The Snowlady Chronicles

Summer Vacation!

 November 3, 2014

Tokyo Japan

Fall has arrived

 

Can't seem to get my blogging mojo back.  Anyhow, will try and blog more as I am really having a GREAT life in Tokyo.  So blessed to have this experience and have special friends worldwide.  Life is good. 

I was going to write about my great vacation week this July to SF and Cabo San Lucas back in September but got distracted by the horrible news about Hurricane Odile which hit Baja straight on as a Category 4 hurricane.  My BFF Sandra's house which I had the opportunity to enjoy in July was heavily damaged and many local residents lost everything.  Everything including clothes, their homes and special keepsakes.  Extensive damage was done to the airport so the military had to help out to evacuate the tourists  and other foreigners stranded in this beautiful area of Mexico - Baja California.  The area is till suffering so if you can please donate to the Red Cross as it is our duty to help those in our need.  Thank you.

And here's a summary of the wonderful week I had with Sandra in SF and Baja.

Arrived safely but had to go to the DMV in Walnut Creek to get my drivers license renewed!  Fortunately had an appointment so was "in and out" quickly.  But what a pain!  Sandra picked me up at the DMV and took me to her georgeous home in Diablo where we celebrated our birthday's with home made pizza and a bottle of Opus One wine.

Next day we got up early to take our fight to Cabo San Lucas.  Sandra and her partner Bob have one of the most gorgeous homes I've ever been too in Cabo.  I'm so grateful I was able to stay there and enjoy the home.  The views were spectacular.  As I mentioned her home was severely damaged but I'm sure will be just as beautiful after the repairs.

View from Sandra's home

For dinner we went to a local fish restaurant.  Wow!  very reasonably priced and DELICIOUS.  Fresh fish from the ocean.

Of course, we also took a cooking class.  This was the second time Sandra took a class here.  All the ingredients are locally grown.  We were the only ones in the class so had a great time.

Tamales we made with Hoja Santo leaves -  very traditional

Fish in red sauce and rice cooked with cilantro

Very rich traditional sweet potato dessert

And one of the main objectives of the trip was to play golf at her club in Cabo.  Gorgeous club with great views.

 

After a nice long weekend in Cabo, it was time to head back to SF.  While Sandra worked, I took lessons at their country club - the Diablo Club which just turned 100.

And played a round with Sandra

The designer of the golf course

And then for the last weekend before heading back to Tokyo, spent the nite in the beautiful city of San Francisco.  Sandra treated me to a night at the grand Palace Hotel

And a trip to San Francisco is not complete without having sand dabs at Scomas

I then to the streetcar and bus to the fabulous De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park that had a great exhibition on modern arit

And for the last day, we went to the San Francisco Ferry Building to have brunch but as it was too crowded ended up cabbing to the Marina district to a fab local restaurant called the Tipsy Pig

Ferry Building

Very cool bookstore

Had the best Tater Tots at the Tipsy Pig!

And then headed to SFO for the long flight back to Tokyo.  Another great week with BFF Sandra

Paso Robles Getaway Weekend

 Saturday April 7, 2012

Malibu, California

Glorious Passover and Easter Weekend

 

I had a great weekend 2 weeks ago exploring more of California with Sandra.  We decided to explore Paso Robles, home to one of the world’s best Rhone Varietals wine.   What’s great about Paso Robles is that it is the half way point between the Bay Area and Los Angeles. 

I left for Paso around 2pm on Friday and got there by 6pm (speeding of course!).  Again it was a beautiful drive through Central Coast California.   Although our main objective was to do some wine tastings we also decided to go to the Hearst Castle because Sandra’s never been there and its been over 30 years for me. 

Our weekend getaway started with us finishing up some work related matters, followed by a dinner in “downtown” Paso Robles.

We went to Artisan for dinner which was highly recommended according to Yelp. And it did not disappoint.   We both had an appetizer as a main dish and shared a delicious salad to start with.  We brought our own wine but since they had a fab and reasonable selection of wines including sparkly ones, we decided to enjoy a recommended sparkling wine instead.

After a good night’s sleep ( I think we were in bed by 9pm!)we were  off to a hearty breakfast in “town” to start our wine tasting adventure.  But first stop was Albertson’s Super market.  Why?  The “wine steward” at Albertson’s Linda is very well known in the community and is THE EXPERT on wines from Paso Robles.  She was even written up in Wine Spectator Magazine.

We got recommendations from her including some wines that we never heard of because they were created and bottled specially for her.  We wrote down some recommended wines and also got confirmation from her that the list of wineries we wanted to visit are the ones we should see.  After doing our research and getting advice from Linda, we were off to tasting wine.

 

We decided to go to the wineries in the “west side” towards the coast, not only because the recommended wineries are there but also because it is supposed to be beautiful.  And it did not disappoint.  Sandra brought her bike and before breakfast took an hour long bike ride  in the area and confirmed it is gorgeous. 

Our first winery was a small boutique winery called Alta Colina.  Their first vintage was in 2007 and they are a boutique winery.  We Tried 4 wines:

• 2009 Ganache:  A bold good winter wine
• 2009 GSM (53%Syrah, 23%Grenache, 24%Mourvedre): A lighter wine but good
• 2009 Toasted Slope Syrah:  Very Dry but supposedly mellows with age
• 2010 Late Harvest Voigner:  Their first successful dessert wine.  Pretty good!

It was a good way to start our wine tasting.  The co-owner was very nice and served us the wines

The second winery was Adelaida.  It was established in 1981 and is family owned.  The owner is a doctor fro Ohio and Adelaida is the 12^th oldest winery in Paso Robles.  They are also the first to do Pinots in Paso Robles.  We tried 5 wines while at the winery.

• Pinot Noir HMR (named after Dr. Hoffman) Reserve 2003:  Did not like it.  It was too light
• 2003 Rhone Style Red:  Better but not great
• Syrah Glenrose Vineyard Reserve:  The second best wine we tasted at this winery
• Cabernet Sauvignon 2002: Very oaky, very dry , very cabernet sauvignon

Cab. Sauv/Syrah Mt.RES 2005:  The best wine we tasted from this winery.  Big, bold and beautiful

The third winery we went to is Tablas Creek,   a pretty well known winery in California.  They run a pretty big operation and their 1^st vintage was in 1997  Robert Haas is the owner and of the first to recognize Paso Robles as fertile for wine grapes.  We tried the following wines:

• Cotes de Tablas Blanc 2010:  Delish!  Great for summer or Thai food
• Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc 2010:  Another delish wine.  This one will be good for picnics.  Its modeled after Chateauneuf-du- Pape Blanc (One of the partners is a French wine maker in Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine making region)
• Patelin de Tablas 2010:  made with organic fruit, good table wine
• Cotes de Tablas 2010: richer than Patelin.  A very good table wine
• Esprit de Beaucastel 2009:  LOVED this wine.  Very smooth.  Has more tannin so will age well
• Vermentino 2010:  made from a Mediterranean variety prominent on the islands of Sardinia and Corsica.  It was OK.  Very different but I can see it be good with fish

Tablas Creek vineyards were surrounded by walnut trees

Our fourth winery was the famous Justin Winery.  I luv, luv , luv their wines.  The grounds were gorgeous and they did not disappoint.  We luved ALL of their wines.  We tried the following ending with one of their most famous wines Isosceles

• 2010 Chardonnay:  Not oaky and very good!
• 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon:  This is 50% of their production!  Very, very good table wine
• 2009 Reserve Tempranillo:  Good.  Much better than some of the Spanish brands
• 2009 Justification:  One of my favorite wines.  It was excellent
• 2009 Isosceles:  What can you say.  The BEST!!

Since we were making good time wine tasting, we decided to visit the 2 wineries we had planned on visiting the next day as they were on route 46, the main drag that will take us to the coast. 

The first stop on the new route was Caliza (Spanish word for limestone), a small boutique winery.  They are a new winery and is only 3 years old.  We thought it was OK.  The people at the winery were very nice though.  We tried the following wines:

• 2010 Kissin’ Cousins:  A Voignier.  A true Voignier.  One can guess the variety from the 1^st taste.  
• 2010 Pink:  A sweet dessert wine.  Not quite Beaume de Venise, my favorite dessert wine but pretty good
• 2009 Sympatico: A pretty good tempranillo.  Very chocolatey but not an exceptional wine
• 2010 Cohort:  A bigger wine than Sympatico.  The best we tasted and it won the Gold Medal 2012 at San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

The last stop of the day was at Venteux Winery.  They too are a boutique winery.  They practice dry farming which means they don’t use irrigation.  We liked the wines from this winery.  We tried the following 5 wines:

• 2009 Mourvedre:  100% Mourvedre, a Rhone Varietal.  It was very grapey but good
• 2008 Estate Syrah, Paso Robles:  very very good.  They only use wild natural yeast to make this wine
• 2008 Tache le Verre (Stain the Glass), Santa Barbara County:  As one can guess, the grapes are not from Paso Robles but from Santa Barbara.  It was a very sexy and smoky wine
• 2008 PMS, Paso Robles:  very very good wine.   PMS stands for Petite Syrah, Mourvedre and Syrah (not what you were thinking!).  I had to get a bottle though and will save it when Sandra and I celebrate our birthdays (we both have birthdays in July)
• 2008 Petite Syrah, Paso Robles:  An excellent wine.  The only wine aged in American Oak from this winery

Dinner (first was brewery,but there were not serving dinner and the bar was filled with dogs- yes real dogs!) so went to Villa Creek, another highly recommended  place that is in town.   We sat at the bar and had the bar menu.  I had the most amazing Chile Relleno!  I would definitely go back there again.   We found the town to be  cute down but NO diversity.  I was one of the few folks that was not pure white!  Very interesting .

We went back to hotel to watch movie and drink our wine from Albertson’s that was bottled for Linda.  Of course, we got buzzed and ordered another bottle with nachos from room service (big mistake).  We both passed out from the excess wine and did not enjoy the movie. 

 

Next morning, with a slight hangover, we went for a walk to get fresh air and the heartbeat going.  I walked around the neighborhood which was nice and quiet.  We then got ready for our next adventure..  Hearst castle.

The drive to Hearst Castle across the valley toward the coast was one of the most magnificent drives, I’ve ever taken.  I highly recommend it.  We took highway 46 which goes through the valley and drops you down to the ocean. 

We stopped at Moonstone Beach Bar and Grill for lunch and found out they were serving “free champagne”!!  It was definitely cooler on the coast but gorgeous!  After a filling lunch, we walked along the coast a bit and then drove to Hearst Castle.

Since we got there early, we tried to get on an earlier tour which we were able to.  In addition, we timed it so that we would see a movie about the history of the “castle”  before taking the tour.  It turns out it was a very good thing to do, because it gives you a perspective of why Hearst built it.  And we found out that Hearst never called it a castle.  It was a working ranch and a place where he can host Hollywood actors and actresses (and of course his mistress – Marion Davies) to some of the most amazing parties.

We took only one of the tours which really is enough.   The grounds are spectacular and the views are amazing.  We learned during the movie that Hearst loved the California Oak trees that dotted the hills and built the castle where he used to camp with his parents when he was a child.  The majestic oak trees still dot the hills.

It was then time to say our goodbyes.  Sandra drove up Highway 1 to the Bay Area and I drove down Highway 1 to the airport as I had to go to NYC.  If visiting California, I highly recommend a trip to Paso Robles.  You won’t regret it.

I Ate My Way Thru San Francisco

 Sunday February 12, 2012

Malibu, California

Sunny and Warm!

 

A few weeks ago, I was on a business trip to San Jose and San Francisco.  Usually I fly in and out but on this occasion, I had 3 days of business, so the idea was to do a blog on some sites of San Francisco.  After all, it's one of the most photogenic cities in the world. 

Since I did not want to check in any luggage, I did not bring my DSLR but brought my fancy Canon IXY point and shoot camera.  As I was staying at the Holiday Inn@ Fishermen's Wharf, took tons of cool photos in the early morning and evening, before and after work.   But unfortunately, my camera was stolen from my hotel room!  I was so bummed!!  Very upsetting.  

So instead of sharing beautiful photos of San Francisco's Fishermen's Wharf, I am sharing some photos of the food I ate while in San Jose and San Francisco.  The photos were taken with my iphone. 

 While in San Jose, I met up with my BFF Sandra for dinner.  She found a fabulous hole in a wall that serves delicious mole called "Tu Mero Mole".  It's located in a strip mall, but wow,  delicious food and the salsa bar is amazing.  We had the Mole Poblano and the Cochinita Yucaneta (Pork braised in Banana Leaves).  Delish! And all for less than 20$

While in SF, I went to my favorite Italian seafood places at the Wharf.  I first had lunch with a client at Alioto's which I haven't been to in over 20 years!  And of course, I had their Caesar's salad which I believe is one of the best in the world.  For my lunch I had the shrimp "scampi" with rice pilaf.  Expensive but worth it.  And of course, the view...  View of Golden Gate bridge while having lunch. 

Second place I went to was Scoma's.  I used to go there with my parents when they came visit me at UC Davis.  I love their sand dabs but unfortunately sand dabs were not in season so I had the second best thing which is their house special pasta ---- pasta vongole (clam sauce).  It was SO GOOD.  I've made it at home but Scoma's perfects it.  I also had the special dungeness crab cakes as it was crab season.   Yum.  I also still love that Scoma's is old world SF Italian. 

But my favorite restaurant we went to was Piperade.  It's a Basque restaurant located near the Embarcadero.   It is definitely one of the best restaurants I've been to in a long time.  Unfortunately, I have NO PHOTOS as the photos I took were with my Canon IXY.  I had the black cod as a main course which was perfectly cooked.  The dungeness crab salad was also to die for.  I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting San Francisco.

And lastly, here are the very few photos of San Francisco I took with my iphone.

Pebble Beach

Tuesday December 27, 2011

Boulder, Colorado

Cold and Sunny

 

A few weekends ago, Yuki and I were invited to Pebble Beach by my BFF Sandra.  Joining us was Marisa, Sandra's neighbor in Cabo.  As both Sandra and Marisa are golfers, their plan was to golf Pebble Beach while I planned to relax and explore the area.  I haven't been to the Monterrey Peninsula in over 30 years and have forgotten how beautiful it is.  The drive up was easy and smooth and took about 6 hours.  Yuki was a bit jumpy at first... but learned to relax in the car.  I'm also very surprised how well she adjusted to spending a few nights outside of her comfort zone.  It helped a lot that the area is arguably the most dog friendly area in America.

Driving up Coast Highway from Malibu to catch the 101 in Ventura.  Beautiful day, beautiful drive.

We made one rest stop - Cachuma Lake

We drove through Santa Ynez valley and the grape vines have all turned red or yellow.  Gorgeous!

We arrived at Pebble Beach around 4pm on Friday.  As Sandra had to work a bit, and Marisa was at the spa, Yuki and I decided to take a walk along Carmel Beach.  Dogs are allowed and boy, there were many friendly dogs.  Below is a view of the Pebble Beach Golf Course from the beach.  The fog was rolling in as it was late afternoon.

I had Yuki on a leash first but she very quickly got the hang of things so let her off the leash.  She had a fabulous time and made many friends.

We stayed long enough to enjoy the sunset.

For our first night in the area, we drove to Monterey and ate at a fish restaurant on the wharf.  As it was the first weekend in December, some of the boats were lit up for X'mas. 

The next day, while Sandra and Marisa golfed, I drove the famous 17 mile drive.  It was gorgeous!  It truly is one of the most beautiful places and drives in the world.  Below are some highlights.

The ocean. 

Monterey Cypress Forest:  The trees were almost extinct but are now thriving thanks to conservation efforts

The famouse Lone Cypress Tree of Carmel

Dense Pine Forest

Yuki and I took a break from the drive and decided to explore the quaint town of Carmel.  Yuki did not do too well shopping as many folks wanted to pet her.  We, however, found a very nice place for breakfast that had a patio and because it was secluded, we had an enjoyable late breakfast.  We then headed for the historic Mission San Carlos.  Yuki was very tired by that point so she stayed in the car while I explored the beautiful mission.  This mission was first established in 1770s, was destroyed by a tsunami in the late 1800s (yes, there are tsunami's in California), but was rebuilt and is now one of the most beautiful missions in California.  It served as the head mission for the upper "Las Californias" headed by Father Junipero Serra.  Today, not only is it a church but also a school.  It's quite a beautiful mission and I highly recommend a visit if in Carmel.

The mission bell marker

The church

The beautiful grounds

After spending a whole day site-seeing, we rested a bit and then headed out to the famous Pebble Beach Lodge to meet up with Sandra and Marisa.  It was my first time to visit the famous place and it lived up to the reputation.  I did some Xmas shopping at the gift shop and took some photos of the view.  Yuki wanted to stay in the car so I left her there for a snooze while I did the shopping and had a drink with Sandra and Marisa at the bar.  We had fun at the bar as we met some guys who were playing a tournament and they were hilarious!  They ended up giving us some of their goodies.  I got a cap and a sweater.  Marisa and Sandra got some golf balls.  Crazy way to end a fabulous day!

They next day we got up early, to take a walk along the coast (well, Sandra jogged).  Yuki loved walking along the coast and also met several friendly dogs.  It was cold but just spectacular.

We then decided to take the beautiful Carmel Valley Road to Ventana Wineries.  The drive was spectacular.  I have to do it again when the flowers are in bloom.  Yuki by then was exhaused so snoozed thru the whole one hour drive.   Of course, Sandra and I cannot end a trip without a visit to a winery so we chose Ventana which is one of Sandra's favorites.  We did a bit of wine tasting (just a bit as we both had to drive home) but it was well worth it.  Yuki even joined us for a bit. 

 

Then it was time for us to say our goodbyes, with me taking the 101 South and Sandra/Marisa taking 101 North.  Another great trip with my BFF and new friend Marisa.  Looking forward to some more of these adventures ladies!

Gertrude Stein, Wine and the Boho Club

 Independence Day 2011

Malibu, CA

Perfect Beach Weather

 

A couple of weekends ago, my BFF Sandra invited me to visit her to attend the annual Bohemian Club picnic which her boyfriend is a member of.   I jumped at the opportunity as I heard a lot about this exclusive private men's club so wanted to see what it is about.  It is only during the annual picnic that woman are allowed.  No phones or cameras.  If one gets caught using the phone or camera, you get banished from the club for a year.   Well, it was a blast.  All the members are either prominent businessmen, artists or from acadamia.   I enjoyed a fabulous magic show, a fascinating lecture on use of DNA in forensics from a Stanford Professor, great music and a wonderful music show.   The food and conversations with the members were stimulating.  Had a great, great time. 

The next day we decided to go the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art as they had a special exhibition called "The Steins Collect".  Basically it is a collection of art the Gertrude Stein and her brothers has amassed.  I learned several things while enjoying the collection.  First, the Steins are from San Francisco.  I had no idea!  The father was in the streetcar business.   And although I know of Gertrude Stein as an author, I didn't realize she was amongst the first to recognize avant-garde artists like Matisse and Picasso.  Together with her brothers, they have amassed a significant collection of paintings.  It was a fascinating experience.  Unfortunately, photos were not allowed as it was a special exhibition but took the photo below before I got into trouble with the security guard.   You can see some of the important paintings that are on display including Picasso's portrait of Gertrude Stein here.

The only photo I was able to take of the Stein collection.  I believe this is an early Cezanne work but not sure

Since we were at the MOMA and the weather was beautiful we decided to take a quick tour of the museum.  It was very spacious and small enough to enjoy in 1/2 day,

Modern Art at SF MOMA

Next on our itinerary was to go to Livermore for some wine tasting.  But first we had delicious pizza and salad at Marzano in Oakland so that the wine won't go directly to our heads!

Since our time was limited ( I was flying to NYC) we visited 3 wineries.  The first winery was Murrieta's Well.  We tried some of their Merlot from the library collection and some interesting Touriga and Tempranillo.  Touriga is a grape from Portugal and I found it to be hearty and a very unique tasting wine.

Our next stop was Wente where we tasted some fine wine.   Our favorite was the small lot Counoise which is a blend of grapes from Rhone and the Small Lot GSM which is a special blend made only at Wente.   I loved Wente wines.  

Wine tasting at Wente is alot of fun.  The short man with his back facing the camera was the best!  He patiently explained all the different wines to us

We also went to Tamas Winery which is next door and owned by the same folks.  After Wente wines, we did not enjoy the wines from Tamas as much.  However, we found an interesting cream for sell below.  Basically, it removes the red wine stain from your lips and teeth!   Pretty cool.

Sandra than dropped me off at the Bart station where I went straight to the airport to catch my flight to NYC.   Another great weekend with my BFF Sandra.  She is coming down to my neck of the woods the end of July so stay tuned for some more of our adventures. 

Sideways Wine Tour Part II

Easter Sunday April 24, 2011

Tokyo, Japan

Sunny and Glorius

 

Writing this post from Tokyo.  I'll write a post regarding my Japan trip later.  This post is about our last day in Santa Ynez Valley.

So on our last day in Solvang, we got up early (around 6am or so) again because we were sound asleep by 9pm the night before.   We decided to have breakfast and then walk and explore the Santa Ines Mission.  It is the 19th of the 21 California missions established by the Franciscan Fathers.  Padre Junipero Serra founded the first 8 missions beginning with the mission San Diego de Alcala in San Diego in 1769.  The Santa Ines mission was founded by Fr. Estevan Tapais on September 17, 1804.  One of their main "missions" was to convert the Chumash Indians (who have lived there for centuries) to Catholics.  The aqueduct and the lavenderia were built by the Chumash.  According to the history as told by the mission, the relationship with the Chumash was very close.  So close that when their was a revolt of the Indians against the Spanish military and the mission caught fire, the Chumash put out the fire and protected the mission.  Unfortunately, after the Mexican revolution, the Mexican Franciscanss took over the mission and mistreated and abused the Chumash.  So once again, the native Indians suffered in the hands of the conquerors.

The mission is quite beautiful.  Some of it has been restored as a massive earthquake in 1812 caused heavy damage.  The bell-tower was rebuilt with the help of some of the newly arrived Danish settlers in 1911.  Here are some photos of the mission.

The mission bell of Santa Ines:  The bells were used as guide posts for the El Camino Real which is the footpath that connects all the missions in California (Highway 101 and 1 covers a great portion of El Camino Real).

The mission church and bell tower.

View from the grounds of the Mission (more grapes)

I found this map interesting.  The area highlighted in yellow respresents how much of North and South America was controlled by the Spanish.  Amazing.  Even more amazing how they lost it all. Colonialism does not work!

Inside the church

The mission's cemetery

After spending about an hour at the mission, we stopped at Solvang Bakery to have a Danish, as we were in the Danish capital of America.  We shared a cheese Danish over coffee and tea.  The bakery was quite cute, and supposedly very popular with Japanese and Chinese tourists.

The cheese danish from the Solvang Bakery

A pic of a fabulous cake from the Solvang Bakery

It was then time to complete our Sideways Wine Tour.  Sandra drove her own car this time as she and Belinda were going to head straight back to Oakland after the tour. 

Our first stop of the day was Kalyra.  Kalyra is where Thomas Haden Church's character meets Sandra Oh's character.  Sandra Oh's character works at Kalyra.  Kalyra is owned by and Australian named Mike Brown.  Kalyra means a "wild and pleasant place" in the aboriginal language.  The winery is pretty cool as it's low key and looks like a surfer shack.  We tried 6 wines, 3 white (2009 Grenache Blanc, 2009 Barrel Select Riesling, 2009 Semillon/Verdelho) and 3 reds( 2008 MC2, NV Cashmere Blend 62, 2007 Merlot).  All were quite tasty but I liked the 2009 Semillon/Verdelho and NV Cashmere Blend 62 the best.  Verdhelho is a Portuguese grape so adds interesting flavor to the wine.   The NV Cashmere is a blend of combining grapes from 2 hemispheres (Australia Shiraz and American cabernet and merlot).  And it is a wonderful combination.

But our favorite was our bonus tasting - 2008 Orange Muscat.  A very yummy dessert wine.  So I ended up buying a two bottles of it (one as a gift) and a bottle each of the NV Cashmere and 2009 Semillon/Verdelho.

Kalyra Winery

Our next stop was the beautiful Sunstone Winery.  It's not on "The Sideways" tour but was recommended and once we stepped on the grounds we knew why.  It is gorgeous!  The winery is housed in a beautiful hacienda covered in wild roses.  Unfortunately, I was so mesmerized by the winery I forgot to take photos of the inside.  All of their wines are made from their own certified organic grapes.  They specialize in Bordeaux and Rhone varietals.  We did another tasting here and I again I picked up a couple of bottles of their estate wines.

Sunstone Winery

Our next stop was the funky Mosby winery.  This winery, too is not part of the Sideways tour but recommended.  It is the only winery in Santa Ynez valley that specializes in Italian grapes.  We had a fun time doing the tasting and the sommelier was quite a character.  I ended up buying a bottle of wine called Le Seduzione - The Seduction.  It is made from the extremely rare grape called Legrein. This velvety violet colored wine offers aromas of dark plums, cocoa and wild wood mint.  Mmmm.

The Mosby Winery

The next stop was Melville Winery.  Again, not part of the Sideways tour but highly recommended. It's a large winery and was fun cuz in addition to the wine tasting, they had a large spread of local cheeses and unique cookies and pastries ( eg thai curry shortbread, lavendar cookies, etc) for us to enjoy while tasting wine.  Also,  on our first night in Solvang, we shared a bottle of the Melville Pinot Noir for dinner.  We had fun tasting the wine and food and both Sandra and I bought a bottle of Verna's Estate Pinot Noir in honor of Sandra's mother Verna who passed away.

Melville Winery

Our next stope was Sanford located in Lompoc.  The Lompoc area is known for growing pinot noir grapes as the area is about 10-20 degrees cooler that most of Santa Ynez valley.  We definetely felt the change in temperature when we got out of the car. The Pinot grape is very sensitive so needs cooler weather.   Now this winery is part of the Sideways wine tour  BUT, we found out that Sanford was bought out and the "Sanford" that is mentioned in the movie is now called Alma Rosa.  Anyhow, we enjoyed our tasting especially since we were able to taste the wines that are only available at the winery.  And they served chocolate! 

Sanford Winery

So our last stop was Alma Rosa (formerly Sanford's tasting room).  This winery is the first winery the main characters in the movie visit.  It is here where Paul Giamatti's character explains wines to Thomas Haden Church's character.  It is also in this winery where Thomas Haden Church is caught wine tasting while chewing gum.

So happy we stopped here as it was Paella Sunday,  where for a total of 20$, one can taste all the Alma Rosa wines, enjoy a spread of cheeses, sweet local strawberries and a wonderful paella.  Richard Sanford the owner mingled with the guests.  It was magnificent.  I did not buy any bottles here as I can get them in So Cal.  However their Pinots are just devine!

Alma Rosa

That's Richard Sanford on the left.

And as all good things come to an end, we accomplished our Sideways Wine Tour weekend.  I am so lucky to live in California and it truly is a beautiful state despite all the political/economical problems.  I highly recommend visitors to the US, make an effort to explore California beyond LA, San Diego, Disneyland and SF.  There is so much more to do. And Santa Ynez is still "undiscovered" so you don't see the hoard of tourists you see in Napa Valley

 

Sideways Wine Tour Part I

 

Saturday April 16, 2011

Solvang, California

Perfect Sunny Day

After a GRUELING week working a convention in Las Vegas for work, I took off on Friday to join my BFF Sandra and new friend Belinda from the UK to do a Sideways wine tasting tour in Santa Ynez valley.  For me it was about a 2.5 hour drive with stops for some photos.  I left around noon with very little sleep the night before as I had lots of things to take care of before taking time off for an extended weekend trip.  I thought I'd have a tough time driving as I was quite tired but the scenery was so beautiful that I enjoyed it.

Our base was Solvang.  Sandra and Belinda were driving from San Jose and me from Malibu.   My navigation system took me there via a very scenic route where I got off 101 in Santa Barbara and took the windy San Marcos Pass road through the mountains to Solvang.  It was a beautiful drive.   So beautiful that I stopped a few times for photos.

 View of Santa Ynez Valley from the San Marcos Pass

As the road went down into the valley, I got a fabulous view of Cachuma Lake

I arrived in Solvang around 330pm.  Solvang is known as the Danish capital of America.  It was founded 100 years ago by Danish-American scholars who were looking to buy land to establish a Danish community.  After WWII, mainstream America discovered the town, and it became a tourist mecca.  Today, the town has a "kitchy" feel to it but it is also home to authentic Danish bakeries that have been family owned for several generations.  And today, it is located in the heart of Santa Ynez Wine country which became famous after the movie Sideways. 

Our goal of the trip was to go to the wineries and restaurants which were used as a location for Sideways.  What amazes me about Santa Ynez valley is that when I graduated college in 1983,  they were only a handful of wineries in the valley.  Today there are 100s of wineries.  The area is known to grow superb Shiraz, Pinot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blancs. 

Sandra and Belinda arrived around 7pm, and the first thing we did is walk through the town of Solvang to Root 246, a restaurant owned by the Chumash Indians and managed by celebrity chef Bradley Ogden.  The restaurant has received fab reviews and all the ingredients are from local farmers.   We were able to get seats by the bar and had a lovely conversation with a couple who eats there at least once a week.  I even got them to donate for Socks for Japan!  The meal was fabulous, but we ate way too much!

Solvang:  Danish influence everywhere!

We had to have Pinot Noir for dinner of course at Root 246

Wild mushroom flatbread

Pork Buns:  Cha Siu Bao done Root 246 style

Sandra's Blue Cheese Souffle

Belinda's tempura squid, shrimp and veggies with spicy roumalade

Cheese dumplings - so rich, but so good

Shake and Bake Petaluma Chicken with the BEST mashed potatoes:  This was my favorite dish

We got back to our hotel around 1030pm, STUFFED!  And I was SO TIRED.  Although our plan was to watch the movie Sideways,  after a shower, I went straight to bed and fell soundly asleep.  And so did Sandra and Belinda.

The next day we got up around 630am.  Belinda and Sandra watched Sideways, while I worked on email, bills, and also my last blog entry about the Rio trip.  We then went for a quick breakfast, packed food, water for a planned picnic at a winery and took off to begin our Sideways tour.

Our first stop was the Fess Parker winery.  It was founded by the actor Fess Parker who played Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett on TV.  So when you go there, you find alot of Daniel Boone paraphenelia.  It was founded by him in 1989 and today is one of the most famous wineries in Santa Ynez valley.  In Sideways,  the winery was called Frass Canyon and one of the most memorable scenes were filmed at the winery.  When Miles (the leading character in the movie) finds that his book does not get published, distraught he goes back to the tasting room and asks for refills.  When he is refused, he goes ballistic and grabs the dump bucket and drinks the wine!  It's a classic scene from the movie. 

We tasted 6 wines (Sandra and I shared a tasting as I was the driver).  The six wines that we tried were: 

• 2009 Chardonnay "Santa Barbara County"
• 2008 Voigner "Santa Barbara County" - I liked this one and bought a bottle
• 2007 Pinot Noir "Bien Nacido Vineyard" -  loved this one and bought bottles
• 2008 Pinot Noir "Ashley"
• 2008 Syrah "Santa Barbara County"
• 2007 Syrah "Rodney's Vineyard"

Fess Parker Winery Tasting Room

The Girls @ Fess Parker

Our next stop is the Firestone Winery.  It is one of the largest wineries in the region.  It was founded in 1972 by the Firestone family but today it is owned by a billionaire - Bill Foley.  We took a tour of the winery which was nice as we got a refresher on wine making.  At Firestone we tried 6 wines plus a special tasting:

• 2009 Sauvignon Blanc
• 2009 Chardonnay
• 2009 Gewurztraminer
• 2007 Syrah
• 2007 Merlot
• 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
• Goodnight - a very special wine that we tasted.  A bought a signed Magnum bottle as a gift

A cork tree at Firestone

Close up of a cork tree.  It takes 9-12 years to harvest this tree. 

In the movie "Sideways", the four main characters, Miles, Jack, Maya, and Stephanie are bored with the wine tour and sneak away into the barrel room

View of the vineyard from Firestone Winery

Our next stop was Zaca Mesa, which did not appear in the movie Sideways but is a good winery so we stopped by for a tasting.  Zaca Mesa is one of the first wineries in the area and was founded by a group of friends.  Their wines consistently get high ratings so was very looking forward to the tasting. We tried 7 wines including some unique wines that are difficult to find in stores:

• 2010 Estate Z Gris
• 2009 Voignier
• 2007 Estate Roussane - this was so buttery and an unusual white wine that is served room temperature so I bought a bottle
• 2008 Estate Z-Blanc
• 2007 Estate Z-Cuvee
• 2007 Estate Syrah (the most popular)
• 2006 Estate Z-Three

Zaca Mesa Winery Vineyards with the California poppies in full bloom

California poppies

Our next stop was a fun winery: Foxen.  A funky winery which was discovered and became famous because of Sideways.  The wine tasting is located in 2 places.  The original is the one we went to as it was used in Sideways and can be easily missed because it's a shack. Foxen has built a more modern and fancy wine tasting building recently to accomadate the high interest in their wines.  They are I believe, the only winery in the area that still grows Chenin Blanc grapes.  We loved the atmosphere.  It was so casual and welcoming with wine flowing and yummy cheese and crackers. 

• 2009 Sauvignon Blanc - Vogelzang Vineyard
• 2007 Volfino
• 2008 Cabernet Franc
• 2008 Range 30 West -  I loved this wine so got a bottle
• 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine Tasting at Foxen

Foxen Winery entrance

Decor inside the winery

 Our last winery for the day was Rancho Sisquoc Winery which also was not featured in Sideways but highly recommended.  It's a boutique winery where one gets to try 6 wines for only 8$ and you get the glass.  Everywhere else is was 10$ w/ glass.

We had a great guy serve us as he was so enthusiastic.  We tried the following wines:

• 2009 Sauvignon Blanc
• 2009 Slyvaner - a unique grape for white wine and delicious.  I bought a bottle!
• 2009 Sisquoc River Red - We liked this so bought a bottle for the night
• 2007 Syrah
• 2008 Merlot
• 2008 Malbec ( our first California Malbec)
• 2008 Cellar Select Meritage (bonus and it was VERY BOLD)

The winery is located in the middle of a ranch.  A very quiet and quaint location managed by the friendliest people.  We thoroughly enjoyed the visit.

Rancho Sisquoc Winery

After accomplishing our wine tour of the day, we headed to Los Olivos for a late lunch, early supper.  We went to Los Olivos Cafe and Wine Merchant.  The bar scene was used in the movie.  We had a fabulous lunch there and also spent time exploring the quaint town of Los Olivos.

Los Olivos Cafe and Wine Merchant

The pizza we shared

Yummy roasted local vegetables

We downed our lunch/supper with a bottle of YNOT Pinot Noir.  And after walking around town, we left for our hotel, where we just chilled for the rest of the day with our bottle of 2009 Sisquoc River Red Wine.  We went to bed around 9pm as we were pretty tired and had a full day and lots of driving to do tomorrow.

Los Olivos

Birthday Weekend Part II w/Sandra

Saturday July 31, 2010

Carlsbad, CA

SUN!

My BFF Sandra, had a great deal at the Park Hyatt where she was able to get free nites in Carlsbad so we decided to do Part II of our birthday celebrations there.   She too, like me was born in July, so this weekend was about her.  I picked her up at the John Wayne Airport last Thursday(yes, there is an airport named after John Wayne in Orange County) and headed to Carlsbad.  Since we got there around 6pm, we decided to grab some dinner before checking in.  We first though, went to the hotel and asked the parking attendant where can we get good seafood on the beach.  He recommended the Beach House at Cardiff by the Sea.  I have not explored the San Diego area in about 20 years so just assumed it was about 3 miles away on the ocean.  Well, no!  It was about 15 miles away but ended up being a great place for some good food with a fabulous view of the ocean.  I also found out it's owned by the same owner's of the Beach House in Laguna Beach which I've been too several times when my parents were alive.  We both had the grilled scallops over a succotash made from black beans, corn, onions, and peppers.  Yum!  We also were treated to a gorgeous and heavenly view of the sunset.  Only in California!

Beautiful Cardiff by the Sea

The Beach House

The Spectacular Sunset from Cardiff by the Sea

Friday was spent working for most of the day.  Fortunately it was so foggy and cold that the temptation to go outside was not there and surprisingly, we got a lot done.   But around 4pm, it was time to relax and start the weekend so we went out to the pool.....and it was freezing!  Well, I'm exaggerating because it was not 32F but around 55F.  But we were determined to enjoy it so we toughed it out.  The pool we went to was the "child friendly" pool so there were a few people like us toughing it out as kids luv the pool in any weather.  But it was so cold that for a drink, we had.....a glass of red wine to warm us up.

The Pool on a Cold Friday afternoon

I had a glass of red wine by the pool to warm me up.

Instead of going out for dinner, we ended up going to the bar, had a bottle of red wine, the fabulous cheese plate, and chicken noodle soup for dinner.  Yes, chicken noodle soup.   When I was in Japan, and not feeling well, oh, how I craved good chicken noodle soup.  Chicken soup does exist in Japan, but not the chicken noodle soup you can get her in the States.  So I was pleasantly surprised when they told me the soup of the day was chicken noodle soup.  We were to watch a movie for the night but I was so engrossed in the book I was reading " Water for Elephants" that we decided to just read and watch TV.  But we both fell asleep so turned in around 9pm on a FRIDAY NITE!!

We decided to sleep in on Saturday but still got up a bit before 7am.  I wanted to do the 10km walk the concierge recommended so Sandra decided to accompany me.  It was a nice walk through the neighborhood of Carlsbad ending at a nature trail through the lagoon - called the Batiquitos Lagoon.  The Batiquitos Lagoon, I learned is one of the few remaining tidal wetlands in California and is protected.  The trail is only 1.5 miles long but the lagoon itself consists of 160 acres that is protected.  I loved the way the trail was designed.... enjoyable for us "humans" yet protected for the over 180 species of birds and numerous other residents like fish and mammals.  

The Batiquitos Lagoon

View of our hotel from the trail

After our nice 1.5 hr walk, we went for a decadent buffet breakfast and decided to spend the rest of the day by the pool.  So at the beginning, I was wondering if this was a good thing to do because it was COLD!  Only 63F and I was the only one at the pool.  But as the day went by it got warmer and the sun appeared so we enjoyed the afternoon by the pool while sipping glasses of sauvignon blanc.  (Actually, I am writing this portion of the blog while sipping the wine at the poolside :)).  The only annoying thing is that here we are at the tranquility pool (ie, no children allowed and it's supposed to be quiet) but a wedding party arrived and very noisy!  But I'm not complaining because the sun is out!

(So now I'm writing this after a few glasses of wine and sipping champagne).  After spending a good 4 hours or so at the pool and getting sunburn on my left shoulder only (it apparently was the only part exposed to the sun), we decided to indulge ourselves at the spa where we enjoyed the hot tub and eucalyptus steam bath.  So relaxing...  We then got dressed and went to the bar again for wine, cheese and some appetizers for dinner.

The bar scene

The fabulous birthday weekend part II is ending with champagne and a movie with Meg Ryan.  Tomorrow, our plan is to get up early (5:15am), work out, go to the spa and then get on the road by 730am as Sandra has a flight to catch at 10am, I have some work to do and then have dinner with my sister and family who are visiting from Boulder!  And so the fabulous summer back in the US of A continues.

Carlsbad, California

Ghetto Gourmet Alley - Oakland

Sunday  May 2, 2010

Oakland Airport

Another Perfect Day

Well, made it back safely to Malibu, albeit late as my flight was delayed 1.5 hours!  But Oakland Airport is pretty cool.  Free Wi-Fi and a very cool wine bar - Vino Volo.  Spent the time, writing this blog about my last day in Oakland.

Writing this blog while enjoying a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and Artisan Cheese

Woke up early on Sunday despite going to bed late.  Sandra was up early too so we decided to go to the park for some exercise.  I power walked for an hour while she went for a run.  God, I'm out of shape.  This weekend is motivating me to get back to my exercise routine.  So much to do at work but might as well be healthy while overwhelmed at work. 

The power walk was glorious.  A cool breeze was blowing it was great listening to the trees blowing in the wind.  Sandra and I met up by her car and decided to go to Peet's Coffee for some good coffee.  We didn't bring our purses so used the change Sandra had in her car.  Luckily we had enough for 2 good cups of coffee.  Since it was Sunday, we saw people prepping for the weekly Farmer's Market.  We decided to check it out as Sandra's never been to it.  They were just setting up so didn't see a lot of what was for sell, but we did see some good looking oranges and very sweet smelling strawberries.  Can't wait to check out the Farmer's Market in Malibu that just got started.

The Sound of Trees Blowing in the Wind:  Ahhh......

I looked to one side of the trail and saw the moon

And on the other side, the sun rising over Mt. Diablo

We then went back to her place to pack and get ready for the trip home for me and for Sandra a business trip.  Our flights were in the afternoon, so we decided to check out another highly recommended restaurant called Burma Superstar which is located in Ghetto Gourmet Alley in Oakland.  As the name of the area implies, it is located in an area that is slowly improving.  Quite an interesting neighborhood with a tattoo parlor, some scary looking liquor stores, dotted with gourmet restaurants.

Burma Superstar is a Burmese family owned restaurant, that serves not only Burmese food but a bit of Chinese and Thai food also.  A very cool place with great music and fun waiters.  We had the highly recommended Rainbow Salad (that was featured on the Food Channel) , a traditional Burmese street food - Ground Chicken with Mint, and a traditional noodle dish Bun Tay Kauser which is flour noodles in a chicken curry sauce.  Very good.  I'm so jealous Sandra has all these wonderful neighborhood joints to explore!

Rainbow Salad

Ground Chicken with Mint

 

Bun Tay Kauser

 

Burma Superstar!

After stuffing ourselves again, it was time to go to the airport.  Oakland is definitely what NY times said it is:  Full of Art Deco Architecture, Stunning Views, and a Mix of Cultures with Fabulous Food.

Macabre Oakland and Chaat in Berkeley

Sunday May 2, 2010

Oakland, California

Another Glorious Day

Wow, did I sleep in.  Very unusual for me as usually the dogs wake me up as soon as the sun rises.  I slept until close to 9am!  I guess I needed it.  Sandra was already up doing office related work.  After a cuppa we decided to go for a short hike.  And I do need to start getting into my exercise routine.  So we went to Redwood Park which is a stone's throw away from her house.  Beautiful park.  The trails are so different from the ones in SoCal because of the trees.  This part of Oakland gets a dusting of snow, and given this was a pretty wet year, the forests were covered in lush green and dotted with young redwood trees.  But because of the wet season, poison oak was thriving too.  While hiking the trails, we saw a lot of poison oak waiting for a victim.  And speaking of victims, about 3 years ago, tragedy struck this area. It is here, where the body of Nina Reiser was found.  Nina Reiser was murdered by her ex husband Hans Reiser - a computer science genius who invented a computer file system that is being used in Linux.  He lived by the park and buried her body in the park. It's a very tragic story and was the scandal of this peaceful community.

But the park is Gorgeous!  12 miles of trails for every level, including equestrian and bike trails.  I was so out of shape but enjoyed the 45 minute hike. It was a good way to start the morning. 

View of Mount Diablo

 

After the hike, we rested a bit, showered and then decided to head to Berkeley to check a famous Indian place called Viks Chaat.  Chaat is an Indian term for snacks.  This place got rave reviews nationwide and since Sandra has never been there we ventured to Berkeley to check it out. It's been over 25 years since I've been to Berkeley.  It's still a college town, but boy did it clean up and the area around the university is not as scary as it has been.  

Entrance to Berkeley

Viks is on 4th street in Berkeley in the warehouse district.  Our timing was good as warehouse sales were going on.  I bought a beautiful leather bag for only 15$!  Retail over 50 bucks.  We also stopped by wine.com and a warehouse that sold French goods.  Bought some Christmas gifts at the French store.

The "bag" sale

Then we went off to Viks.  Wow,  very crowded.  Just as we arrived, a bus load of tourists arrived.  It's the only place to eat in the neighborhood.  Mmm, but the aroma, so aromatic!  The place sells Indian groceries and is well organized.  One first stands in line to order the food and then they call out your name when your food is ready for pick up.  We had 3 highly recommended dishes from the reviews we read and I also treated my self to a mango lassi

Viks Chaat

I love the colors of India.  Colorful desserts

Aloo Tikki

Fish Kebab with a very spicy but good green sauce

Vegetable Dosas

After stuffing ourselves, Sandra took me to the bay which was gorgeous and got a view of San Francisco and the Golden Gate bridge.

San Francisco

Golden Gate Bridge and the infamous San Francisco Fog rolling in

Since the day was gorgeous we decided to stop by the lake in Oakland for a drink.  The place to go in Oakland in Lake Chalet.  Great place for a drink but not so good food.

Gorgeous day to sit outside by the lake and have an afternoon drink.

 

And we had cosmopolitans!  I haven't had one of these in over 5 years.

 

We then headed back to Sandra's,  relaxed a bit and got ready for dinner.  Yes, we were getting ready to stuff ourselves again.  For dinner we went to Bellanico's that was highly recommended by one of Sandra's foodie friends.  It was one of the best meals I've had in a long time.  And the service was fantastic.  We brought a special bottle of wine from our Argentina trip and they only charged a 15$ corkage charge.  It's a small restaurant but very friendly, casual and just good food.

Bellanico's

 

Angelica Zapata Malbec:  A special wine from our trip to Argentina 3 years ago.

 

Fresh watercress salad with gorgonzola, toasted hazelnuts and champagne vinaigrette

 

This dish was very special.  I loved it.  I have to figure out how to make it.  Swiss Chard Malfatti with browned butter, sage and grana padano cheese

 

Roasted chicken breast with olive oil crushed potatoes, spinach and lemon sauce

 

Because we shared the salad, malfatti and chicken, we treated ourselves to the dessert sampler and a glass of Muscat

Muscat

 

The dessert sampler:  from left to right, my favorite-panne cotta, chocolate cake with hazelnut ice cream, goat cheese cake, Italian doughnuts with lemon curd

I would love to go back to the restaurant again.  I wish they had one like this in Malibu.  After dinner we headed back to Sandra's and decided to have a movie night again.  We finished the horrible movie Love Happens, which had a very bad ending and then watched the History of Violence.  And of course, we did so with a bottle of wine.  I've seen HIstory of Violence before but Sandra hasn't.  Now, its gross, but a very good movie.  The wine affected me, so I did not make it thru the end of the movie, and fell asleep and called it a night around midnite.  But what a FUN day.  I luv the East Bay!