Thursday, March 19, 2009

Bittersweet


I'm excited that the most recent shipment of Benziger wine arrived yesterday from our wine club membership. Sadly, this is our last shipment as well. Like most people, we are trying to tighten our budget and some things must be sacrificed.

Every shipment of wine we've received reminds me of our trip to the Napa and Sonoma Valleys nearly two years ago. My wife and I made the trip for our fifth anniversary. This was the first real vacation since our daughter was born the year before. It was difficult to choose from so many wineries to visit in the few days we were there. We divided our time between the Napa Valley and the Sonoma Valley. We visited some beautiful wineries and enjoyed the time we had together. One of the last wineries we visited was Benziger Winery in the Sonoma Valley. We loved every wine they poured in the tasting room and decided to join their wine club. Since our return home we've enjoyed many great reminders of our trip. Except for a bottle of Port, delivered in a December shipment, collecting dust in our pantry that I have no idea what to do with.

View from the tasting room deck at Miner Family Vineyards in Napa Valley

Atop Pritchard Hill leaving Chappellet Winery in Napa Valley- Great Winery Tour

A castle in Sonoma Valley -Ledson Winery- We purchased a couple of great bottles here. We're saving one for our tenth anniversary.

Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma Valley- California's oldest premium winery, established in 1857.

While each shipment of Benziger has made me recap a great experience, it's time to move on. My wife and I are not vast consumers of wine and a couple bottles periodically from our wine club have been enough to meet our needs. At the same time, we've found ourselves in a bit of a wine rut. Before the California trip and the wine club, we experimented more. We found cheap undiscovered gems and we bought wines from appellations around the world. I'm excited to get back into that adventure of great discoveries. To top it off, we have at least two wineries in our back yard (literally less than a couple miles from our house) that we have never been to. There are several more not much farther away producing incredible Pinot Noir's. So, it's been a great ride with Benziger, but it's time to broaden our horizons and stomp around in Oregon vineyards enjoying what others travel great distances to indulge in.

3 comments:

  1. Hey! You've captured a nice picture of our summer cottage! It's the 4th one down. Hee Hee I am writing down the name of that wine. I wonder if they sell it in Georgia.
    Great post. I'm envious.

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  2. According to the Ledson staff, your "summer cottage" was actually designed as a home. A successful grape grower, who did not have a winery (his family just sold grapes to other wineries) designed it to live in. So many people who drove by, stopped in thinking it was a winery. The family decided to turn it into a small winery and they built a new "house" a few miles away in a more secluded area.

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  3. Would you believe I have wine from all those places in my cellar and I have loved every moment I have spent there.

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