It's been a few years, but instead of the traditional turkey at home for Thanksgiving, my wife and I decided to take both of our Mothers to wine country for the holiday celebration. We were longing for something different and neither Mom had been to any of the California Wine Country valleys.
We booked the flights from LA to SFO and made reservations for all of us at our favorite wine country inn - The Honor Mansion in Healdsburg. Kathy & Steve - the owners - are wonderful people and over the years they have developed Honor Mansion into the most luxurious bed & breakfast inn we are aware of.
We landed on time, fought the traffic up the 101 and arrived in Sonoma ready to show "the Moms" why we love wine country. And over the 4 days and 3 nights - wine country did not disappoint.
The post harvest time is calmer, slower and with less visitors in part due to the holiday. But we felt there was a sense of satisfaction and pride that emulated from each of the wineries we visited. They knew another year was put to bed and that all their hard work would pay off down the road with outstanding wines.
We visited wineries like: Jordan, Simi, Ferrari-Carano, Korbel, Matanzas Creek and more.
Both Moms - in their late 70's - thoroughly enjoyed themselves and we came back with fond memories of a Thanksgiving spent - for us - in a very nontraditional way.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Monday, October 7, 2013
The Road Less Traveled
Santa Barbara wine country. Sounds peaceful doesn't it? Not on any given weekend I can tell you. Just getting there can be a headache. So what's the advice?
One - start early. If you're leaving from LA and it's environs get on the road early in the morning and get to Santa Barbara in time for breakfast. Yep - breakfast.
Two - don't rush. The roads - no matter which way you go - will be pretty open in the morning and besides, most wineries don't open until 10am for tasting.
Three - consider taking highway 154 just as you get through Santa Barbara. Why? The highway winds it's way up the mountain through the Los Padres National Forest. As you gain elevation take the temptation to pull off the road at one of the overlooks. It's a breath-taking view back toward the Pacific Ocean and Refugio State Beach.
Continue on up the mountain - watching for bicycles - and consider a side trip to Chumash Painted Cave just a mile or so off the highway on Painted Cave Road. Besides the cave - the views are staggering. Once done, head back north on hwy 154 and the next thing you'll see as you start down the back side is Lake Cachuma.
Lake Cachuma is 3100 acres of water, camping and recreation. Look carefully at the lake and you might see the UCSB rowing team practicing. There is ample opportunity to pull off and get a closer look at the lake. Who know - you might even see one of the American Bald Eagles that frequent the area.
But - back to our destination: wine tasting. It's now only 10 miles or so to the left turn on Mission Drive (Hwy 246) that will take you almost immediately to Gainey Vineyards. We think it's quite arguably The Best of wine country in this area. If you like Chardonnay or Pinot Noir - you may just find yourself joining their wine club. #gainey, #santabarbarawine, #pinotnoir, #winecountrytravel
Cheers!
One - start early. If you're leaving from LA and it's environs get on the road early in the morning and get to Santa Barbara in time for breakfast. Yep - breakfast.
Two - don't rush. The roads - no matter which way you go - will be pretty open in the morning and besides, most wineries don't open until 10am for tasting.
Three - consider taking highway 154 just as you get through Santa Barbara. Why? The highway winds it's way up the mountain through the Los Padres National Forest. As you gain elevation take the temptation to pull off the road at one of the overlooks. It's a breath-taking view back toward the Pacific Ocean and Refugio State Beach.
Continue on up the mountain - watching for bicycles - and consider a side trip to Chumash Painted Cave just a mile or so off the highway on Painted Cave Road. Besides the cave - the views are staggering. Once done, head back north on hwy 154 and the next thing you'll see as you start down the back side is Lake Cachuma.
Lake Cachuma is 3100 acres of water, camping and recreation. Look carefully at the lake and you might see the UCSB rowing team practicing. There is ample opportunity to pull off and get a closer look at the lake. Who know - you might even see one of the American Bald Eagles that frequent the area.
But - back to our destination: wine tasting. It's now only 10 miles or so to the left turn on Mission Drive (Hwy 246) that will take you almost immediately to Gainey Vineyards. We think it's quite arguably The Best of wine country in this area. If you like Chardonnay or Pinot Noir - you may just find yourself joining their wine club. #gainey, #santabarbarawine, #pinotnoir, #winecountrytravel
Cheers!
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