[dropcap]D[/dropcap]ay 1: The  Day started off like any other day in Palm Springs:  Beautiful blue sky, the soft whisper of clouds floating above, the rugged mountains of San Jacinto making their presence known, and me 2 hours late. I recently made the mistake of purchasing a house in Palm Springs. Not making a mistake purchasing the house, but making the mistake of thinking I can complete the repairs myself. Why pay a contractor $75 to install a lock, how hard can that be?   The answer: not hard at all. But when you have to install five of them, then things start getting a little tricky. And what happens when that lock on the fourth door is already suffering from water damage so the screws strip as you try to mount the lock? And this door swings outward, the other door swings inward, so now the locks are reversed. You get the picture, homeowner nightmare.

But either way, it’s a beautiful day. So let’s enjoy this Palm Springs lifestyle and get cracking on the door locks, painting the garage door, installing the new sprinkler timer, cutting the back lawn, trimming the hedges, Oh forget it. I fixed two things on the house  before I look up and notice the awesome sunset behind San Jacinto mountain. I grab my phone, and realized in the past three hours I’ve installed the locks, trim the hedges, and now I’m cutting the grass as darkness approaches. Fortunately, I’ve already planned on two days worth of work, so let’s head to the hotel for our one evening stay. We’re doing one night at the Hyatt Palm Springs, for free, thanks to points on the Hyatt card. Remember when I told you about Pimpin Your Credit Cards? Well this is one of those cases where it comes into play. The Chase Hyatt provided us with two free nights at the incredible Park Hyatt Paris. And then we had two free nights at the incredible Park Hyatt Milan, and now, we’re staying at the almost as incredible Hyatt Palm Springs. Awesome! When we check into the hotel,  the front desk says something about executive suite. Executive suite? I flinch, but keep my cool, I’m not saying nothing.We head up to the room and upon opening the door, we arrive at our circa 1972 Executive Suite.

A huge living room welcomes us, with a dining table separate bar area in the separate bedroom and bath. I thought I saw the ghost of Dean Martin whipping up a quick martini. This is cool. Upon closer inspection, the Pink Sand Stone marble tile in the bathroom goes all the way up the wall and encompasses the floor, the top surrounding of the wall and the counter-top. Wow, that’s a lot of pink tile!  But hey, I’m not complaining. We get  changed to head over make our 8 o’clock reservation for Spencer’s. Spencer’s is one of those old-school Palm Springs restaurants. What makes a Palm Springs restaurant? Classic American fare, outdoor seating under trees in the dining area, and golfers! You can just imagine stars from the 60s hanging out here on a quiet Palm Springs evening. Casual and relaxed. Palm Springs is always been a quiet little golf and tennis town, isolated, a get-away for the LA rich and famous. Palm Springs in the 60’s was the Hearst Castle  of the 20’s. We sit down for dinner, which was tasty, but the winner once again for me, was the banana coconut banana cream pie at the end. Yum Yum Yum!, With two torched bananas, I haven’t seen this layout in a while. I sit back, look up the tree, take in the beautiful weather, and begin dreading the fact that the next day will be full day of working on the house. Why can’t everyday be like this? I’m ready to retire now. What if I gotten myself into?

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]ay 2: What is that elephant on the wall? We wake up and Nancy calls her friends David and Francis to see if they’re in town, and David is. We all head to the Ace Hotel for breakfast today before digging and mowing. this is one of the new hotspots for the younger hipsters. Who else needs a Photo Booth in the bar lobby? Fun kids crowd the place. It’s hard to tell who’s a local and who’s visiting. Even the kids with German accents are from West Hollywood. Breakfast was not as interesting as the building itself. could have used a little more flare, but a solid meal to start the day. And what a day. Six hours later, the 1/3 acre backyard is cut, trimmed and seeded. 2 trees have been cut down, all locks are finished, and half of the front shrubbery has been removed. Oh boy! 2 trees still stand, the other half of the shrub needs to go, the benda-border is not laid out and the branches need to be loaded for hauling. Crap…we need to stay another night! I call Hyatt and they are sold out tonight, oh no. We call David, they have guests coming to stay, arriving by 9:00p. Oh brother, what to do? I call Hyatt back, seems they have room at the Indian Wells location for only 20k points, but 20 mins away. Oh well, we book it, and start to head over. David calls and suggests that since we’re staying another night, let do dinner at Birba. OK, see there by 7:00. We say we’re heading to The Wells to check-in, “Oh just shower here, and Birba’s right down the street.”

We swing by to pick up David, shower up and head to Birba, just 3 minutes away.  Could have walked actually. We have Chloe with us, so good thing everyone here is so dog friendly. Birba is a nice little secluded outdoor patio filled with overarching magnolia trees . The place is full with hipsters, young and old, girl groups, and real estate professionals. You can tell the real estate professionals, they’re the ones who walk in on their phone, sit down on their phone, eat on their phone, and leave on their phone.

The bruschetta arrives, and I’ve never seen tomatoes so red. My first thought is this has to be enhanced, but at first bite, the tenderness and sweetness leads me to believe that this is some local farmer market, organically grown, pioneering farmland that supplies these tomatoes on a daily basis. Plump and juicy, I even began eating the tomatoes without the bread. This makes me wonder why I settled for a simple pizza as my main entrée rather than following up with the other more exotic  dishes on the menu. Oh well, the Modern Times amber beer goes down smooth, so I’m good to go. Afterwards, we drop David and he invites us in for another beer. We start talking on the back patio, what the hell,m a quick dip in the pool under the full moon. And this is the Palm Springs life.

We head back to Indian Wells, and trek along Hwy 111 to get there. Interesting, going from Palm Springs, through Cathedral City to Rancho Mirage, past Palm Desert to get to Indian Wells. Seeing the sights, the art deco landmarks of The Springs, the strip malls of Cathedral, the mega malls of Rancho and the emptiness of Palm Desert. Then you hit the luxury spot of Indian Wells, and this ought to be nice. And it is. It’s located right around the corner from Indian Wells tennis center where the annual BNP Paribas Indian Wells Classic is held. The room is nicely appointed. A sunken living room reminds me of the Venetian/Palazzo setup in Vegas. But not as ornate. Very relaxing, and a small balcony off the room allows for some “me time” as we finish our bottle of wine and stare at the stars.

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]ay 3: David calls and Francis made it in, so let’s meet for brunch at Lulu California Bistro. And I love it when the title of the restaurant is a snazzy as the deco of the restaurant. Colorful walls, ceilings, chairs and flooring greet you and instantly transport us to happy time. Never mind be the nagging feeling that I still have so much work to do on this house, but forget it all, I’m heading home today regardless. Nancy orders a big sweet salad, I man up and get the half rack of ribs. Both were awesomely yummy, very tasty, and a lot of fun to eat in such a lively vibrant place. The weather is perfect and we are sitting just 2 tables rows from the sidewalk, so we get that warm Palm Springs breeze blowing in, it’s a beautiful day, let’s go shopping! Cabazon Outlets is for sure on the trail this time. interesting thing, in Milan, we were told to hit the outlets to get some great deals on our fashionables. Will we got there, they were the same stores as the US! But 10% higher! Go figure.

Before heading to the house I decide to make a couple of quick run to return some items to Home Depot.  I head down some street, make a wrong turn and come across Hotel California. My immediate thought is of the Eagles and I look up for the woman in the room in the window, and then I quickly realize this ain’t the Eagles hotel. It’s just a more rustic cowboy look to it. And then next door is the InINN. This place has the most interesting door front and all the Palm Springs, something between some mid evil and Middle Eastern temple. I snap a couple shots drive down the street and realized I made a wrong turn on a one-way street and took the long way to Home Depot. We wind up driving 2 miles to get 2 blocks from our house. Why did I just do this last night, oh well. We return the items, dig up some shrubs, and since it’s still early in the afternoon, let’s go have some more fun and head over to the outlet center. Hooray! what a wild couple of days.

 

 

 

 

 

A wise man once said, “A day with bad barbecue is still a good day.”

And I wholeheartedly agree. Now whether or not somebody actually said it, it’s still my belief. And whenever I travel I always do my best to search out a barbecue spot. On recent travels to San Francisco, I’ve had a chance to rack up quite a few barbecue stays. Over a three day conference, I was able to hit a couple of spots. Of course my wife called me crazy, but then if you love barbecue you know I’m crazy like a fox baby!

San Francisco is a foodie mecca. But I was actually surprised at the variety of barbecue locations. Everything from mom and pop little shops, to art-trendy, food as a conversation piece hang out joints.

The prime example of this would be Smokestack barbecue, which resides in the Magnolia Brewing Company building. Walking in you just know this is going to be an incredible barbecue spot. The place is done up in an old San Francisco warehouse. Full-on 1950s exposed mortar, aged support stacks that are holding up the 30 foot ceiling above us. Bleached faded  benches from a 1950s yard sale that were left out in the rain, the place oozes character and charm. It’s total retro throwback to a backyard garage, rusted and stained from years of good ole boy use. Unfortunately the food is nowhere near as interesting. The collar greens were tough and rubbery, as were the spareribs, which seemed to have been left out for the last couple of days. The sauces served were kind of useless. Sorry, I don’t do Vinegar. And mustard is for ham and sandwiches, which left their BBQ sauce, that was sort of plain, sort of…just not quite there. The beer was good though.  @SFSmokestack

What I did like about the place is that the music is booming with 1950s and 60s soul Gospel. Cranking out James Brown, the predominate sound, was a great sound system and the benches that you’re sitting on were vibrating with his funk, but unfortunately the meat just does not live up to the hype.

Smokehouse Bar-B-Que

2698 3rd St, 

San Francisco, CA

(415) 864-7468

Well that was lunch, for dinner that night I venture over to Baby Blues in south south San Francisco. Now here’s the Texas juke joint that’s got the right flavor.  My ribs that were meaty, could’ve used an ounce more but OK, and sauces on the table had 4 flavors that bring it all to life. I know there’s a lot of people out there who swear never eat barbecue with sauce, but not me. I grew up with barbecue sauce and I’ll die with barbecue sauce.

And these sauces are to die for. I had a hard time trying to decide which was my favorite, the Molasses has a spicy sweetness to it that was just yummy, but the XXX, oh yeah, that hit the spot! Spicy, tangy, but full of smoke flavor so it retained its BBQ heritage. Can I have some tri-tip with these please? The sides were pretty good too. I chose Collard Greens and Mac & Cheese. And I was surprised, it actually tasted like Mac & Cheese. All too often, you show up at a BBQ joint around 9pm, and the M&C is dead to rights. But Baby Blues kept it real and it was still tasty and tender, and no Kraft Velveeta fake cheese taste. That was real Texas BBQ M&C flavor. OK, I’m getting hungry again…  @BabyBluesBBQSF

Baby Blues BBQ

3149 Mission St
San Francisco, CA

(415) 896-4250

For lunch the next day, I went in search of The Famous Rib Shack, but they’re closed on Tuesdays so I instead head over to Chicago for Ribs. This is really good chain restaurant BBQ. The ribs are huge, the sauce spicy, and the sides are flavorful. I have to admit it, I enjoyed it, but that may have been due to the fact that I just sat out on the back patio with the perfect sun warming my aching body. Then again, it may have been the 20 ounce beer as well. The M&C was a little Kraft-y, but the greens were good and the corn bread wonderful. With the exception of the distance from the office, this would be #1 on the list to revisit. With the sun, the beer and the BBQ, this is a killer combination. So next time, I’ll  just have to schedule a 2 hour lunch meeting to cover travel time @ChicagoForRibs1

Windy City Pizza and BBQ

35 Bovet Rd
San Mateo, CA 94402

(650) 578-1942

Finally, I head over that night to The Famous Rib Shack. This is down home mom and  daughter barbecue spot is a throw-back to the old BBQ spots we used to go to as a kid. Nothing fancy, no hipster memorabilia on the walls, except maybe someone’s little league trophy. It just reminds you of the little barbecue shop down the street when you were growing up. So I step up and order some baby back‘s collar greens and barbecue beans, what came out was nothing short of spectacular. The bones were so huge juicy tender and flavorful, spicy barbecue sauce with red chili pepper flakes visible, oh boy, screams of joy! The meat is tender the sides are flavorful and mom is a total sweetheart. The cornbread is top with honey, only true Carolinians do that, and I just love the old school red and white tray liners. I don’t think I’ve seen anything like that since living in Houston.  But I highly recommend it as a stop if you are anywhere near SFO.

The Famous Rib Shack

223 El Camino Real
San Bruno, CA 94066

(650) 952-2809

Of all the pleasant surprises I’ve been afforded in life, Armadillo Willy’s is in the Top 10. This spot was a surprise due to the fact that it’s San Mateo location is right next door to my office! Yeehaa! So now, anytime I have to head up north for a team meeting, I get my BBQ fix on! This was good BBQ. The ribs are meaty and flavorful. The sauce is standard, but they put on just enough to compliment, but not over power the meat, which can stand on its own. The Tri Tip was so juicy, and cut it with a fork if you have to. I was disappointed that they had no classic sides such as M&C or Collard Greens, but with meat like this, I’ll get over it. This is a chain store “inspired” by Texas BBQ, and I would have to say, they do Texas proud. For convenience, this is my San Mateo go-to for BBQ. I prefer the classic sides, but if The Famous Rib shack is not open, or I don’t have the time allotment, AW is my spot!   @ArmadilloWillys

Armadillo Willy’s

2260 Bridgepointe Pkwy
San Mateo, CA 94404

(650) 571-7427

When my wife told me that we were going to Holland I perked up real fast. Tulips. Van Gogh. Pot shops. Red light…stop right there you moron! “Holland, Michigan. To visit Julianne and the new baby.” Oh, that’s different. OK, Holland MI. Let’s do it. We had just finished weekends in Vegas and Amador County, so what’s one more to wrap up her wild October birthday month. So off to Holland we fly. First stop, Chicago O’Hare airport, better know as ORD. Why, because FAA says so. No, really it’s because it was once known as Orchard Field. The airport was renamed in 1949, seven years after opening, after Edward O’Hare, the Navy’s first fighter ace and the first Naval recipient to be awarded a Medal of Honor. OK, that explains it.

Today, O’Hare has one of the coolest terminals with a nod more to its aviation heritage and less to a sprawling retail mall. The airport still retains it diminutive roots, with ceilings in some areas topping out at 8 ft. I was able to touch them just by reaching up! And yet, some areas have a thoroughly modern design and feel to it. But I love the United terminal with it’s fuselage feel of rods and pulleys overhead. And since we were on the red eye, for breakfast, I definitely wanted something Chicago-esque, so I grab a bag of Nuts on Clark popcorn. Sorry, McDonald’s is the same the world over, but Nuts on Clark, now that’s Chicago! As the headquarters are located near Wrigley field, this will be on the tour for sure next time we set foot in the Windy City. But, we’re off to Grand Rapids to be picked up for a family weekend in Holland.

We land at Gerald R. Ford International Airport, gateway to fun! I’m sorry, but anytime I hear of Gerry Ford, I immediately think of Chevy Chase’s impressions of the 40th president, on Saturday Night Live, back in the day. If only someone would have said to me, “Welcome to Ford airport, have a nice trip.” I would have laughed my ass off! Oh well, let’s scram and start the party. And the party starts a few minutes later on a dreary drizzly corner in Grand Rapids at Marie Catrib’s. this spot is so out of place. The outside is pure rundown, mid-west. Inside is big city brightness. I expect to see this in West Hollywood, more so than West Michigan. Or maybe I just need to get out more and realize that the world isn’t divided between New York/Los Angeles, and everyone else in the middle. A vegan serving shop in this little corner of town, the shop has some great options for meat eaters as well. It also has a great sense of humor, such as the Larry David lasagna. I have no idea how or why, but that’s what its called. Maybe a binge of Curb Your Enthusiasm will reveal the secret, but for now, I just chuckle at the thought.

While everyone is eating healthy, kale salad this, and vegan barley soup that, I grab a nice turkey and ham on cheddar with tenderly toasted multi-grain bread. And to add to the drama, they throw in a few apple slices, green apple to provide a nice acidity to cut through the meat and cheese. I’m good to go. Who knew a vegan health shop could throw down a wonderful combination like this. Yes, I really need to get out more. Nancy enjoys a butternut squash quiche that’s actually pretty tasty. Not that it’s “actually” tasty, but for a meat eater such as myself, it was pretty tasty. We head out and head home and settle down to catch up with family.

The next day, we hit downtown Holland. A cute little replica of small town mid west Michigan. I say a replica, because all the buildings are so new looking and modern in their themes. A beautiful melding of old west with new modern that again, catches me off guard. Where are the faded facades, crumbling brick and rundown closed up shops. Not here, because Holland is a

major tourist spot, hosting Holland sister city activities such as Tulip festivals, winter wonderlands and all sorts of Dutch inspired treats. And if it’s inspired treats you want, then our first stop fits the bill. Cherry Republic is all things Cherry. Of course they have the standards, cherry salsa, cherry beer, cherry butter. And then they just go crazy! 8 types of cherry salsa. Cherry chocolates, 3 varieties. Cherry butter, maybe 6 flavors. Cherry jams and jelly, or course. Cherry candy in so many configurations of chewy, crunchy, squishy, gummi. Cherry sausage, yes, sausage. Cherry BarBeQue sauces, 3 levels of heat. Boomchunkas, snack sticks, beer, preserves, honey, beer, mustards, (yes, again, mustard) licorice, horseradish sauce, beer, wine, rootbeer, coffee, and that mid-western favorite, Cherry icewine. Wow, and best of all, it’s all out for tastings. I think I put on 2-3 lbs in tastings alone. OK, lets grab a little of everything and leave now or never.

We take a walk down main street here. Quaint and cute, but with a variety of stores to fit your every need. Of course there are the cute little local curio shops, Fris Downtown and Harbor Wear of Holland, but they rub elbows with established big city brands like White House Black Market and Jos. A Banks. Cherry Republic itself is sandwiched between Merle Norman, Lakeshore Pilates and Talbots. And that’s what makes it so great. It’s not a bunch of stodgy old fogies trying to hold onto the past. They embrace the old and the new here and that provides a refreshing atmosphere where everyone has such a sense of community. Young people here are so bright-eyed, and are as enthusiastic about stories of their town as they are about hearing our stories of LA. Actually, once we told them about the traffic, they began to tune out and just chuckle on to the next story.

So on to  our next stop, wine tasting! Yes! Warner Vineyards, a local of the area has a wonderful tasting room here. So we saddle up and and sample the goods. A nice little variety of sweet wines, a little young in structure, but look, it’s Holland Michigan, so none of the Robert Parker stuff, just enjoy a glass and share some jokes with the locals. Although, the young girl, Ashley?, starts wondering about our souls, I can appreciate the lack of separation of church and wine. We assure her the same thoughts have been going around for millennia, and the most important thing is to enjoy life and help those around. Whether she appreciated or not, I’m not sure, but the next pour did seem a little heavy. God bless.

 

Well all this walking and talking and drinking has made us hungry, so off to the local brew house. New Holland Brewery is the hot spot in town. And why not? The place is huge, bustling with people watching various college football games. Oh, in these parts, this is serious business, as witnessed at the table behind us. Out of the 150 or people people in the place, located in western Michigan, home of the Spartans, myself and one gentleman were the only ones passionate about the Ohio-Penn State game. Understand, Ohio is the arch nemesis of Michigan, both Sate and University of, so us rooting for the enemy was not looked upon with glee. Add to the fact the the other gentleman was sitting at a table of 10 or so family members who thought he was crazy, made it all the more fun. OK then, back to the story. New Holland Brewery has a fanciful menu of their local brewed beers. A reminder that micro brews are taking over and providing a relief both financially and spiritually to communities across America. witness the fact that New Holland and Hope College are the only items that pop up on Google map at the 1000 ft. level. So I support the movement by ordering the Amber Ale. Yum, a beer so nice, I support it twice. Add to that some yummy chicken wings and nachos, and its a perfect mid western college football Saturday afternoon. We are enjoying our time when it dons on me, “You have a baby…in a bar” Yes, the little one has woken up and is stirring, bright-eyed and bushy tailed. Oh no…Is he gaining consciousness…in a brew pub. I think this kid has Michigan State in his future.

 

 

Day 3: Amador County Wine Tour 2018, I wake up thinking to myself, “I could live here. This tiny little town with these incredible winds, I could totally buy a house here and become a wine country resident.” Then I remember, I said the same thing when I was in New York, “I could totally live here. I could be up on the 20th, no make that 50th floor of some penthouse suite. Awesome!” And that reminds me of the time we were in Miami, “I could totally live here, one of these $5 million houses along the canal with my yacht. Awesome!” Of course I could totally live that lifestyle, now I just got to figure out where to come up with the other $4,997,000. OK, back to reality and another day of tasting before heading back to cousin Michael’s house, so let’s hit the road. We only have Helwig scheduled as we’ve been passing up on that every day, and then we’ll just wing another vineyard before heading off to lunch.

Helwig Winery greets you with a huge driveway marker. Pulling up, the first thing we noticed is that unlike the other locations, this one has some huge grounds ahead of it. We drive along a the roadway with decorative lanterns to light the way in the evenings, a little pond off to the left here, and finally up the road to the tasting room. The location is a modern historic design. Steel beams supporting an antique wood theme.  Helwig has a reputation of “come for the wine, stay for the views”. The backside of the tasting room as a patio overlooking a valley that is quite breathtaking, and quite frankly my pictures don’t do it justice. Back inside, we chat with the few other guests while I really enjoy the Sparkling Rose. I pick up a bottle and we head off to our next destination, Vino Noceto. Nobody really has mentioned this winery to us, but it is on the list of the nine wineries that Shenandoah Inn partners with for free tastings. We see the sign and we pull in.

Vino Noceto sets in a classic style red barn. The tasting room itself is a quaint little room, but filled with an tasty collection of Zinfandel, Barbera and Sangiovese wines and Tamara behind the counter. A fun time was spent talking with Jeff and Lisa, from Pasadena. Jeff has been coming here for the last 30 years loves the little get away from the big city. Pasadena just 20 miles or so from my house so being here in Amador County it’s like we’re neighbors. The Noceto reds are pretty bold for my taste. Maybe they just needed to aerate a little longer to mellow out. The Barbera was just a little too tart, the Zinfandel just a little to sweet, it reminds me that these need a proper pairing with food, as in is it is getting towards lunch time. But then I have a sip of the Riserva Sangiovese, and I’m good to go! Luscious fruits come through at just the right pitch, so I pick up a bottle and bid everyone a good day. As we walked back to the car, Nancy remarks that we have a bottle for every winery that we visited and then some. We have to figure out how are we going to take this back home, somehow, someway. I tell her don’t worry about it as I’m sure we will find a way to drink it all before we leave. Plus, we are headed back to a major metro area, I’m sure we can buy some sort of travel pack or larger luggage to handle it. Worse case, we can find a FedEx shop to pack it up and ship it home.

As we head down the hill we see a distinctive ‘R’ on the left-hand side of the road, so we pull in and find ourselves at the Jeff Runquist Wines. Jeff is well liked in the valley, his wines do quite well at tasting events and competitions. We step in and have a sip or two, our tummies are starting to grumble and we’re ready for lunch, so we’ll call it a day with three wineries and head on home after this. I don’t feel like messing around and go all in on the reds, and right off the bat, the Tempranillo beckons me. Just enough cherry and dark berries on the front to send me to dreamland where the heavenly angels keep refilling my goblet. A soft flowery scent, lavender or hyacinth, follows up as I pull the glass away. wow, that was really good. Nancy, who has wined out at this point, and just wants a few sips of my juice takes one sip and is hooked. She does her own tasting and falls hard for the Petite Sirah. And she swears she’s not a PS person, leaning primarily to Pinot, but she loves it and joins the wine club on the spot. Whoa! Baby ‘s gone all in on this one! We pick up two bottles,  a Tempranillo for me and she gets the Petit. We head back to the car and now we are really in trouble. The travel totes are now full, So the Runquist wines are packed in and now we really have to decide what to do about getting these home. A fun gent at the bar tells us about Amador 360, a local wine collective that also serves as the main, if only, shipper for the valley. great, and by the way, he also recommends Gold Dust Pizza back in Sutter Creek as a stop for lunch.

We grab a tasty looking pizza, pair it up with a Zinfandel, something a little sweet to cut through the oil of the pizza, and have ourselves a tasty little lunch. Now I’m feeling pretty good at this point, so what the hell, one more tasting! Oh come on, we’re this close to more tasting rooms, so let’s just walk the town and see what we find. We hit Main Street hang a right and the next block down we see a sign for 1850 Wine Cellars. Its the most intimate of tasting rooms so far. Behind the counter is Guy, pronounce”Gee”, a veteran of Amador County wines. He actually retired a few years back, but has since returned to the counters as he misses the interactions with fellow tasters. We taste a couple of wines, and then he does something I’ve never seen before, at any tasting room, ever! He pours a perfect taste of wine, and then lays the glass on the counter and begins rolling it back and forth.

What? Don’t get me wrong I’ve seen people put a glass of wine on its side, usually after making some wild gesturing with their hands and out spills some Cabernet. But what he does is pour the exact amount of wine so that the glass just touches the lip when on its side. The purpose is that a glass on its side has twice the surface area of a glass standing up, and this aerates the wine wonderfully, coaxing all of those lovely fruits and flowers out into a luscious bouquet for tasting. You had me at hello, and we pick up another bottle of Sangiovese. And I wasn’t wrong. In doing a little research after the trip, I find 1850 Wine Cellars scoring multiple 91 pt wines with Wine Enthusiast. Nice!

Now it’s getting late we really have to go, and what are we gonna do with all this wind? Guy point us in the right direction, back to Plymouth for the Amador 360 wine shipping service. Oh great, same service the other gent at Runquist informed us about, so I guess that’s the go-to service for getting your wines back home. We head back and find that for a nominal fee, around $35, they will ship 12 bottles of wine back to home for us via UPS. I do add this note, if shipping, pay the extra $10 to have it refrigerated. After we got home, our wine apparently had some mix-up in shipping, and spent 2 days in the back of a van during a warm spell. The wine seems ok, my palate probably couldn’t tell the difference, but what if…? With 12 bottles packed away, that leaves us with four bottles to take back to cousin Michael, and I’m sure we can find someway to drink four bottles and over the next two nights. Hint, the first night he invites us to BBQ at this funky little neighborhood spot, full of hipsters with their kids. Since we couldn’t pack Karmere’s Temperance Tarts, it’s a 750ml jug, we bring it along, and perfect timing. The jug makes quite an entrance when I bring it in, and it pairs wonderfully with the BBQ. As a blend, the Syrah and Zinfandel give it a sweetness that compliments the BBQ sauce, and the Primitivo goes it a good acid balance to work the meat.

As we leave Amador County on the lovely California Highway 49, we reflect on a wonderful time, some wonderful wines, and the most wonderful people. Of the 12 wineries we visit, we quickly realized we’ve covered less than half of the area. And that’s just Shenandoah Valley, El Dorado was right next door with Wines that are in ranking with Amador, so it looks like we’ll have to return sometime soon to break new ground and make new friends.

After a great day of wine tasting, 4 Vineyards today, lunch downtown in Amador City and then a run over to Jackson for the casino,  we finally make it to dinner and we’re going to get our Taste. Taste Restaurant is overwhelmingly the number one choice in Amador County. Every person at every winery tell us we have to go to Taste, and when we do,m we need to order the Mushroom Cigars. After taking a peak at the menu, Nancy is extremely excited about it, and drooling over the idea of finally getting her hands on some crispy-skinned Duck. (And this time when we called for reservations we also confirmed the Duck was in fact being served.)

We head on over to Taste and somehow, on a one lane highway in this small town, we get lost! I guess I was not paying attention and turned one little side street too soon. Cute little small town houses, reflecting the simplicity of life here in Plymouth, population 971. We come to a street that seems to have a couple of shops on it, so I make a right hand turn, go down a block or two and along what I can best describe as a cowboy boardwalk, we find Taste. Looking at the store fronts, I literally feel like I should tie up my horse. This is so reminiscent of what you would see in a country-western movie. We mosey on in and are greeted by the hostess with a huge smile on her face. (Everyone here is just so nice. I love it!) She tells us that the table will be ready in about 10 minutes or so, quite a crowd tonight being Thursday and all. I see a couple of spots at the bar, so we decide to “saddle up to the bar and we’ll let the barkeep get our fixins. (That’s what cowboys used to say back in the day)

Let’s face it, the bar is where the fun is, and in wine country, of course you’re going to have the chance to bump elbows with some interesting folk. We sit down and present our bottles to enjoy the evening with: the sparkly Nancy picked and my red blend, the Knucklehead, both from the Serafina visit earlier today. His first words were, “Oh…I love the Knucklehead,” and proceeds to open both, the sparkly to have now, the Knucklehead to air.

Nancy asked what are the favorites that people ordered to start with and he responds with the Mushroom Cigars. Phyllo dough wrapped minced mushroom goodness. We start with the champagne to toast the night and Daniel D’Agostini comes in and sits next to us and we begin chatting. He’s kind of a big thing in Shenandoah. His family has been working the lands here for decades, and if you want something to grow in the valley, you call Dan. He informs us that we have to try the the Mushroom Cigars. “You are absolutely going to love it. It’s their best menu item.” Everyone loves this starter. Gary returns with glasses for the sparkly wine and we order the entrées. Nancy asked about the Duck, if the skin is crispy? He responds yes, and she’s in heaven. I’m a little torn between steak and seafood tonight. I ask him how many scallops are in the order and he states four. Then Nancy states how much I love steak, but I can’t make a decision between the two. And then Nick said something that totally catches me off-guard, something I’ve never heard in a restaurant : “We can split that so you can have a surf-n-turf if you’d like? What? I have had restaurants offer to split an order entrée between the two of us, with scallops between the two of us, But I have never heard a restaurant splitting two separate entrées for one single person to make a new dish. Poof!…That was my mind being blown.

The Mushroom Cigars comes out and it’s a beautiful presentation, two stacks of mushrooms plated it with a mushroom-olive oil puree. One bite and wow! The phyllo dough has such a wonderful light crunch. The mushrooms breakout and play on your tongue with an savory earthly flavor. I can see why everybody in the county points to this place and this dish, and so does Sacramento Magazine, as they select the “Mushroom Cigars” at Taste as the Best Appetizer in the Sacramento region. I only regret is that we order a single order and split them. I have to take a smaller second bite so I can make this last three bites. Just yum!

The main dishes make their appearance in perfect timing. I still cannot get over the fact that they combined two entrées for a single diner! The steak was perfectly cooked, so tender and juicy, perfect char on it, accompanied by potato and sunchoke terrine and perfectly browned Scallops with that coconut-curry cream! Oh my God, I’m in heaven. I want more! Nancy‘s Duck is just beautiful in it’s presentation. A full boat of Duck sliced and laid out to display its juicy, tender breast, seared to perfection and accompanied by little Cannellini bean cakes and a dreamy mirepoix and blackberries. We have the Knucklehead with dinner and toast to one of the best birthday dinners we’ve ever had. The staff was so generous, and kindly present us with a happy birthday card signed by the staff. Thank you Gary, chef Mark Berkner and the rest of the kind and sweet staff at Taste! You lived up to your name.

 

Day 2 starts with breakfast and a beautiful view outside the window of our room. Last nights dinner was still in our minds. The steak was surprisingly good, the Gorgonzola cream sauce was delish! OK, well lets map the day out. How about we have wine in the vineyards, lets’ hit Helwig for their view, Cooper for their Barbera, and Andis to pick up some bottles for cousin Michael, and then back to Sutter for lunch? Perfect!

Andis Winery is our first stop, and again, we start the tasting all by ourselves. Lindsey is behind the counter today and gives us a nice rundown of Andis history. And in doing so, tells us how she has worked at a few of the wineries in the area, visits the others to learn more about wines and also has great connections about places to eat. We mentioned we need to eat at some point today, and she points us to Buffalo Chip in Sutter Creek for their great burgers. OK! Wine. Burgers. More wine. Sounds like it’s going to be a great day. And again, Andis has some wonderful wines, the Zins are great, but they work their magic on the Cooper supplied Barbera grapes. Great, Cooper is our next stop, so we’re in good company. We grab a Barbera for ourselves, grab two for cousin Michael and drop a couple of bucks in the donation jar to help the Santa Rosa fire effort. We say goodbye and head off to Cooper.

Cooper Vineyards lies at the end of a small private road that runs through Barbera vines and past the old Shenandoah School. This old school was originally built in 1879, almost 140 years ago! The school was built after the main gold rush ended in ‘55, but amazingly, it’s been in use ever since. Oh I’m sure it’s been renovated, added on, modernized and even more, but still pretty awesome to stand with some Gold Rush history.

Cooper Vineyards is one of the main suppliers of Barbera grapes in Amador County. Other vineyards may grow their other varietals on their lands, but for Barbera, everyone comes through Cooper or Ann Kraemer over in Sutter Creek. The scorching hot summers help the grape thin out and retain their sugar, but it’s the rolling hills in the county that allow the right amount of drainage so the vines don’t retain too much water during the wet seasons. At Sonoma wine competitions, Amador County rocks, snagging 11 out of 25 gold medals last year. The next closest appellation to score medals is in fact the next closest appellation, El Dorado County, 20 mins to the east, which garnered four medals.

Cooper is a simple tasting room. An example of what I figured a tasting room in this quiet town would be like. A simple open space for the tasting bar backed by barrels of Barbera and Zinfandel. We step up to the bar, say hi to the couple we met yesterday at Turley, and are greeted by Hank Cooper, son of the vineyard. He gives all kinds of great details of the wine, including the fact that they are actually out of Barbera for tasting. What! Of course they have the reserve Barbera for $20 a glass. Uh, I love Barbera, but this tasting is free and I have 2 more vineyards today, 4 or so tomorrow, so much easier to just buy another bottle and enjoy the Zinfandels and Syrahs on the menu.

Well now it’s lunch time and everyone keeps talking about Buffalo Chips, so we head over for lunch. It’s a 16 minute drive back to Sutter Creek, and on the way, we pass the coolest town name ever, Drytown! Yes, what a cool name. Just imagine the name comes from the fact that agents from the federal government ransacked the place during prohibition and seized and smashed all the alcohol. Awesome…but wrong There’s a creek that ran through the town that runs dry in summer. Oh great!

 

Buffalo Chips is the local malt shop in town, the classic small town Americana that I grew up with. While we were there, the shop was being photographed by a local magazine. I wonder who’s photos came out best? Anyway, this burger was damn good with a gooey American cheese slice and thick cut bacon. The fries must have been cooked up in some Riesling fat or something because they were exceptionally tasty. And I do not little frittes, I’m more of a fat thick fries guy, but I couldn’t get enough of these. Probably should have order a second round, but with more wine on the way, I held off.

Lunch was great and we take a walk around town. It’s a small town so it’s an easy walk to cruise the two blocks of storefronts. Knick knacks, candy, ice cream shops make up the lanes. We decide we need to come back tomorrow for sure, but for now, it’s back to the Shenandoah wineries. OK, now we can hit Helwig, wait, what’s that big white building? The Methodist church at the end of the strip is a throw back to small town churches and leads us to walk another block or two. Cool little town, and since we’re here, and it’s getting late, let’s check out some of the tasting here. Sounds good to me!

Bella Grace Vineyards tasting room, conveniently enough, was located right next to where we parked the car. This little house in the middle of town sits below street level, and has been converted into a tasting room for wine and olive oils. Interesting, because as this is the main street, and its the only house in the situation, surrounded by the two-story mining town buildings. So walking down to the entrance of the house is just the first step of the journey, literally, the tasting room is located in I guess was previously the basement of the house. So a couple more steps down and you’re there. Bella Grace was the first of the wineries where we  had a hard time finding our palette.  The Barbera was too light, almost like a Pinot. The Reserve Zinfandel was a thick flavored, syrupy tasting concoction. The Primativo, another one of my favorites, tasted like it been sitting out just a little too long and started picking up vinegar. I don’t know what happened but things just were not sitting right until, by mistake, we came across the Reserve Petite Sirah.  This had a wonderful nose, great finish, luscious berries popping out all over the place. All right, give me a bottle! It was also the first time we started coming across the little wine pour figurines. Stag heads, roosters, coyotes, bears, all sorts of woodland creatures had been configured into little pewter figurines for use as pour spouts on the bottles. But it $25 a pop, just seem like an unnecessary gimmicky tourist trinkets not needed now.

Sera Fina Cellars is just down the street from Bella Grace, and next door to Scott Harvey. For the first time this trip, Scott Harvey was a tasting room that was full of people. Given it was getting later on Thursday, maybe more visitors were starting to show up in town. Sera Fina represented an interesting change in taste as they specialize in flavored ciders as well as wines. Their wines were a little sweet for my taste mostly plans from various vineyards in the valley, but there are ciders were unique. Nancy picked up a six pack of the pineapple cider she become attached to, to share with friends back at home. I grabbed a bottle of Pinot Grigio, and we stayed on drinking and chatting with another couple there, residents of Sutter Creek who moved here from Sacramento. I guess they were enjoying the small town life and things were going well for them. A younger couple, he’s in construction and she’s a teacher at the school. Perfect small town life.

It was getting late again, my how the day flies, and shops were closing up, so one of the ladies at tasting mentioned the magic word of “casino” and that got Nancy going. The casino was in Jackson, about 15 mins away, and she just had to go. I wanted to explore more, so we compromised and stopped in downtown Jackson to walk the main street there first. The first thing we notice was the National Hotel. A huge, white old cowboy two story saloon and room looking place and the end of the street. I begin to notice a theme here. the small town has a main street that always seems to end at a hotel. Same way in westerns too. Something about being able to keep an eye on things I guess. But it also makes you wonder, how did they build these places before Home Depot was around? Must have been neat getting all this building material out here. I guess thats why railroads were so important in the expansion of the country. We step inside and the decor is just amazing. The pressed tin roof of Stanley’s Steakhouse downstairs was incredible. The parlor on the first floor maintains its old west flair. It looks like something from a movie set. I was expecting to see gents walking around in Bowler hats and ladies in Petticoats and umbrellas.

We leave, head over to the casino for an hour or so. Nancy has a little luck, so we leave an extra money for the meter and head back to get ready for dinner. Tonight it’s dining at Taste. Everyone raves about the place so we are really looking forward to it. Nancy is hoping they have Duck tonight, since she missed out on it at the Imperial Hotel. We’ll see! We head back to the hotel with 6 bottles of wine, after 4 stops and we begin to question how are we going to get this home. Oh boy. Well, maybe we can drink one at dinner, one after dinner back in the room, and the another….oh boy. We’ll figure something out. Worse case, when we drive back to Elk Grove to visit cousin Michael, we’ll guzzle as much as we can there and leave the rest as gifts.

 

There aren’t too many times I have a chance of fine dining at a haunted hotel, but when it comes, I need to take it. We were directed to the Imperial Hotel in Amador City as one of the nicer locations close by. The Imperial has a nice menu, and has won several awards, so this makes it a great choice for a birthday dinner. Our first impression is wow, this is an old mining town main street and a serious throwback to the gold rush days. The hotel itself is quite impressive. Beautiful and modern while holding on to its historic heritage, the bar remains connected to the past as it is the original bar that was actually hidden in a storage area below the hotel during prohibition. This is the kind of bar that begs you to “saddle up to the bar and have a strong one.”

The music in the hall comes from a group of local musicians having a jam session of guitars, bangos, harmonicas and tambourines. I could imagine this very same scene happening 100 years ago and having the same sound. The wait staff comes out and are very friendly. Everyone has smiles and a pep in their step. For a small town like this, you almost expect lethargic kids who feel trapped here. But just the opposite. This is a small town that supports local major cities and a clientele that is respectful of the historical roots here. This is reflected in the food offered. Locally source, sustainable and expertly prepared, with offerings ranging from Roasted Garlic and Warm Brie to Liberty Duck Breast to a creamy fresh fruit Cheesecake. Yum! But unfortunately they were out of the Duck, Nancy’s favorite, so she trades in for the Bistro Steak. I get the Scallops to go along with the brick decor and the Renwood Zin. We chill, relax and listen to the music and devour a wonderful dinner.

 

When my wife asked where I was taking her for her birthday, I wanted to do something special and romantic. We’ve done Miami, New York, San Francisco, so I was really pondering the next trip. Then it hit me: Let’s go drinking! Yes, wine country it is! But Napa is just so…Napa. Over crowded, over priced, and over done. Sonoma, the other wine country is preferred as our destination for some premium vino consumption. As the getaway got closer, news broke of a fire in the Santa Rosa area, not far from our Hotel, the Hyatt Sonoma Wine County. At this point, the trip was 2 weeks away and we had Vegas to enjoy with first. My wife began to worry, but I told her, “Let’s relax and enjoy our stay at The Delano first, and we’ll check in on the progress by Friday, and if they have the fire in the 50-75% containment, we’ll be fine.”

That Saturday, we awake to the sad news, the fire was only 10% contained. Not good and getting worse. The fire was growing faster than anyone could predict, destroying homes and businesses and livelihoods. We called the Hyatt and even through the hotel stated they were open and fully operational, we heard reports of the smoke that was a big issue, and several vineyards had closed as employees need to take care of their personal property and everyone was pitching in the help others in the community. By the time we got home Sunday, it was obvious that we needed to change plans. A relative recommended Amador County, east of Sacramento,  as an alternative. Amador County, never even heard of the place. By this point, the fire was on its way to being the largest in California history, so we made last minute changes and headed 150 miles to the east to Amador County.

Wednesday morning, we board the flight for Sacramento, and found ourselves in the midst of about 20 firefighters from Australia who flew in to help with the fires. That was absolutely amazing that these guys even knew of the fire, let alone they flew half up the globe to help fellow firefighters here in America, the land of plenty. Next time a politician talks about other countries not paying their dues, I’ll remind him of the guys from Victoria who came up to help California. As we reach the Central Coast border, we look out the window and realize the San Francisco fog that was blocking our view of the ground below was actually smoke from the Santa Rosa fires.Scary at the immense size of it all.

We land in Sacramento and heading through the baggage claim to get our car, we are met with one of the weirder airport art installations: A 30ft tall pile up of lost luggage. Interesting to say the least, this was amusing and a nice way to start things off here. We pick up the car, head out to Amador and quickly find ourselves in the tiny town of Plymouth at the Shenandoah Inn. And by tiny, I mean their main street doesn’t even have a stop light!

Wow, this was true rural living by California standards. So we check into the room, and Lee, the owner, is just about the nicest guy you’ll ever meet. He stops from his current work of hanging Christmas lights outside to check us in. He also informs us that guests of the inn get free wine tasting at 9 wineries in the area. Jackpot! Needless to say, this was my favorite new spot to visit and I began drooling thinking of the wines we were going to taste. We take the bags to the room and began our wine adventure. We check the list of wineries Lee offered, cross reference Google maps, and plot a course for the 3 wineries for the first day. We have 3 hours of daylight left, so let’s go!

Day 1

Turley Vineyards is scheduled as our first stop, if you can call the fact that its the closest to us as scheduling. We arrive to find we had the place all to ourselves, which means a good chance to enjoy the wine and hear some great stories about Amador from the hostess. And stories she had. Turley is the premiere Old Vine Zin producer in the area. She informs us that there is not real standard for “Old Vine”. Generally, it can be from 35 to 105 years old. But they have the oldest in the area at around 75 years. And since they have been producing the vines for so long, they have a surplus of old vines that they turn into decorative artwork (see above). The interior is done in old pine lodge style. Lots of wood, an old National cash register from the early days of the valley, and tons of old vine knick knacks. But back to the wine. We start with all reds, a petite Syrah, then Zinfandel, then old vine Zinfandel, all of them wonderful and the conversation was a blast. Laura told us all about life in Plymouth, although she lives over in a little area called Enterprise. Then a few people pull up in the driveway and come in for tatsing. We sit, or stand and chat with them. Visitors from Sacramento. They leave and another couple comes in with their dog Charlie. A cute little playful pup. I think to myself, this has been an absolutely wonderful first 30 mins to the trip. If it continues, I may not make it back home. I pick up a bottle of the Duarte Zinfandel, a beautiful bouquet, lovely sweetness to it, and a bold taste grabs me. We pack up, say goodbye, and head to the second location.

 

Next on the list in Kamère Vineyards. Same thing, it’s just us, the fun loving hostess Hayley, 2 other people, and some really good wines. Karmère Vineyards has an interesting story of the parents who owned the house that is now the tasting room. And quite a room it is. A huge vaulted ceiling with massive beam support makes a interesting architectural statement, while a huge mantle full of award winning wines with their ribbons lets you know these guys are for real. Then I begin to notice the spooky images on the walls. Kind of a gothic cartoony, “Nightmare before Christmas” meets “Dia de las Muertes” thing. OK, interesting, but let’s get back to the wines. I see Barbera on the list, and Hayley informs us that Amador is primarily Barbera country. I have a taste, nice, but the Zinfandel is really catching my palette today.  Then Hayley informs us that the Zinfandel I prefer, is actually her wine. What? Yes, the father names all the wines after family members, and the Hayley belongs to her. Well it also belongs to us now as we pick up another bottle for dinner tonight. And where should we dine? Hayley suggests Taste, the premier restaurant in town. A town with no stoplight. But I inform her that we tried to make reservations for tonight but they were booked, so that will be Thursday night dinner. So she then suggests The Imperial Hotel as second choice. A quick review reveals the hotel certified haunted by Gold Rush Ghosts. Oh yeah we gotta check this place out!

But to sweeten the pot for us, Hayley gives us a BevMo 5-cent deal. So with the Zin, we pick up a bottle of bubbly to make it a real celebration when we get back to the room. Yeehaa! Cool, the Proseco was light and refreshing, with hints of apple and honey. Nancy loved it, and Hayley even poured a second glass and joined us sharing more interesting family stories. Next thing we know it’s 5:00p and time to close shop. Oh boy that was fast! But Hayley tells us to head up the road, 2 minutes as the crows flies, to Renwood, as they’re open until 6:00pm. OK, Renwood it is then.

Renwood Winery has yet another distinct design to it. Modern lines and a clean design, I suddenly get the sense that these guys are doing very well financially. Each winery so far has stood out with it’s own unique stamp on its design. And design as in architecturally unique, as well as interior design, each winery comes across not as some barrel room from the decades ago, but a well thought out reflection of the family characteristics of its owners. This location has a cool design of repurposed wood from around the vineyard evidenced by the unique tasting room ceiling of wine barrel ribs. For a wine country that I never even heard of, these vineyards a reflection of success of their wonderful wines and a thriving viticulture industry.

The first we catch after entry through the Renwood doors is a deli cooler. Perfect, we were getting hungry for munchies, not quite dinner ready yet, but cheese and crackers would be perfect. Of the pre-packed goodies available, we select a pack of taralli. Taralli are these little cracker like swirls with a sweet taste to them. Perfect with these Zinfandels and Barberas. We start up to the tasting bar and go through a series of wines. We get 4 tastings, so I jump right into a Zinfandel, awesome. Then step it up to an Old Vine Zin, wonderful! Next is the Tempranillo, I’ll be taking this home thank you, and finish with the Barbera, and I’ll take this also…uh oh… 3 wineries and 5 bottles already? Well, one for pre-dinner celebration. One for dinner tonight, and that leaves 3 to take home. I should have just enough space in the luggage.