Busy - Busy - Busy

Wow, having too much fun to write. I don’t know how writers stay disciplined to write….definitely could not crank out an article every day.

It’s been a busy couple of weeks –

Paso Robles for some wakeboarding and wine drinking. I’ve stopped calling it “tasting” when I go to Paso because we end up drinking fantastic wine with dinner. It was great to hang with the Franks and the rest of the Naci crew. Was nice to be amongst friends….although I’m busy in SF, don’t have any peeps that I hang with yet.

Did you know that you can tell a cluster of grapes is a chardonnay grape by the shape of the cluster. The cluster looks like it has shoulders – kind of like little clumps to the right & left of the main cluster. Definitely learning interesting facts up here.

Went to Napa on Saturday to meet with another friend from LA. Hadn’t been to Napa in over 5 years – they sure have added a lot of hotels/retail space. More crowded than ever. We went to Viader Vineyards in the Howell Mtn area, 1200 feet above the Napa Valley floor. They had great wines and killer views of the valley. Also went to Alpha Omega, Frogs Leap and Sequoia Grove. My fav – Viader for the killer cab franc deal (case at half price) and views.

I’ve learned NOT to trust my GPS. It pays to get directions on Mapquest or at least look at a map to get a general idea of how I want to get to/from a destination. My GPS took me WAY OUT OF THE WAY to get from Napa back to the city. Why was it thinking that I wanted to go east, down and over the Bay Bridge to get to the city. OMG….that was almost a 2 hour drive, when it only took me 1 hour to get there. Plus, the Bay Bridge was like waiting in TJ to cross the border. It was slower than the 405 at rush hour. GEEZ.

Going to Sonoma on Sat. I’ll be sure to map out my route before I get on the road!!!

Ciao - Linda

Learning New Tricks

I am learning new things every day, such as….

How to not lock myself out of the house when going into the backyard. Yea…got locked out with the owner…and she thought she unlocked the door. She couldn’t find the hideakey, so she showed me how to get in without having to squeeze through the doggie door….good thing - haven’t had to pull that trick since college.

How to roll an empty wine barrel that weighs as much as I do, if not more.

How to take wine samples from barrels without contaminating the wine. Can go do barrel tastings any time I want. Did I forget to tell you lately that I LOVE THIS GIG!!!

How high school chemistry could have been so much cooler…and maybe I would have gotten a better grade…if I knew it involved wine. Learned how to run tests for sugar, ph, acidity, alcohol, etc.

How to test for CO2…basically fill a thingy (my technical term), put another thingy with a spout on it, cover the spout and shake the hell out of it. Put a beaker over the spout, take your finger off and let it spurt out. (Like shaking a coke bottle and letting it spray out) Repeat until it no longer spurts. Measure b4 and after.

How to have fun in the cold room…tasted about 8 Napa cabs from 2008 barrel samples. Am trying to select which type of wine to make and from which vineyard. Will taste Pinot Noir later this week….did I tell you I LOVE THIS GIG!!!

Ciao - Linda

Eating my way through my new 'hood

I've discovered one of the restaurant sections near my place and can't wait to try most of them. Within a few blocks...yes, I walk there...I can find Italian, Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Mediterranean, Soul, Hot Pot, American/Hamburger, and a Mexican taqueria that only serves burritos & tacos. Forget about eating there, the counter holds 4-6 people...so I ate on the bench outside the place....was definitely craving Mexican food!!!

There are a couple family run, corner produce stands (the kind they don’t have in LA), a nail salon and a cheapy Chinese home goods store that came in handy to grab a few things for my new place...such as a pitcher for the ever important iced tea.

Also within walking distance are a few dry cleaners…although I don’t need them – no more business casual. I’m wearing jeans, tshirts and tennis shoes every day!!!

On Sunday, I drove to Monterey to spend time with my pal Barb Maloney, her husband and daughter. The weather was sunny, clear, and beautiful with a slight breeze. Borrowed shorts from Barb…who knew it would be so warm there. We hung by the pool with a bottle of wine and snacks – yea baby!!! Then walked along the pier, watched jellyfish & crabs near the docks, and had Italian for dinner…along with a piece of German chocolate cake. It was so huge that I’m still eating it.