Wine Bibbing in Sonoma--Days 1 & 2

Good food and fine wine ... what a great pairing.  And then add wonderful friends and it's a combination that CANNOT be beat! 

We dumped the dogs in a kennel on Thursday morning and took off to Sonoma, about a 4-5 hour drive from Carson City.  On our way to Sonoma we decided to take Highway 59 to 89 to 80 going through Sacramento.  It was a beautiful drive, but not one for an RV!  You travel through the Sierras mostly on a two-lane rather narrow road with cliff on one side and drop off on the other.  In the Jeep, however, it was a nice drive.

We arrived in Sonoma just in time for our first pairing event at Sebastiani Vineyards with only one of the couples we were meeting, Kurt & Paula Takamine.  We had a wine and cheese pairing that was very tasty, but it was the Sebastiani wines that I really enjoyed (which means I bought a couple of bottles, of course!).  The cheeses and wines were paired as follows:  Chardonnay with a high-moisture Jack cheese; a Pinot Noir with a Toma cheese (soft partially-ripened cow's milk cheese with creamy texture); a Barbera with Asiago (spiciest cheese); a Zinfindel with an Italian-style table cheese (similar to a Fontina); a Cabernet Sauvignon with a Mezzo Secco cheese that had a delicious pepper rind.

Background on Sebastiani Winery:  Sebastiani’s first century in Sonoma winemaking began when Samuele emigrated from the Tuscany region of Italy in 1895 and started Sebastiani nine years later. The winery was the only one in Sonoma County to continue operations through Prohibition, making a small amount of sacramental and medicinal wines. It has been joked, and perhaps with some grain of truth, that during this time there was a resurgence of people becoming very religious.

Bill Foley purchased Sebastiani in 2008 and immediately took a number of steps to enhance wine quality and raise the winery’s image. Working closely with winemaker Mark Lyon and the viticultural team, Bill lowered production, restricted yields, acquired more new barrels and winemaking equipment, revamped farming protocols and acquired additional vineyards to guarantee consistent and superior fruit sourcing.  Here's a photo of the winery that I copied from the Internet. 

 

The next morning (Friday) we were joined by couple #3, Mike & Bea Dieringer.  Couple #4, Steve & Dina Jones, were flying into Oakland and would catch up with us at 1:00 p.m. at the Best Western in Sonoma.  Did I mention the great Groupon deal we got?  $80/night which included a free breakfast!  They also had a great Jacuzzi spa that we took advantage of every day!

Our first stop while waiting for Steve & Dina was at Walt Winery's tasting room in downtown Sonoma.  We also did a little shopping too.  I bought a Corksicle that you put in the freezer then insert into a wine bottle to keep your whites cold and to slightly chill your reds.  Very cool thingy.

Background on WALT Winery:  WALT Wines, owned by Vintners, Kathryn Walt Hall and Craig Hall (from Hall Winery with locations in both St. Helena and Rutherford in the Napa Valley), is dedicated to the production of premier Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Pacific Coast's most distinctive vineyard sites, spanning nearly 1,000 miles and including Sta. Rita Hills, Sonoma County, Anderson Valley and the Willamette Valley (which we visited during our travels through Oregon).  Their philosophy is that of precision, non-interventionist winemaking, thereby allowing the wines to naturally and honestly express the character of the site where the wines are grown.

After our tasting we headed back to the hotel to meet up with Steve and Dina so we could REALLY begin the wine and food tastings.  Here we are on the hotel patio/courtyard enjoying a nice, casual cheese, salami, cracker and grape lunch supplied by our amazing planner, Paula.

(Left to right:  Mike, Steve, Dina, Gary, Paula, Bea, me, and sitting in front, Kurt)

 



First stop?  B.R. Cohn Winery.  Not one of us liked their wine very much, so we took a detour into their Olive Oil Tasting Room.  Now, that was EXCELLENT!  Everyone of us bought at least two items from this tasting room.  They had amazing olive oils, vinegars, and (most importantly) chocolate wine sauces J
               
And, let me tell you, that Chocolate Cabernet Wine Sauce was killer so it was a hot seller with all of us!  Gary tasted one vinegar, a Chardonnay Wine Vinegar and he like went "ballistic" and said we couldn't leave unless we bought it.  He never gets that carried away, but this was a very, very vinegary vinegar and he loves that kind of vinegar.  It was love at first bite for him.

Here we are at B.R. Cohn standing in front of one of their model cars on the property.  We thought it would be a good back drop for the photo, but all we did was cover most of it up ... go figure!  By the way, the Gorilla played a major role in our trip this weekend as you can see below and above.

 (Back row, left to right:  Bea, Mike, Dina, Steve, Gary, me.  Front row:  Paula, Kurt)

 

Background on B.R. Cohn Winery:  Founded by Bruce Cohn in 1984, B.R. Cohn Winery offers a full line of ultra-premium wines, extra-virgin olive oils, hand-crafted vinegars and gourmet food products. This small family operated winery is surrounded by the 90-acre Olive Hill Estate Vineyards, where soils warmed by underground natural hot springs and gentle ocean breezes create a unique microclimate resulting in ideal growing conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon.  B.R. Cohn also produces Chardonnay from the Carneros Region and Merlot from Sonoma Valley.

 

In 1990, Bruce began producing gourmet olive oil and hand-crafted vinegars, the first made in Sonoma Valley in almost a century. Now their high quality B.R. Cohn Olive Oil has become one of the top producers of ultra-premium extra-virgin olive oil in California.

 

After B.R. Cohn, we took off to Imagery Winery for more tasting.  We had a great tasting here, but by now I was starting to realize that there is a definite difference between Sonoma and Napa wines.  For me, Sonoma wines were too dry and higher tannins--more "Old World" tasting.  I know I prefer "New World" wines that are smoother and not as high in the tannin department.  So, Sonoma wines just weren't as high on my "like list" as Napa wines. 

 

Here are some photos of the gang at Imagery Winery.

 

Background on Image Winery:  In the early 1980s the Benziger family migrated west from New York and started a winery on Sonoma Mountain. After a few years of helping his family make large production wines for their Glen Ellen brand, Joe decided that there were some vineyard lots that were just too good to get lost in a big blend. He set out to showcase these special vineyard sites in a series of small artisan wines.

 

As the idea for Imagery was developing, Joe had a chance meeting with renowned local artist Bob Nugent.  More than 20 years later, Nugent still serves as curator of the Imagery art collection, commissioning hundreds of international artists to design one-of-a-kind artwork for Imagery labels.

 

As Imagery evolved under Joe's direction the emphasis on limited-production wines evolved to focus on lesser-known varietals. As he discovered rare wines, Joe became passionate about unusual grapes and the Barbera within was unleashed.

 

Off we go again.  This time it's to the Mayo Reserve Room for a 5:00 p.m. food and wine pairing.  We were the only party seated for the pairing which made for a wonderful, intimate, private setting.  Here we are toasting to best friends, good food, and fine wine.

 

This is how they set up our wines for the tastings.

You can tell we had an amazing time by the wine splotch on the menu.

That "postage stamp" photo in the upper right corner is a feature that my camera has that I pressed by mistake ... but I kept it there anyway since I liked it.

Our menu included:

• A "Bubblybaisse" with a Chardonnay (the bubblybiasse included a mussel and clam both which I NEVER eat, but I did actually eat these and they weren't all that bad!)
• A Viognier paired with a cauliflower dish (loved the Viognier)
• A Merlot paired with a dish called Okonomiyaki (wish I could remember what that was ... ha!ha!)
• Then a 2008 Barbera paired with Braised Pork and Israeli cous cous -- this was so fantastic we all wished we had a lot more of that pork on our plates
• On to a 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon paired with New York Strip Steak with Wild Mushroom Beggars Purse
• Then a 2010 Reserve Zinfandel that was paired with a very delicious Tongue and Cheek (kinda bacon-ey, but excellent)
• Then the final coup de grace was the dessert that paired a 2010 Zinfandel Port with chocolate cherries and nuts (see photo below).

 

 

Background on the Mayo Reserve Room:  The Reserve Room is a revolutionary concept in a number of ways. In the first place, it's probably the first wine tasting room you've ever been in with chairs, tables and napkins. But more importantly, the Reserve Room takes you on the ultimate wine country tasting journey unlike anything you've experienced in a wine tasting room before.

 

Each guest takes a seat in their comfortable and intimate room where you enjoy wine-inspired art, a little music and views of the hillside vineyards of Kenwood located just out the window.  You are then treated to a seven-course pairing menu that includes seven Mayo Family Reserve wines crafted by Winemaker Michel Berthoud and seven tasting dishes created and prepared by Chef J. Clayton Lewis to compliment the seven wines. The Reserve Room is their opportunity to take you further into the wine and food experience that defines Wine Country.

 

We ended this wonderful, blessed day with the most amazing sunset.  These photos were taken outside the Mayo Reserve Room.

 

To good friends:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 // Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.  For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.  Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?   And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.



One of the most beautiful!

Today we headed up Highway 50 to drive around one of the most beautiful lakes in the United States ... Lake Tahoe.  The weather was so outstanding--in the high 40s--and it was clear as a bell.  (Question:  Can a bell be "clear?")

We headed north with our first stop at Sand Harbor.  I love the rock formations at this beautiful, scenic harbor on the Nevada side of the lake.  The Nevada side is much less populated/congested than the California side.  I'm not sure if Nevada just decided to keep it pristine or what, but the two sides of the lake are definitely different.

 

Not only does the lake look beautiful from afar, but look at this close up of the crystal-clear water.  It is also a sight to behold.  We didn't stick a finger or foot into it, but I'm sure if we had it would have been very chilly!  The temperatures in Carson City at night have been getting down into the high teens with the daytime temperatures in the high 40s/low 50s.  Quite a temperature differential!

 

Here we are on the beautiful beach at Sand harbor using the "Gorilla" to take our photo! 

 

I couldn't help but include a video panning the harbor.  And don't forget, you probably won't be able to see the video unless you click on the title link of this blog.  I hope it's worth your while, though!

After Sand Harbor, we made a roadside stop to let the dogs stretch their legs and do their business.  The Truckee River follows the highway for quite a distance and the dogs really enjoyed their time running around on the river bank.  Although, it wasn't all fun for Sherwood.  He did slip on the ice and land on his belly in the mud ... poor baby!

 

There were a couple of mallard ducks enjoying the sunshine and nibbling on whatever the river bed had to offer. 

 

We missed our turn-off in Tahoe City (which we didn't figure out until we were in Truckee!) and ended up going by Squaw Valley.  What the heck, let's take that turn and sneek a peek at the old Olympic Village since it's almost Winter Olympics time.  This is one of two entrance signs to Squaw Valley. 

Here are a couple of pictures of the mountain at Squaw.  It was pretty crowded although not all the lifts were open.  But that didn't stop the skiers and snow boarders from flocking there this weekend to enjoy the manmade snow and superlative sunshine.

 

We probably went a total of 26 miles out of our way (13 miles to Truckee and then 13 miles back to Tahoe City).  We're not sure how we missed the turn other than we just weren't expecting that we would have to make a turn off the main highway to stay on our drive around the lake.  But we don't have to worry about time too much anymore :). 

 

One of the most photographed and well known places on Lake Tahoe is Emerald Bay.  OMG, there were over 200 cars parked all over the place when we got there!  Gary stayed in the car and kept driving around the parking lot (he said he got dizzy) while I jumped out and took a few photos.

Here's one more time the Gorilla paid off ... no one to take my picture, but the Gorilla on sitting a rock does just fine!

 

Gary did finally find a parking spot so we both jumped out and went to a different place to take a few more pictures.  Someone very kindly offered to take ours (after I took theirs, of course!).

 

 

The photo below is a close-up of the castle on the small island, Fannette.  Fannette is the only island to be found in all of Lake Tahoe. It is located in beautiful Emerald Bay on the west shore of the lake. A sparsely timbered, brush covered upthrust of granite that rises 150 feet above the water, Fannette Island was not always known by that name. During the past 100 years it has been known as Coquette, Fannette, Baranoff, Dead Man's, Hermit's, and Emerald Isle. Fannette was the name that finally stuck.

 

The stone structure on top that looks like a miniature castle is the "Tea House" built during the same time that Vikingsholm was constructed, from 1928-29. After being transported to the island by motorboat, Mrs. Knight and her guests would occasionally be served tea there. A small fireplace in the corner and a large oak table and four oak chairs in the center of the 16 by 16 foot room gave it a very rustic appearance. The tea house has been vandalized in recent years and today only the stone shell remains.

 

One good video at Sand Harbor deserves another one at Emerald Bay, don't you think?

 

Did I mention we left in the morning for our drive?  I think we left about 10:30 a.m.  Well, look at the time now.  We still haven't stopped for lunch and I'm getting hungry!

 

You know how I love to take pictures out of the front windshield while we're driving down the road, right?  Well here's one of those shots of the road past Emerald Bay on our way to South Lake Tahoe.



We traveled through this tunnel.  Fascinating, right? (Ha!ha!)

We finally arrived in South Lake Tahoe and kept driving around looking for just the right place to eat.  It's not like there's no place to eat, but I really wanted to eat somewhere on the lake.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen (so sad) and we ended up eating lunch/dinner at Montbleu Casino's café.  Notice the time?  It's now 3:00 p.m.  Yup, starving!  Didn't care where we ate!

 

We headed home back down the 50 and pulled over to take a picture of the beautiful Carson Valley.  You can see just how clear and gorgeous of a day it was not only at Lake Tahoe, but also in the valley.



We didn't end up with a spectacular sunset, but here's a shot of the sun slipping slowly behind the Sierras after a beautiful day spent driving around Lake Tahoe.

Psalms 46:4-7 // There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling places of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

Hi ho! Hi ho! It's off to work we go!

Retired?  Yes, but ...

We first read about Workamping in a book I bought about fulltime RVing entitled, "Living Aboard Your RV" and then again we got reintroduced to it through one of our neighbors in the RV park where we currently reside--Comstock Country RV Park in Carson City, NV.  Henk (he's Austrian) and Georgia are now in their 80s and are no longer Workamping, but they did that as a lifestyle for over 20 years all over the United States accomplishing many different assignments.   Interested in finding out more about Workamping for your retirement?  Click on this link:  http://www.workamper.com/

 

Henk gave us an old Workamper News magazine that contains pages and pages of Workamper job opportunities in Canada, the United States, and Mexico.  Workamper acts like a "middleman" between private and government campgrounds, resorts, preserves, etc. and RVers who want to work for a free site (that at the minimum includes water, sewer and electric hook-ups--or full hook-ups). 

 

 

Most assignments are for 20-30 hours a week and are seasonal or part-time.  There are a very few that ask for a full-time, year long commitment.

So, we joined Workamper, used their on-line resume builder (that even shows you what a good Workamper resume should include and how it should look) and started researching open jobs on-line. There were so many that peaked our interest.  We ended up submitting our on-line resume to 16 open positions -- we thought it would be hard for us to get a job since we had no prior Workamper/campground experience.

How wrong we were!

So far (one week after submitting our resumes), seven of the 16 contacted us and expressed an interest in having us join their team this summer.  Imagine that!  Needless to say, we were quite surprised.  We did, however, end up accepting the first position we were offered.  Why?  Because we think it is the perfect job for us this first time Workamping for a few reasons. 

1. The requirements are well within our capabilities.  Our job responsibilities include escorting campers/RVers to their campsite, cleaning up campsites upon departures, cleaning the restrooms, and some light office duties.   
2. It is a six month assignment from mid-April to October 31.  That means we have six rent-free months (gotta love that ... so does our budget!). 
3. It is only 20 hours a week with both of us on the same work schedule, and it could end up to be two days on then four days off as a rotating work shift.  This will allow us ample time to explore southern Colorado. 
4. Finally, it's in Colorado (we actually targeted Colorado) which is one of the states we didn't get to visit before winter set in last year.

Here are some photos of the campground I snatched from their website:

 

Where is this place located?

In case you are planning a vacation to Colorado this summer and want to stop by, say "hi" and even take a few days to relax in the great outdoors, we will be spending our summer at Mountain View RV Resort in Canon City, CO.  It's located less than an hour south and slightly west of Colorado Springs and a little more than two hours south and slightly west of Denver.

The city's nickname is "The Climate Capital of Colorado."  Nearby are the magnificent Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the Arkansas River, the Royal Gorge Park (which includes the Royal Gorge Railroad and the Royal Gorge Bridge), a number of historic Colorado towns, and opportunities for hiking, biking, river rafting, golfing, ATV riding, zip-line tours (I don't think so!) and horseback riding.

Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

 

Royal Gorge Bridge



Want to see some photos of the campground?  Click on this link:  Mountain View RV Resort Photo Gallery

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL!!! 

We hope the new year brings you peace, prosperity, health and much love into your lives ... you deserve all of that and more!

 

 

Isaiah 42:8-9 // I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images. Behold, the former things have come to pass, now I declare new things; before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.

 

What does that new rig look like??

I'm sure you've been asking that question (yeah, sure!).  It's been a couple of rough months since we bought the new RV and we're still not completely out of the woods yet.  The replacement leveling jack system was ordered mid-December and expected to be here before the end of the year.  Then ... the weather back east took a turn for the worst of the worst and all shipping was severely delayed.  It's January 4th and still no parts have arrived.  How sad is that? 

But enough whining and complaining.  There's nothing we can do about it until the parts arrive.  Then once again, we pack it all up, move the RV to Bob's Performance (hopefully for only three days), get it fixed once and for all, and then move back to Comstock Country RV Park until April when we're back on the road again ... to Colorado for our six month Workamper assignment.

A peek inside our new motorhome

We'll start with the very front with the driver and passenger seats.  Really, not too different from our other one.  It has one feature I really, really like and use often when we're traveling (that our 2003 also had).  That's a pull-out table in front of the passenger's seat.  Love that feature!  The 2006 has the addition of the two fans below the main TV (which is also bigger than our last main TV ... thank you Jesus!).  Other than that, very much like our old one.  Of course, they are both Southwinds, so there will be features that are similar.

 

Next is our main living area.  This is where two of the three slides come into play.  The couch and dinette move out one way and the kitchen (sink, stove, refrigerator, and side cabinet) all move out the other way.

 

Here's the driver's side slide-out.  You can see the depth of the slide by the small window to the right of the couch.

 

Here's the passenger's side slide-out (partial refrigerator and no side cabinet showing).  This slide is not as deep as the other slide.  The result of two slides in the living area is (obviously) more room to walk around in your coach so it has a much more spacious feel.

 

Putting the two sides "together" below is a photo of the middle area showing the living area looking towards the front of the motorhome.  In this photo you can also see the nice lounge chair (it belongs to Gary!) in the living area.  Another difference between this coach and our last one is that the entry door is between the passenger's chair and the lounger (in order:  passenger's chair, door, lounger, kitchen).  In our other RV the door was next to the kitchen (in order:  passenger's chair, lounge chair, door, kitchen).  We actually like this configuration better because Gary sits a little further away from the TV for better viewing enjoyment.

 

The photo below is looking towards the rear of the motorhome (or towards the bedroom).  This also shows the large lighted kitchen "hutch" (middle of the photo).  The lower part of the hutch is actually a "table" top that flips up for additional work space.  To the right of the hutch you can see the hallway that goes to the bedroom which we'll look at next.

 

Moving from the living area into the bedroom is a longer hallway passing the bathroom and going into the bedroom where Gary is seated at his desk working on his computer.  The windows in the hallway (on the right) let in a lot of additional light and heat during the day (hey, it's winter here in NV and we need all the extra heat we can get from any available resource!).  The door on the left goes into the bathroom.  And YUP that's a case of Corona on the floor by Gary with a case of wine behind it :)

 

The larger bathroom is another big bonus for us in the newer RV.  Now two of us can be in the bathroom at the same time.  Not that we want to always crowd ourselves into the bathroom like that (that's not our idea of party time!) ... but at least it's a possibility now!  Here's a photo of the sink and medicine cabinet.  To the left is a nice, large corner shower.

 

In the 2003 Southwind the bath was a tub/shower combination which was a little clumsy (in my opinion).  Let's face it, bathtubs in RVs are just too small for a bath unless you're a tiny tater tot.  This shower offers much easier ingress and egress (no "climbing" in and out).  Plus, remember that "Cool Tip" I shared with the plastic clamp I secured to the shower doors to eliminate their slamming around while traveling?  That's not needed anymore :).  This shower door has a simple push down tab that keeps the door snugly closed while in transit.

There's also this great bank of additional storage cabinets (above) and drawers (below) in the bathroom.  These are located just left of the shower.  Love this feature! 

I bought plastic containers for the top drawer to keep all my "stuff" (like make-up, blow dryer, brushes, etc.) organized.  Now I can easily and quickly find anything (well, not anything ... that's a bit of an exaggeration). So far it's working perfectly (well, not perfectly that's also a bit of an exaggeration) just like I thought it might (that is not an exaggeration!).

Now onto the bedroom which features more closet and drawer space than our 2003.  The additional space has been a tremendous help to our clothes storage situation since we are full timing.  I have six drawers underneath these closets where I only had two drawers in the 2003.  The closet door on the far left has built in wire basket drawers for easy storage of additional bulky clothing items.

In this photo there's a small TV above the drawers (these are Gary's three large clothes drawers) and to the right of the drawers is Gary's desk.  The cabinet right under the bank of drawers is where we keep the wireless printer and other miscellaneous stationery and paperwork items ... so convenient!

Here's a close-up of Gary's desk area with a nice window which lets in ample light.  It is a bit smaller than the previous one (he's still grousing a bit about that), but at least he has a desk and this one has a nice drawer below which the other one didn't have.

Across from Gary's drawers and desk is the bed with much nicer looking light fixtures overhead.  I  changed out the bedspread so we could use the new quilt we bought in Montana.  It is perfect and very warm for these cold Nevada nights!  These two bed pillows are the only Christmas "decorations" I got up this year.  Too much chaos in our lives to do anymore than that.

As a closing shot, Gary just took this great photo of the new RV in our site at Comstock Country using his Windows phone (which has a really good camera!). 

 

Hope to have more news to write soon.  It's been slow since we're not traveling to exciting places every week, but I do want to write a story about the amazing Carson Valley Swim Center!!  So look for that in the very near future.