Napa: Bounty Hunter Wine Bar

Ahh wine country, but wait, that was not the purpose of this post... A few Saturdays ago Andy and I set out to look at a craigslist motorcycle that he was interested in. We had already looked at few that were not what Andy wanted, so he was sure this motorcycle would be it. The motorcycle was located in downtown Napa. I was thinking wine...Andy was thinking motorcycle. I won!

The motorcycle turned out to be a fluke. It had lots of problems and Andy decided it wasn't the right one (again). Andy was bummed, so to turn the day around, I suggested some wine (obviously). But where does one fine a wine tasting at 10am on a Saturday? We seemed to be in the right place, Napa, practically the wine capital of America. As we explored a very empty downtown though, we quickly realized there would be no wine available that early. Really Napa??

Until we turned the corner to find a place called The Bounty Hunter. Andy was all too excited for the name of the place, let alone the fact that we found wine. Luckily we had the place to ourselves because they had just opened. We read through dozens of types of wines and we each decided on our own flight. I chose two local Napa wines and and a sparkling white from France. To top it off we ordered a meat plate.

It was a lovely spontaneous morning date that we had. We chatted away about motorcycles, adventures we've had on them, and good times. Wine was sipped, meat and bread were munched on, and 10am drunken smiles were plastered to our faces. Then, would you know it, some down home bluegrass music came over the speakers. It was heaven!

We may not have gone to Napa for wine that day, but it ended up being a lovely Saturday in wine country none the less. Now to find Andy a good motorcycle....

Sonoma Wine Country

Last weekend Andy and I headed up to Sonoma for a day of wine tasting, bike riding, and picnicking. We were debating whether to go to Napa or Sonoma, but heard from friends that Sonoma is better. Apparently Napa is far more touristy and built up, where as Sonoma is more down to earth and truly about the wine.

We packed a picnic lunch, loaded our bikes, and drove the hour north to Sonoma. It was a pretty drive through an area we haven't seen yet. Because it is 'winter' here in California, Sonoma was more brown than it usually is and the vines were all empty of grapes. The area was also more empty than it would be in the summer, which is considered high tourist season. The tasting rooms that we visited were full of people though, so I can only image what their busy season is like!

We found a wonderful 15 mile bike ride that would hit 6 different wineries. Some are in the small town, but most of them are out in the countryside. If you are interested in doing the same route here is the map. You can also get a map and bike rental at Sonoma Valley Cyclery if you don't have your own bike.

The first stop we made was to Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery. Both Andy and I did a full tasting here and while we enjoyed it, it was probably a mistake. The guy pouring for us had a heavy hand. Each tasting that we did with him was probably a full quarter of a wine glass! When you are trying 12 wines that equals to be about 3 full glasses of wine. We enjoyed the wines a little too much and left quite sloshed. That is definitely NOT the best way to start a 15 mile bike ride to visit 6 different wineries.

All the wine that we drank was absolutely amazing and fantastic. It was fun to compare California wine to Virginia wine. California definitely has had more time to perfect their wines, but I think Virginia is coming along. Of course, none of our wine pourers would agree with us. Every time we mentioned Virginia wine their noses would turn up and the conversation would lull. We quickly learned not to bring Virginia wine into the conversation. Wine conversation etiquette anyone??

It was a lovely day of wine tasting and bike riding, but I must admit that after the first tasting our bike riding skills were not so great. (Luckily we were in the countryside without many cars or people to see us, ha!) After 3 wineries and a picnic we decided that we were far too drunk to finish our bike trip. Whoops! This California 18% wine is not what we are used to! No matter, we had a lovely (and long!) picnic and then some pizza and coffee to to work off the wine before heading home. I am already planning our next visit to do the same Sonoma bike trip, but next time we'll pace ourselves so we can be sure to hit all the wineries that we missed.

Treasure Island and a Wine Tasting

A few weekends ago Andy and I visited Treasure Island. Treasure Island is an island in the middle of the bay between Oakland and San Francisco. In fact, the Bay Bridge goes right through Treasure Island. Every time we crossed the Bay Bridge I wondered about it. What is this Treasure Island, and can people go there, it is interesting?? So we finally went and checked it out!

The Bay Bridge and San Francisco viewed from Treasure Island.

We took the exit off of the Bay Bridge that said 'Treasure Island' and had no idea what we would encounter. Immediately there were all sorts of plants and palm trees. It seemed to be a tropical little island right there in the center of the bay. When we came into an opening we saw palm tree lined streets, a marina filled with boats, and a large airplane hanger looking building that read "Winery". Sweet, it was paradise complete with wine!

Before visiting the winery we decided to explore the island. The first half of the island was filled with green lawns, apartment complexes, and the huge winery. The other half of the island though, was quite different. We encountered barbed wire fences and signs that read "Do Not Enter, Toxic". There were abandoned buildings, no plants or greenery, pot holes in the roads, and not a single person around. It was strange, really strange. After a bit of exploring we decided that maybe we were not supposed to be there and headed back towards the winery.

We parked at the winery and headed inside. The building was a huge old airplane hanger turned winery. Upstairs was the tasting room and lounge, while downstairs was filled with wine barrels and open space available for wedding parties, galas, and all sorts of other events. There was actually a wine tasting event going on while we were there.

The winery was called 'The Winery San Francisco'. (Yeah, creative name right!) They had about 10 or so wines. Instead of doing a tasting we decided on a glass of wine each to take outside for enjoyment of the beautiful day. We had a glass of the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Peoples Blend. Both were good, but nothing to write home about. We enjoyed the adventure of Treasure Island more than anything, and the wine was a pleasantly added benefit.