It’s been a while since I have written, several things have kept me busy and I wanted to save up for the big #600 post.  It started when I decided to take my youngest son with me to San Francisco and then on to Hong Kong, a kind of ‘bring your kid to work day’. I booked the tickets, made plans for a day of touristy stuff in the bay area and confirmed that one of my friends was going to be there so we could take the kids to an ice skating rink.  You see, my #3 boy and daughter (he is 12, she is 10) skate competitively, synchronized teams, theater on ice and ice dancing.  His goal was to skate San Fran and Hong Kong.  I was happy to oblige.

The problems began a month before the trip when I ended up with a stress fracture in the my left foot, from too much gyming.  My trainer is a beast and had my old body doing jumps and squats and other inhumane forms of torture.  Why, oh why do I pay him for such treatment?  Anyway, I initially thought all would be fine by the time the trip rolled around.  I left my somewhat stinky boot at home, boarded our flight and headed west.  That night upon our arrival we were met at the airport by my friend and we headed downtown to take in some pizza before our public skate.  On the way I felt the need to have an emergency bottle just in case we got thirsty, a stop at the local quick mart yielded a decent Malbec for $12.  I carry a corkscrew at all times and some red plastic cups took care of the rest.  Jet (my son’s nickname) got to the ice and we opened the vino.

Day two was preplanned with a tour of Alcatraz followed by a Segway tour, by far the highlight so far. It’s amazing how natural those things are!  Funny thing is that my son rode the same exact Segway his brother rode nearly two years previous, out of 100 units that’s pretty weird.

Then it dawned on me that my foot really was not better.  A visit to the urgent care confirmed my fears.  Our Asian adventure was now going to be a Cali adventure.  A few calls, some internet time, map gazing and I had secured a car, hotels and a few sightseeing ideas for the next 4 days.

Our trip started with a drive to Santa Rosa so that Jet could visit the Charles Schultz museum followed by skating on Snoopy’s Home ice, he was so excited!

Our next day was insane…. We drove to the Sonoma airport and took a look around.  We made enquiries and ended up driving over to the Alexander Valley Vineyards, where we got a tour and I got to taste some very delicious wines.  I brought some home and will be reviewing them soon.  The people there were super nice and the free tour of their property and cellars was well worth the drive.

We returned to the Sonoma airport and toured the museum, which was stuffed full of old gems.  Next up was a 45 minute tour of the Russian River in a Cessna.  I made sure Jet got some stick time and he loved it!  Our pilot was a retired firefighter and was super cool.

We drove through the petrified forest to Calistoga where we ended up at Cosentino Winery.  Moxie and I had visited previously but I was unable to partake as I was working that afternoon.  This trip was different!  Cosentino makes outstanding wines that I have enjoyed for several years, tasting the full range was certainly a treat.  I ended up on the mailing list and just got my first shipment.

We trekked south from there to Santa Clara to spend the night enroute to the Monterey Peninsula.  We stared out the day at the aquarium nad did some sightseeing. Our hotel had a pool and jacuzzi so Jet got to buy a swimsuit and get wet.  That night we had dinner in Carmel and a friend’s restaurant, Lugano Swiss Bistro.  If you are in the area you must stop by and sample the Schnitzel or Fondue.  Both divine and worth a detour.

Our last full day and we headed back to the bay.  Our two attempts at different go-kart venues proved fruitless, but a trampoline experience was a close second.  Jet was all tuckered out and hungry for dinner.  We met friends in Burlingame for a leisurely evening meal and finished it off with some Nitrogen chilled ice cream, certainly a treat!

Our flight home was uneventful and we were both glad to be in our own beds, yet thankful of the great father/son week chock full of great memories.

 

 

Just a quick post to wish you all a Merry Christmas and hope you have a fantastic New Year.  I have been on vacation for three weeks now and have another one to go, bliss. I worked hard for the past 14 months to get this much time off in one go.  I have been able to relax, spend time with the kids and do fun stuff like ride a ferris wheel, dinner with friends, Christmas parties and of course- cellar diving.  I found a Magnum of my own label The Naughty Dragon the other day and opened it for family that came to dinner.  I also served up the most succulent Smoked Salmon to have ever graced this earth.  Memories were made that night as my British aunt was in town and my older brother flew in from Florida.  I cherish these moments as I realize we are all getting older and time is running out for some.  I feel no hesitation to pull out gems to share and look forward to New Years eve, I’m thinking Bordeaux to go along with some delicacies we are serving up.  I also need to start compiling my Best of 2014 list, wish me luck.  Salut….

I love the Thanksgiving Holiday.  It kicks off my season in a grand style and gives me an excuse to go ‘cellar diving’.  I have most of my wine on racks in the basement, but the good stuff is in wooden cases and they are stacked, making it hard to get to them on a whim hence the need for an annual sorting out to make sure I can get to the top end bottles.  I took the opportunity to re-arrange some of the boxes and generally clean up.  What I didn’t know was that there were several hidden, forgotten treasures. I once bought 3 cases of 2000 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon.  I was convinced I had drunk them all and was using the boxes to stores other goodies…..  You guessed it- Jackpot time!

Next up was to group all my dessert Sauternes, the ‘Liquid Gold’. I told you I was going to hoard some after I tasted the Doisy-Vedrines. Amazing stuff that is just spectacular.  The place looked a mess for a while and I will admit to breaking one bottle of cheap red in the process but it was well worth the effort.  I got numerous bottles out of their boxes and they are poised, ready to go with whatever pops up between now and the new year.

Moxie and I hosted Thanksgiving for 22 people.  I have practiced on my Big Green Egg and felt confident that I could roast a bird on it.  Moxie was not so confident, she cooked a backup in the oven!  As it turned out, the bird was amazing, with a balanced hint of smoke and sage.  Not overpowering but needing a more hefty, robust red than the casual Pinot Noir.  I was prepared for the challenge.  Our friends managed to put away two sparkling wines, a Sancerre, the Don Melchor, BV’s 2007 Tapestry (which is on pointe now), the obvious ’01 Lynch Bages, followed up with a a sticky Doisy.  I finished off a Barbaresco from the previous evening for good measure after the guests were gone.  All in all, a well rounded group of wines.  I had planned on some ’05 Burgundies but our guests all insisted on other regions.  Might just have to crack one tonight with leftovers!  I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and wish you good health and happiness for the holidays.  Salut….