So it looks like we are about to kick it into gear starting next week. With the heat making fruit surge ahead, we should be knee deep in harvest in just a few days. So whenever there is time to squeeze a weekend of relaxation prior to harvest, you gotta go for it. That is what my baby and I did last weekend. Knowing our days were numbered, we ran for the border. Time for some Mexico! We have this little place that we like to go just south of Tijuana about an hour that is our escape from our world of emails, cell phones and other forms of technology. It is a wonderful place to tune out of reality for a spell. If you read my last rant you know that my brain was sizzled after bottling. The only cure was lots of Coronas, some good old street tacos and an ocean to stare off into (oh and there was wine too.)
We caught a flight to San Diego from SFO and then rented a car. I think that you are not supposed to take rental cars out of the country (or if you do your supposed to tell them.) We didn’t have time for that sh*t. I needed a beach and a beer-stat.
So the bulk of the weekend was mostly spent chilling, eating tamales and sleeping in, but we did take a little road trip to the Vale de Guadalupe. It is a little wine region near Ensenada that is on the rise. We have heard tales of this place, but we finally made it on this trip. Wow. We had an amazing time driving around the beautiful valley, stopping to taste at a bunch of wineries, and taking in the scenery. I have to say that there is some really cool stuff going on down there. It is a hot place so there is a lot of Cab, Zin, Syrah and Grenache grown in the Vale (there are also rumors of a cool valley not to far from there where there is word of Pinot Noir being planted. If I tell you where, I have to kill you.) We tasted some real nice Chenin Blanc and Viognier at L.A.Cetto. At Case de Dona Lupe’ we tasted some organic Cabs and Grenaches that were exotic and tasty. They also have an organic kitchen there where they serve pizzas and other great organic delectables. It is a great place to take it all in on the back porch and realize that life is good! Highly recommended. At Chateau Camou we tasted some Chardonnay from the 1998 vintage that was stunning. I can’t wait to throw this one into a blind tasting. Fresh as daisies, and could easily be mistaken for a really great white Burgundy. It was fun for a day to be on the opposite side of the wine experience. Sometimes with the hectic nature of the wine industry, we forget how lucky we are to be working in beautiful places with such great perks.
I guess this blog doesn’t really have much of a point, except for the fact in this fast paced world you have to remember to push the reset button on your brain occasionally. You need that recharge so you can have a clean mental slate. With harvest looming it is exactly what I needed to get prepped for the mission ahead…. Happy harvesting to everyone involved in winemaking. And to all of you on the outside looking in-send us beer from time to time! Just kidding. Here we go!
Ryan
