2003-01-26 - 11:01 a.m. winter wineland This week has been devoid of writing here thanks to too much red wine in real time... Monday afternoon (a work holiday in support of Martin Luther King Day), I trekked up to Napa with a college friend. Tricky little matchmaker that he is, he invited along his about-to-be-divorced friend. Said friend was driving the car when they arrived, and my friend was sitting in the back, thus putting my all up close and personal with the almost eligible bachelor. Real subtle. The only sparks of the day were between the boys and my Interpol CD, and all of us and a late harvest semillon (basically a Napa Valley equivalent to a Sauterne) at Van der Heyden. I indulged in my craving for red meat with a big flat iron steak at Brix, but thought the duck confit salad with walnuts and blue cheese I had as a starter there was much better than my main course. As a whole, the place was overpriced. I mean, the ceiling was falling apart next to the main air intake vent yet they were charging up to the mid $20s for lunch entrees? Give me a break. The lunch I had at Pinot Bistro during my last Napa trip was much better, and a tad bit less expensive. post lunch there was a quick stop at Dean and Deluca for vanilla extract, during which I also had to buy the sexiest spatula I have ever seen, then the wine tasting started. To make up for the evil settup plan and the fact that he was going to use the lunch receipt as a tax write off, my friend bought me a bottle of orropas at St. Clement (a very fine gift). I thus forgave him for his sneakiness. We moved on to S. Anderson because his friend really likes their sparkling wines. Alas, they specialize in bruts and I prefer blanc de noir. There was a cute boy working here though (yes, with whom I flirted), and he comped us the $30 tasting fee! The small victories are what keep me going... The third and final winery we visited was Van Der Heyden, another of his friend's favorites. When you drive up, you park next to a moderately rundown looking farmhouse that reminds me of the small ranches and farms throughout the central valley. You walk on a dirt path that is surrounded by a large, motley assortment of cats (mostly orange tabbies) to a little screen doored trailer. The winemaker was down to earth and funny, with practised speeches about each of his wines. They were the priciest wines we'd tasted, but they were also the best. The finale was the late harvest semillon with its beautiful golden color and honey taste. We all fell inlove with that wine. The boys each bought a futures contract for 3 bottles...deliverable in December 2003 or later. I lack both the deep pockets and the patience for such things... The work wine tasting went off without a hitch, though only a few people completed their tasting notes on my lovely scorecard. (NOTE: I can't upload PDFs here, so if you want one, please leave your email address and I'll send it along.) The tasty treats from Trader Joe's were also well received, especially the Pirate's Booty and the artichoke parmesan dip. That stuff is amazing. And addictive. The final wine duty of the week was yesterday: the ZAP! tasting at Fort Mason. Imagine two cavernous buildings with 300+ producers of zinfandel, and 10,000+ people trying them. That was my day. Tasting notes to follow after I go grab some lunch... any comments? (0 so far) previous - next recently on almostgoldsf... in defense of an email box I came to do battle with SPAM - 2008-05-17 hello 2006 - 2005-12-31 Happy Thanksgiving - 2005-11-14 bon voyage - 2005-11-05 October already? - 2005-10-09