The Wine of California

  

Fall has made her appearance, but with a little less splendor this year.  She brought an early snow storm that broke tree limbs and pulled the loaded apple branches to the ground.  October is always a month with a big question mark.  We left Idaho the first week of October to visit the Sonoma Valley in California.  The snow storm arrived without us being here.  No sadness in missing it--no remorse at all.  California welcomed us with warm temperatures and occasional rain showers; much better than snow.
We had wanted to make a trip to the wine country to see if it was really as outstanding as everyone professed it to be--and it was 

The vineyards were just waiting to give up their crops.  The grapes hung in heavy dark clusters soaking up the late fall sun in a final attempt to reach perfection.  The sweet fragrant smell hung over the valley from the grapes that had already been picked and crushed.  There is something akin to magic as you immerse yourself in the area.  The straight rows of vines trailing along the trellises are so perfect.  It is obvious they are tended with care, patience, and love.  The low rolling hills open up to endless vineyards and wineries.

So close to home, yet so far.  This must surely be Italy or France.  Everything reads like the picture books I have devoured.  We road bikes along the curving road in Dry Creek Valley which provided a more intimate close up experience.  Each curve, every hill gave us a new picture.  Biking along the road you notice things you would other wise miss.  The slower pace allows for frequent stops to take pictures and just enjoy the moment.  We found a country store where lunches were prepared with farm fresh produce.  It is hard to believe as you sit on the porch looking at the arces of vines that a city of 170,000 people is 15 miles away.  The valley is like a secret.

The wineries hide behind the vines and are reached by roads lined with rose bushes or beds of perennials.  Some sit atop a hill watching over the valley.  We visited as many as we could squeeze into a day.  All have a sense of elegance and welcome you to just browse; buy some cheese, a t-shirt, jam and of course the wine.  They are great places to rest on benches in the gardens and we watched humming birds and chickens.  If we went back a dozen times we still would not see them all.

This was definitely not southeastern Idaho.  It was farm country, but not the potatoes, hay, or grain we are accustomed to.  But there are similarities;  every farmer loves his land and the crops he grows.  There is a tie to the land they all share and the battles are the same.  The weather is always a constant threat.  Sometimes it is friendly and without warning it can turn its back.   What we saw was the end result of hard work, monetary investment, and worry.  To us it was pure enjoyment and a new and different view of this vast country.  If you don't get out of your box how will you ever know how many other boxes are out there waiting to be explored.