Winey, Picturey Goodness

Ahh, California. By far one of the best things about Northern California has got to be one's proximity to wine country. And for all of the "out West" things I haven't done, I've taken full advantage of my wine-related opportunities.

Sonoma Valley


Again

Um, these next ones I don't remember taking, but there they were on the camera! Must've been after the first winery. Or four.

I think I was trying to capture the rolling hillside idea. Instead, you get raindrops.

And traffic. Bet you don't see that every day!

Typically I keep a couple of bottles of wine around the house. Often they aren't consumed until I take them to someone else's place for dinner. Now, however? It's more like a couple of cases.

The spoils from Napa (when Mom & Dad were here).

My parents, for reasons I do not understand, actually drink -- and enjoy -- white wines. Typically French varietals. I turn my nose up at most of those, and wait patiently until we get to the red half of the tasting menu. Every time, Mom looks at me funny.

"What? I don't drink whites. I've never liked Chardonnay," I protest.

"If it were 1982, you'd be drinking Chardonnay (with the rest of the yuppies)," she retorts, with the obvious implication that what I profess to like depends largely on what's popular at the time.

Eh, maybe. I actually found a couple of white wines this weekend worth remembering...a Chardonnay from Sebastiani that I didn't hate and a Viognier from Castle that I rather enjoyed. But I still like reds better.

The take from Sonoma this weekend.

You know what I could really use these days? No, not the referral number to Alcoholics Anonymous. A wine rack!