Rubicon Estate

Just wanted to share this lovely stained glass window found in the chateau at the Rubicon Estate.

Inglenook was the original name of the winery and estate (it was founded in 1880).  Francis Ford Coppola bought it in 1975 and he has painstakingly reconstructed the estate and restored all the original acreage to the vineyards.

Rubicon Estate
1991 St. Helena Highway  |  Rutherford, CA 94573  |  800.782.4266  |  Tastings daily 10am - 5pm

Carneros - Bouchaine Vineyards Tour

The Carneros AVA (American Viticultural Area) is sandwiched between Sonoma and Napa, and it exhibits the perfect conditions for growing pinot noir grapes -- fog, warm days, and a long growing season.  So many variables go into making a good wine -- climate, orientation of the vines, slope of the terrain, soil quality, and rainfall, to name a few.  But one of the most important variables is the human element.  The winemaker selects the grapes and decides when to harvest, then blends and fine-tunes each vintage to his/her perfect ideal.

We were invited on a private tour of the Bouchaine Vineyards and Winery.  Our guide was the winemaker and general manager, Michael Richmond.  Michael wanted to show us the entire process from start to finish, so we hopped in a pickup truck and headed for the vineyards.

The vineyards seemingly stretch before you as far as the eye can see.

Michael made sure to stop frequently and tell us a bit about each type of grape that is grown on the estate.  He explained how the decisions made when planting the vines (such as orientation, spacing, and trellising) can have a great impact on the wine that is produced.  Each vineyard block is optimized for the type of grape grown there (pinot noir, chardonnay, pinot gris, or pinot meunier).

Approximately 80% of the grapes on the estate are grown using sustainable agricultural practices.  Michael emphasized that in most cases, using the sustainable practice was just as easy for them as it would be to use traditional techniques.  Some of the "green" practices include: using organic compost instead of inorganic fertilizers, using careful and deliberate water management, and planting other crops between the dormant vines to enhance the soil composition and reduce erosion.

After our vineyard excursion, we headed to the cellars for the barrel tasting.  Our first stop was the steel tanks holding the cold-fermented Chardonnay juice.  The wine itself was cloudy and tasted not quite ready for the table, but in the final steps it will be refined and blended with the Chardonnay juice that has been barrel aged to produce a fruity, spicy, aromatic Chardonnay wine.

From there we went to the barrel room and began sampling the Pinot Noir being aged in barrels.  Michael was very passionate about the subtle variations in each different lot that we sampled -- but for me, after 8 or 10 tastes I really couldn't tell the difference from one vintage to the next.

For anyone wondering if we ended up too intoxicated to drive after tasting so many wines, never fear.  As we watched Michael taste each wine, we observed him spit it out and dump the remainder of the glass on the asphalt floor, so we followed suit.  Each time we dumped our glasses, Michael's dog rushed over to lap up the spoils.  She seemed to prefer the Chardonnay.

Bouchaine Vineyards
1075 Buchli Station Road  |  Napa, CA 94559  |  800.654.WINE (9463)

Scenic Big Sur Coast

 Today we took a breathtaking drive up Highway 1 to Big Sur. The road was enshrouded by fog that lifted periodically to reveal the sheer drop off the western side of the road.

The Bixby Creek Bridge

Views from the Julia Pfeiffer Burns state park

If you look very closely you can see the waterfall through the fog

Seals on the beach

We camped at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, which I would highly recommend.  In addition to the usual facilities (showers, flush toilets) the park also has a grocery store, restaurant, lodge, and numerous scenic hiking trails.  Our campsite was secluded among the redwoods but it was also surrounded by poison oak.  (Note the bare earth patch indicating where to put the tent).  We survived unscathed.

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
47225 Highway 1  |  Big Sur, CA 93920  |  Camping Reservations:  1.800.444.PARK (7275)

Morro Bay

We backtracked down the coast to camp in Morro Bay.  The town is a fishing port that is most famous for Morro Rock, a lava neck that was created when magma in a volcanic vent cooled and hardened.  The surrounding earth eventually eroded away and the result is very dramatic:

The Morro Bay State Park campground was a bit crowded and the sites were spaced so closely together that it wasn't very private or romantic.  But the noise was less annoying after a glass of wine (or two).

Morro Bay State Park website

Pismo Beach and San Simeon

Our hotel in Pismo Beach was a short drive from San Luis Obispo.  We just happened to be staying on a Thursday night and were able to check out the famous Downtown Farmer's Market on Higuera Street.  Live bands, fresh produce, and abundant street food vendors make for a very enjoyable evening.  We shopped and ate our fill, then burned off the calories walking up and down the street before returning to our hotel.

We are staying at the Cottage Inn by the Sea.  It's a no-frills kind of place, but we unexpectedly discovered that the hotel pool terrace was a spectacular spot to watch the sunset.

We got an early start and continued our drive up the coast to San Simeon to tour the Hearst Castle.  It was built in the first half of the 20th century by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and is a magnificent showcase for his collection of art and artifacts from all over the world.  There are a variety of guided tours to available and we chose the Experience Tour, which gives an overview of the castle to first-time visitors. 

The Neptune Pool is the outdoor pool (yes, there is an indoor one!) and is flanked by marble Greco-Roman collonnades.

The interior spaces are just as luxurious and immense as the outdoor ones.  In this photo of the interior Roman Pool you can get an idea of the scale when you see the gentleman walking in front of the statue on the left.  The tiny mosaic tiles on the walls and in the pool were made with flecks of gold to produce a shimmery effect.

 An intriguing fact: the mansion was designed by a female architect.  Julia Morgan was a pioneer in her field and worked with Hearst on the project from its inception in 1919.  The entire estate sits on 127 acres and contains 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, and 19 sitting rooms.  It is too large to see it all in one day, but I feel that our tour gave a general idea of the sheer opulence of the estate.

The property and its contents were donated to the state of California in 1957, and it is now managed as part of the state's park system. 


San Luis Obispo Farmer's Market
Higuera Street  |  San Luis Obispo, CA 93401  |  Every Thursday night from 6pm - 9pm

Hearst Castle
750 Hearst Castle Road  |  San Simeon, CA 93452  |  (800) 444-4445  Tours available daily

Central Coast Wine Tasting

We've spent the past few days just driving around California's scenic Central Coast, stopping along the way to take photos and sample some vino.  Even if you don't drink wine, this area is worth a visit for stunning views like this:

On our way north to the Paso Robles area, we squeezed in an afternoon picnic in Solvang, which looks like a town imported straight from Denmark.  It was founded in the early 20th century and many of its longtime residents are descendants of the original Danish settlers.  On a typical day the town is also packed with tourists everywhere -- gaping at the windmills, ogling the baked goods, and ambling around the quaint streets full of shops.  We, of course, were no exception: we gaped, we ogled, we ambled.

But then it was on to the wineries!  Most vineyards have a tasting room where prospective buyers have a chance to sample the wares before making a purchase.  For a nominal fee (usually $10 to $15), you'll get a series of small pours of different varietals.  If you are lucky, they throw in a souvenir glass or give a free tour of their vineyards or cellars.

While we enjoyed seeing grapes on the vine and the wine aging in vats and barrels, we preferred to take a taste.

Merlot grapes on the vine

White wine fermenting in stainless steel tanks

Red wine aging in oak barrels

With our trusty GPS to help us navigate the back roads we managed to visit quite a few wineries over the past few days.  Our favorites were: Jada (tastings paired with exotic cheeses),  Justin (overall our favorite wines, especially "Isosceles" and "Justification"), and Tobin James (wins the award for "liveliest" tasting room).

Just a small sample of the tasting rooms we visited this week

Deserted patio at Tobin James -- all the action was inside the tasting room!

Solvang and the Santa Ynez Valley
 
Jada Vineyard & Winery
5620 Vineyard Drive  |  Paso Robles, CA  |  Tastings Thurs - Mon 11am - 5pm

Justin Vineyards & Winery
11680 Chimney Rock Road  |  Paso Robles, CA  |  Tastings Daily 10am - 5pm

Tobin James Cellars
8950 Union Road  |  Paso Robles, CA  |  Tastings Daily 10am - 6pm

Road Trip! Santa Barbara

We spent a few days visiting my sister and her husband in San Diego, CA.  Unfortunately we forgot to take photos.  But, we did remember to use the camera once we arrived in Santa Barbara.

Our hotel was the amazing Inn of the Spanish Garden, which was both romantic and tranquil. The hotel staff was very attentive, and in the evening they had a wine bar -- a perfect end to a long day of walking around town.




The hotel was within easy walking distance from downtown. One of our evening walks took us past this impressive marquee. The Granada Theatre dates back to the 1920's the palatial interior is just as beautiful as one would imagine after seeing the outside.

When we saw that Imogen Heap was headlining, we bought tickets on the spot. With just 1500 seats it was the perfect venue to capture the intimacy of the music.

The Inn of the Spanish Garden
915 Garden Street  |  Santa Barbara, CA 93101  |  866.564.4700

The Granada Theatre
1214 State Street  |  Santa Barbara, CA 93101  |  Box Office: 805.899.2222

Okay, now what?

After sailing 10,000 plus miles on our boating adventure ( http://solsticecatamaran.blogspot.com/ ), we have been enjoying the landlocked life, visiting friends and family, and working a little.  That doesn't mean we have stopped traveling, though.  We created this site as a place where we can share travel photos and experiences.  We plan to post whenever we head someplace interesting.  So if you'd like to follow along, you can be notified of new entries using the links to the right.  Enjoy!