Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Whine and did I mention, more wine!

Cheers!

At the end of September, Heather and I took a field trip to one of our favorite hangouts - NAPA, California. I went for a Western Aerosol Conference (of which I am a Board member) and Heather came along for the ride.

We started our journey visiting the Mendocino County Fair - the object was to go to the Wool and Sheep Festival being held at the Fair. As you all know, my Heather is a weaver and spinner and her eyes were set on the wool judging contest. Of course, she had just spent money on fleeces, so she was going for the experience - not to buy! (HAHAHA). The wool judging was an eye opener for me....I didn't know there were so many different varieties of sheep or so many variations in the wool. If you follow Heather's blog - you will see all the different fleeces she is experimenting with. Amazing! She is also selling her homespun in her Etsy store....check it out!

We stayed in the little town of Ukiah and found a fabulous bistro and wine bar called Patronas. www.patronarestaurant.com It was so good, we went there twice!

While we were at the Fair, I bought Heather an old fashioned spinning wheel...it was lovely and looked just like an old spinning wheel should! It has joined her other spinning wheels in her small house in Redwood City, CA. This picture is the wheel's restorer showing Heather how to thread it. What fun we had!!!

Found a new favorite winery. www.robertsinskey.com The wines are fabulous, the tasting the best we have come across and the winery is also organically grown. It's an exclusive and lovely winery....do make it a point to stop there on your next trip to Napa. I know we will!

What can I say except that the wine and the company were extraordinary. The whole town of Napa smells like grapes during the harvest. It truly is an amazing experience - and lots of fun sharing it with someone who enjoys it as much as I do! Pictured are some tame koi that grace the entrance to the the Sinskey Winery.

We also went to our last year's favorite winery - Rubicon - for their harvest party. This is a lovely old winery and a must to stop at and sip some delicious Cabs. www.rubiconestate.com The party was fun - even those pigs rotating on spits were awesome!!! It's a little pricey, but well worth it - great ambiance and excellent wines.

Finally, I attended the Convention and had a very educational full day. Heather stayed in the room and spinned (or spun)??? She also got in a days work as well - she can work from her laptop or in the office. That evening we went to a local winery for dinner! It was a beautiful Winery - with tasting, art and a wonderful meal in the caves. Quite enjoyable, but those caves do reverberate with noise when there are alot of people enjoying themselves all talking at one time! www.clospegase.com

All in all, a good time was had by all - and we can't wait to head to Napa again next year. Hopefully we will have a girl's weekend and Abby will be able to join us. Of course, the new mother Shari, will be home with her hands full with her son-to-be, Logan Ryan Musselman!!!

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