Mom's 60th Celebration Day

For Mom's 60th birthday, Taryn & I thought it would be fun to check out some of the vineyards and wineries here in the Central Valley.  None of us had been to many (or any) of them, and between Lodi, Al Campo, Lockeford, Murphys, and many other of the small towns along highways 12 and 88, there was plenty to see.

We started the day at a winery named Burghold.  It has 20 some acres, but only 15% of the grapes grown on the property are kept and harvested for their reserve wines.  And each wine is crafted by hand, from the picking to the pressing to the fermenting and bottling.  

The place was beautiful.  They were setting up for a wedding later that afternoon, with chairs in the back (facing a huge fountain) and tables for the reception in the front (in a clearing amidst the grapes and another large fountain).  The vineyard itself is over 30 years old, but the winery has only been making wines for the past 5.

We tried 8 wines at this place (2 whites and 6 reds) and left with a bottle each.  They were all delicious (except the Late Harvest Viognier - which tasted like a butterscotch Port - blech!).

We weren't able to secure babysitters, so Addy & Eli came with us for the day.  We were a little apprehensive about bringing them into the winery environment, but we needed not fear - the kids were angels.  Even in a place like this, where every item and piece of furniture is exactly what a small child would love to touch or climb on, and inevitably break.  They were very mindful to hold on to our hands and stay close.  They were incredibly patient, quiet, and adorable as they put on the charm for all of the older folks who wanted to say hi.  

To keep things interesting for them (and to allow Taryn, Mom & me to enjoy some tastings), Grandpa took the kids for walks through the vineyards.  It was pretty funny watching him stooped over holding onto each kids' hand, with Eli trying to point things out and ask questions as Addy trudged forward, pulling both boys behind her.  

The second winery we tried was called Acquiesce.  It specializes in whites, with it's labels, bottles and other extras manufactured in France.  They had a large century-old barn that they converted into their tasting room.  This place was perfect for Mom, since she prefers whites over reds.  They offered a Viognier, a Grenache Blanc, a Roussanne, a Belle Blanc, and a Grenache Rose - Mom was in heaven.  They also offered food pairings with each wine tasting.  We had aged Irish white cheddar and a jam made from Violets.  It wasn't something any of us would have picked out in a market, but it was surprisingly great.

Because we were the only folks there at the time, the proprietor took us on a short tour of the grounds just for the fun of it.  She showed us pictures of the old barn before the renovations; we saw their vineyard and the division between the mass grown and reserve grown grapes (and learned quite a bit about how watered and water-deficit growing can affect flavors and quality - Educational!); she showed us their fermenting tanks with the fancy new tech for ensuring temperature control.  It was a fun stop.  We left with 2 bottles from this place too.

On their right-hand wall in the table area they had a large chalkboard hanging where guests were encouraged to write down the one thing they wanted to do before they died.  I guess every time it's filled, they take a picture and wipe it clean for the next guests.  They have a large display of some of the better pictures that they've taken over the years.

Taryn, Mom & I added ours to the list. 

 Mom's is 3rd to last.

Mine is 2nd to last.

Taryn's is the final entry.

Because the kids were so great, we ended the day with a trip to Baskin Robins for ice cream (Ice Cream!).  Eli had been once before, but was probably too small to remember it.  Addy had never been to an ice cream place.  We let them each choose their own flavor (Addy chose American Birthday Cake; Eli chose Chocolate) and put a scoop in a bowl.  Both of them made a huge mess, but Eli took the prize.  The picture below was snapped after we had already taken extensive action to clean him up so that we could allow him back into the car.  

Luckily, going home and dumping the kids directly into the bath and clean pjs was perfect, since Taryn & I (and Mom!) were so exhausted.  Our tastings started at about 11:30 that morning, and we didn't make it home until close to 5.

But the best part is - there are so many more places to try!