Napa is just so lovely and we had a sunny day. Everywhere there is love rows of green everything so perfect and neat. I usually am not a OCD clean neat girl but love watching the rows. How you can see perfect straight lines in the diagonals too. The drive is lovely but then you get welcomed into a relaxing world where water plays everywhere.
There is something about running water that is so relaxing. It really sets the mood of a tranquility, of another world. Anyone just looks around and with the views, the green, the blue of the water its just like a painting.
As we walk up the stairs, being able to choose from two, our eyes follow the water. This place is like art itself, no wonder it is called Artesa. So far it seems like a promising day as the car ride was full of laughter and good chatter.
We are greeted at the door by Ms. A a wonderful women who invited me and my friends to this great night. Ms. A was great, a wonderful educator in the vineyards and in wine tasting. She greeted us with a bottle of champagne as we started the tour.
The building is really interesting and quite green especially considering how old it is. They cut off the top of the mountain, dug in and created the cellars. The whole building is naturally with out air conditioning it regulates correctly to store the wine.
The Spanish are known for bringing the outside indoors with courtyards. I have to say it is something I love and the place is spacious and elegant without being stuffy or pretentious.
Ms. A told us a story of the owners as they were working and exploring a property they found a statue poking out of the creek. They pull it up, had it touched up and appraised. Found out that the statue did date back to the 1600's and donated it to a museum, but not before making replicas for their properties. To this day it is the only Madonna that has been found holding grapes.
The picture above is not a reflection as one cannot be photograph. Somehow quite by accident when they built this courtyard they manage to create a hologram. I really am not one to believe in divine interventions but that is pretty mystical. Wine makers finding the only Madonna of the grapes on their property, then having one of it's replicas creating a hologram. Hmm.
After a serene tour we sit down in our own private room looking out into the courtyard. As Ms. A starts to pour and explain to us the finer points of tasting. The swish of the wine to help open it up, allow the wine breath.
The smell of the wine is really interesting, trying to figure out what it is... even more interesting. How can wet stones be a smell?? It is. I fell in love with the reds, they were so smooth and well rounded. Ms. A was amazing, helping us figure out and distinguish the wines.
As we go through the flights, tasting and trying. We each settle on a glass that is our favorite and Ms. A reloaded us generously and continued to introduce us a bit before she had to part to pick up her poor kitty from the vet.
The special treatment was amazing, being introduced around and given the "insider's discount" of 33% off!!! You know we couldn't resist that and with our own tender Jesus, yes Jesus was his name. We were very well taken care of.
We proceeded to hang out, enjoy the sun and the view while we chatted amongst ourselves. Every so often one of us would get up with somebodies glass in hand too and go get a refill extension of our tasting from Jesus. The more I hang out with these girls the more I realize how cool they are. I can't believe that it is the first time for two of them and been such a long time for the other.
We finally decide that our grumbling tummies needed to be listened to and we start to head off. Of course this isn't before a bit of prancing and posing and being tipsy goofy girls. OK well three of us were! We piled into the car and off were went.
Driving around and using cell phones for GPS is so the way to go. I specially remember playing fire drill. Not because we wanted to run around the car at a stop light, but rather because of starting to feel car-sick. Let's face it if that is the case they do better in the front seat. Thanks for giving up the seat I really do appreciate it! Yet my home girl has always taken care of me, so not surprised she did here.
ZinValley was a great place to stop and eat; we were very thankful for the recommendation. They really were great and in good humor which helped keep our group flying high. It was wonderful to see friends all click and everyone blend. Who would have ever guess that many just met for the first time that day, not the waiters that is for sure! They all thought we were old hat friends.
More of everything kept coming, from drinks to food and then dessert. We laughed and talked and it is great. Heck one of my girls even stuck a feather in my hair, make sense since we were headed back to San Francisco.All I know is that I have to do this again. Lets keep STRONG!
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