Day 46: Become Educated About Wine

Today I am feeling very full of wine. We've been drinking pretty much nonstop since Shawn and I drove from San Francisco to Sonoma to meet up with our friends Scott and Miko. Luckily, we hired a driver, so all four of us could partake in the wine tasting and copious consumption. Even now, as we sit on a place en route back to NYC (we're on Virgin America so I'm watching So You Think You Can Dance, too) Shawn and I are sharing an overpriced bottle of wine we purchased at SFO as we waited to board. It's a twist off top and they gave us paper cups at the shop where we bought it with sandwiches for our dinner. Only in Wine Country.

After today, I think I will detox a little from wine. Between our summer share house, Long Island wineries and this trip, I've drank more wine this summer than I ever have before -- I'm pretty sure -- in my whole entire life. But, this trip has been so educational, too. Because Scott is a member of the wine clubs of the various wineries we visited, we were able to take part in some of the best, interactive, behind the scenes wine tours out there. 

The tour at Inglenook began in the vineyards

On Monday we went to Napa and visited a few wineries, starting with Inglenook, a beautiful French chateau property owned by the Coppola family. We got a special tour of the vineyards, tank room and barrel caves and ended with a special wine blending experience with cheese and snacks.

Shawn among the Inglenook barrels

On Tuesday, we started the day in Sonoma at a winery called Repris, where we went up the side of mountain overlooking the vineyards in the valley.

Shawn and me at the top of the hilltop at Repris

A panorama of the valley

Tasting in the caves

So what did I learn? I learned how grapes are harvested and when, how they are hand picked, how
 they are crushed, how the wine is fermented and aged, how the barrels are toasted, how wine is preserved and how each step and choice a winemaker makes can effect the taste and quality of a wine. I learned that no two wines are the same -- barrel to barrel, year to year. You might like a pinot from 2011 but hate it in 2012. I learned how long it takes from when you first plant a winery to when you can drink that first bottle -- close to a decade. I also learned that each winery has a different technique and different things they hold sacred. Each one firmly believes that they do it best and their wine is the best. But, it all comes down to taste and personal preference.

And I learned, about myself, that I love wine. I am not discerning. I like all kinds and flavors. I know what I like when I taste it, but I my palette is not refined enough to care to drink one or two things all the time. I like variety. And what I like one day in one situation will change for the next. I'm okay with not being a wine aficionado. I know what I like when I taste it, and that's all that matters to me. I had fun learning about wine, drinking wine and exploring the vineyards and caves of so many wineries on this trip. I want to come back to Napa and enjoy some of the restaurants and resorts here as well. Some day.

But for now, maybe I'll lay off the wine for a little bit...