just a little something...

friday update

Oliver finished up his first week of swim lessons, and I'm pretty impressed with how he did. Not because I actually SAW him swim, mind you -- no, I haven't been allowed to go because the kid probably would be attached to my lap if I went to lessons with him. I'm impressed because everyone (Sam, my parents, Maddie) told me that he did pretty darn good. Which means he didn't scream bloody murder as the swim teacher pulled him in the water.

That's a darn good start, as far as I'm concerned.

One more week to go for July's lessons, then we get a nice little break from swim lessons until the fall. As much as I love having Maddie go (and now Oliver), 5:30 lessons sure do get exhausting.

The kids are going to my parents' house tomorrow morning [yay for the kids! yay for me and Sam!] because Sam and I are hosting a little wine-and-cheese gathering at our house for some friends from work. A woman I work with is as into wine as I am, and she and I have been thinking about having some type of wine event for some time. A few weeks ago, she convinced me to finally set a date, so tomorrow night it is. I'm spending the evening and tomorrow afternoon prepping appetizers and washing wine glasses. 

Happy Friday!

a few last photos from sf/napa

One of the best wines ever, Cabernet Sauvignon 1886 from Ehlers Estate:

We watched a cruise ship cross under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. It was pretty incredible - the size of the ship and the size of the bridge. 

It was so cold standing on that cliff overlooking the bridge. We stood there as long as we could bear it. I ended up putting on my jacket on top of my sweater, and it still wasn't warm enough.

That's all for now.

monday's good things

1. Leftover black beans and rice made with chorizo. 

2. My new pressure cooker, with which I made the black beans and rice.

3. LOVE my new clinic schedule on Mondays.

4. Planning a party menu.

5. Oliver's first swim lessons today.*

*Unfortunately, I didn't go to swim lessons. Oliver has become so clingy and attached to me lately that Sam and I thought that if I went and Oliver saw me, he would scream bloody murder and refuse to get in the pool. Turns out, he did great! No crying at all. I still think it's best that I didn't go, but I SO want to see my baby boy at swim lessons. I'm going to have Sam video it for me, I think.

celebrity chef moment

at bottega, originally uploaded by merryjennifer.

Recognize anyone? Celebrity chef Michael Chiarello at his restaurant in Yountville, Bottega.

a sonoma intermission, part 2

Sbragia Family Vineyards has its tasting room in the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma. We felt special that they knew we were coming and had prepared for us.

One of the cool things about the tour of Sbragia was getting to look in the winemaker's lab. It reminded me of the chemistry labs from undergrad at UF (except a LOT more fun).

Sbragia is located on a hillside, so we were treated to gorgeous vistas of the valley and the vineyards. And, of course, we were treated to some amazing Sbragia wine and the hospitality of Peggy, the tasting room manager.

We didn't buy much wine on our trip. We can find much of it at our favorite local wine shop, so we couldn't justify paying for shipping. We did purchase a couple of bottles of Sbragia sauvignon blanc along with two bottles of cabernet sauvignon. They were just too yummy to pass up.

a sonoma intermission

Because we didn't want Sonoma to feel left out, and because we had such wonderful guides who knew all the right places to visit, we spent a night just outside of Healdsburg. We stayed in one of the guest houses at the Alexander Valley Vineyards. And, of course, we toured the facility and tried some wines (imagine that). They make some great wines, including the Bordeaux-blend Cyrus and a set of wonderful zinfandels. 

We first toured the cave, a chilly underground series of tunnels filled with wine barrels.

They were actually in the process of bottling some merlot, so we got an inside peek at the bottling system.

(These women plucked the filled, corked, and labeled bottles off the line and boxed them up in cases.)

It was a really special thing to wake up the next morning and open the front door to see this:

We took a walk around the vineyard that morning, and it was a beautiful thing. The vines were green and lush, sprouting out of the dusty soil. It was just incredible to think that those little green grapes will turn ripe, will be harvested and crushed, and ultimately will turn into a wine to be experienced with friends and family. 

As we ended our walk that morning, the winery dog found us and insisted on a game of fetch. Most of you know that we are not dog people, but this dog stole our hearts. It may have been that we were in an open state of mind, having just toured a gorgeous vineyard and getting ready to head off to more wine tastings. I'm really not sure. But, that dog was adorable, and I think Sam was hurt more than a little when the dog decided he'd had enough play time with us and ran off. 

sisterly love

In the car on the way to drop Madeline off at school yesterday:

"Mommy, can I marry Oliver when I get bigger?"

"Um, well, brothers and sisters don't typically get married, Maddie."

She hesitated for a few seconds.

"Well, if you won't let me marry Oliver, then I'm going to marry Daddy."

san francisco/napa, part 4

Our trip was filled with visits to beautiful wineries in both Napa and Sonoma. We tasted amazing wines and snacked on gourmet cheeses. I never thought that I'd reach the point that I had eaten enough cheese, but I think I reached that point by the time we left.

Silver Oak is known for outstanding cabernet sauvignon, and the rumors are true. They make a fantastic cabernet. 

(Silver Oak wine cellar)

The wineries were incredibly generous and kind. I'm not sure that the average person with no connections would feel the same, but we were lucky to be accompanied by our friends in the wine business. Because of Wade, we were treated to incredible service, generous pours, and lots of extra attention.

At Caymus, for example, we had a lovely lunch prepared for us. It wasn't fancy - just meats, cheeses, and a couple of baguettes - but it was such a special experience to eat our lunch with the wonderful Caymus wines in their garden.

(These were some of my favorites at Caymus, the Belle Glos pinot noir.)

(Sam, Kathy, Wade, Melissa, and Rob - in the Caymus entryway)

St. Clement sits on top of a hill, so it has a beautiful view of the Napa Valley. It's just down from the Culinary Institute of America (a place I vow to go back to visit - if not take a class one day). 

(Kathy & Wade at St. Clement)

(I can't remember what was so funny, but we were obviously having a great time.)

(Rob & Melissa at St. Clement)

The roses at the ends of the vines were beautiful. We saw them all across the valley, not just at St. Clement. Supposedly they serve as an early warning system in the vineyards - if something is affecting the roses (disease or pests), it may be a sign that the grapes might be soon affected, and this allows the vineyard manager to treat the vines early, hopefully warding off permanent damage.

(a vineyard at Caymus)

That's all for this tour. I thought I might cover it all in this post, but there's still more to come. It's just too much fun to re-live the trip through photos.

san francisco/napa, part 3

We took a drive into the mountains which form the edge of the Napa Valley to visit the Oakville Ranch Vineyards. The general manager of Oakville Ranch happens to be a good friend of our hosts, Wade and Kathy, so we got quite the special treatment. And if it wasn't anything special, she did a fantastic job of making it feel that way.

The main house was absolutely stunning. The property was stunning. There is no way that I can even begin to describe appropriately the intensity of the experience, so I'll show some pictures and hope that you can get at least a feel for how special it was.

(view from the patio)

(even the smallest details contributed to the beauty of the place)

(view of the pool from the patio in front of the house)

(view of Napa valley from the pool deck)

(Paula pouring us some wines)

(Wade, Melissa, and Rob...and wine)

(Paula, Wade, and Melissa...and wine)

(Paula and Melissa)

Paula gave us an ATV tour of the Oakville Ranch property. I learned a few things. First, the vineyards are even more beautiful up close. Second, while the grape vines are green and lush, the ground is dusty and dry. Third, ATVs can be scary things to ride in. But, Paula was a great driver and the tour was fantastic.

This pile of rocks were dug out of the earth in an area where new vines were being planted. Turns out, it costs a lot of money to dig up rocks, pile up rocks, and then move rocks. 

(I think I've found my dream home.)

(Yep. This looks like the spot. How can I resist this view?)

 

san francisco/napa, part 2

After checking into our hotel and grabbing a quick bite to eat at NapaStyle in Yountville, the first winery that we visited was St. Supery. After a tour of the facility and some barrel tastings, we spent time in the tasting room and wandering the vineyard.

(stainless steel tanks used for fermenting wine)

(barrels, mostly french oak)

(barrel tasting some of the new wines)

(Chalo, our wonderful tour guide and wine educator)

(this was an interesting gadget - you pressed the handles and got a whiff of one of the aromas found in the wine)

(before the tasting started)

(our guide, Chalo, getting ready to walk us through each wine)

(the stars of the show!)

("Wade is a rock star" was exclaimed numerous times)

(the lovely vineyards with baby grapes on the vine)

(I'm thinking of moving here. Shh. Don't tell my work.)

The St. Supery winery was amazing, the wines were fantastic, and it was just the start of an amazing few days.