Sideways, Cupways

The final installment of my San Francisco travelogue series

Mama and I toured the wine country on our last day — Sonoma in the morning, Napa in the afternoon — visiting three wineries. There’s nothing better than an excuse to start drinking wine at 10 a.m. on a Saturday.

We stopped on our way out of the city to take photos of the Golden Gate Bridge. Yeah, I know I ran one of these already, but I’m proud of the photos. Besides, it’s one of the Coaster Punchman’s favorite landmarks. And seeing yet another photo may send Dale to his favorite online travel agency (he’s having problems thinking his own thoughts, it seems).

The Golden Gate Bridge, in Saturday morning fog

Sonoma Winery #1: Viansa

The Viansa winery is in a beautiful spot, one that reminded me of Tuscany. It was lovely and rather peaceful that morning.

A Tuscanic Sonoma

We tasted four wines: 2005 Vittoria Pinot Grigio, 2004 Athena Dolcetto, 2002 Piccolo Sangiovese, and 2004 Prindelo. My mom isn’t much of a drinker, so I got half of her wines. Score!

The Viansa Winery

My favorite: Prindelo. We Atlantans are in luck; Wine Haven, on Sandy Springs Circle, carries it.


Sonoma Winery #2: Larson Family Winery

The Larson’s winery is much smaller than Viansa. The family lives on the property; in fact, there was a birthday party for their little girl going on.

The Larson Vineyard

But small doesn’t necessarily mean less. The wines I sampled were very good. Unfortunately I lost my notes from this winery, so I think these are the four wines I had: Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Wingo White, and Cabernet Savignon.

My favorite: 2003 Cabernet Savignon, which earned a perfect 100 at a recent Sonoma wine competition. It was very good.

The Family Pet, Dolly Llama

We then went into the town of Sonoma for lunch (and a bit of shopping, of course, which resulted in two more boho skirts for my collection), then headed for Napa.


Napa Winery: Domaine Chandon

That’s right, kids, we were sampling champagne (okay, I know we’re supposed to say “sparkling wine,” but I believe in truthiness). Is there any better way to top of a day of sipping wine than with champagne? I think not.

I wish I’d taken some photos of the buildings at Domaine Chandon. The architecture flowed with its surroundings, and it was wonderful. The grounds at Domaine Chandon are dotted with outdoor art:

and colorful, tranquil gardens:

But let’s get back to the boozing. Again, I sampled four champagnes (and half of my mother’s flutes): Chandon Reserve Brut, Chandon Brut Classic, Chandon Blanc de Noirs, and Chandon Riche. The tasting was held outdoors, under a large tree. And the Chandon chick knew how to pour — no tiny tastes here, but nearly full flutes.

My favorite: Chandon Blanc de Noirs

In the Napa sun.
May God’s love be with you always.

Domaine Chandon tip: To chill your bottle of champagne, put it in a bucket of half water/half ice for half an hour.

We returned to San Francisco full of new spirited favorites to bring to dinner parties. Thanks to the champagne, I spent much of the drive dozing and daydreaming about bastardy things.

And so, dear readers, that’s a quick recap of my days by the Bay. Hard to believe that was two weeks ago. Write Procrastinator, keep an eye out for an affordable apartment for me.

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