so; the counter pitch was friendly but a bit too salesly; the show room was full of other bits of food and drink and tschochkes. And there was not shade to park in anywhere to be seen (a grave sin that too many wineries commit). We bought some from the plethora they generously offered for tasting, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to go back. (Because of the sun and parking, we did not visit the other wineries in the same little complex.)

Ah, but for shade, and a place for a well-needed lunch break, there’s Dry Creek . One of the earliest major denizens of the valley (opening in 1972), they are always a solidly good, if rarely spectacular, winery — and they have very nice and shady grounds to picnic on. Tasting service was friendly and generous.

Quivira was someplace we visited last time around, and they have a rather striking HQ/tasting room. We were so-so on their wines then, but they’re one of the big new proponents of “biodynamics,” which looks to be a cross between Feng Shui and Homeopathy for viticulture. It hasn’t really made their wine much better (though it’s not bad). The tasting room help was friendly, slick, and pushing the wine club by the second sentence out of his mouth. 

The flip side to that was Teldeschi, which had a small little fluorescent-lit office in the side of the warehouse for tasting, a quirky guy doing the pourings, a fairly disorganized tasting list, and big, fruity, full-bodied wines of all types, including a Petite Sirah that Margie likes. Pigs were also seen flying overhead. We bought some bottles, and will be looking forward to trying them at home.

Wilson had a number of award-winning Zins. Reasonable tastings, good taste, friendly staff. Recommended.

I was beyond wined out at this point (we were a bit off our rhythm from the day before, and it had been a long day regardless), so we headed back to the B&B. It was a warm day, so we changed into our swim suits and hung out by the pool, dipping in to cool off (when we exited) and reading. I took a little nap. It was very slow, and very mellow, and just what the doctor ordered.

Had a nice chat with Cosette, the owner of the Hope-Merrill B&B, and realized something about here. Duh, she’s from New York. Which means she’s forthright about her opinions to the point of what some might consider off-putting or rudeness, she does what she can to run a good, successful business, and she’s concerned about you for your own good. She’s also source of a wealth of knowledge about the area, and we’re lucky to have had the chance to visit with her, and her husband, on this stay. Based on our experiences, esp. today, I highly recommend this place.

We headed out about 6:30p down to Healdsburg to eat at the Bear Republic again — this time to drink some of their homebrew beers. Food and drink was good, tasty, of good materials, and worth the trip — not to mention a lot more reasonable than a lot of other alternatives. Stuffed, we rolled home.

Where we spent the next hour or so running around doing preliminary packing and car loading. We check out tomorrow, immediately after breakfast, and hightail it down to Monterrey to meet up with the Ks and Katherine. Yay!

It’s been a lot of fun doing this trip, and some good together-time with Margie. Still, only a bit sorry to see it drawing to a close, as we shift into the next chapter of this little adventure. And more on how that’s going (I hope) tomorrow.

(It’s unclear what Wi-Fi I’ll actually have over the next week. You’ll know when I do.)