Random Thoughts at Year End...

The end of the year always takes me by surprise. So many things I wanted to do, but somehow didn't get around to. People I wanted to see, places I wanted to go. But I can't regret the way the year has gone.

JD and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary; we've actually been together longer than that, but it's nice to keep track of the numbers.

I'm still close with friends from high school - Wil up in San Francisco, Craig in Albuquerque, Jae closer to home in Santa Clarita. We don't see each other enough, but there is a connection that is never lost. And, thanks to social networking, I was able to reconnect with old friends from Pennsylvania. I love technology!

Wining around SLO County...Day 1

A quick jaunt up the coast on a rainy weekend made for discoveries and adventures.

JD & I had a free night coming to us thru Best Western, but needed to use it before year end, so off we went, after setting up another few nights at cousins Sara and Bill's in Los Osos. Left Burbank early Thursday, stopped at Paula's Pancake House in Solvang, as always, for a hearty breakfast, and got to Morro Bay around 1 p.m. Checked into the San Marcos Inn, unpacked and headed further up Rte. 1 to that little piece of heaven on earth, Cambria.

The Goddess and the Deep Sea...wines, that is...

As mentioned in previous posts, I am way behind, but trying to catch up!  You may or may not recall that while JD and I visited Cambria in February, our wine guru, Dennis at the Cambria Wine Shop, introduced us to a lovely red wine from Arroyo Grande, Deep Sea.  My very brief notes from that visit say "2008 Deep Sea Red - Andrew Adam is the winemaker.  Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache.  Yum.  Big funky Syrah nose.  We loved it.  Bought 2 bottles."

Shortly after I posted that tidbit, I got an email from a marketing rep for Deep Sea who wanted to send me some wine to review.  Her office address was in Burbank, so I suggested we get together for a glass of wine.  We met Elizabeth at a local Daily Grill for dinner and she told me about Conway Family Wines of Rancho Arroyo Grande. 

The Conways have created some interesting blends using grapes from what they have termed 'Maritime Appellations'.  These areas include the Central Coast AVA, Monterey County AVA, Santa Maria Valley AVA, Sta. Rita Hills AVA, and Los Carneros AVA, all of which provide premium wine grapes to the winemaking community. 

Dispatches from the road - Days 5, 6 and 7...

Wow, I'm way behind on my notes...

After a wonderful visit in SF with Wil and Joe, we packed our bags and hit the road south.  It was a beautiful morning, alternately rainy and bright; travel was moving well, and we were in Gilroy before we realized it.  Needed to stop and get some food, so we exited the freeway and found the Black Bear Diner, a fun, kitschy place with pretty good burgers (with flags!), and lots of strong coffee.

There was unintentional entertainment - a woman straight from a Del Shores play was in the next booth, reading a lengthy email about a spiritual intervention for some needy soul.  That set the tone - Texas accent and all - for the day.

Back on the road, refreshed and ready for wine, we were on our way to Cambria.