After a weekend of unseasonable rain, a weekend of unseasonable heat was more than a pleasant surprise. I had forgotten how beautiful Napa can be without fog in the mornings, when you wake to rays of sunshine and hot air balloons in the backyard.
Tiffany saw my world through rose-colored glasses - two days of perfect weather, good food and great wine. We treated ourselves, but not to excess. We tasted a number of wines, but never to the point of feeling the effects. It was a civilized two-day tour of wine country.
We started at Paradigm Winery, located in Oakville. My friend Ali from my wine classes in New York had put me in touch with Ren and Marilyn Harris when I first moved out here and, though they didn't know me from a hole in the wall, they have been more than welcoming since I first got in touch (you can't get much friendlier than scoring someone French Laundry reservations for her upcoming birthday dinner!).
Ren's brother, Greg, met us at the winery, a small house located amongst acres of vines. He walked us through the vineyards, showing us how their vines are trellised and explaining the difference between cabernet leaves and merlot (the shape, and the merlot leaves are much shinier). He tasted us through their wines, even bringing out a 2003 Zinfandel that I'm certain wasn't in the standard tasting line-up.
When we left, we had armloads of tomatoes from the family's garden and a recommendation to have lunch at Auberge du Soleil, where we toasted with complimentary glasses of sparkling from Maurizio (the bartender, and a friend of Greg's) while overlooking the valley floor. Then we climbed even higher up the mountain for a tasting at Hall, in the winery's lavish cellar.
It was there that we were met by another one of my visitors, Tim, who I worked with while living in London. Tim was passing through on a very long drive from Las Vegas to San Francisco and thoughtfully took the time to join us towards the end of his journey. The three of us enjoyed pastries at Bouchon Bakery and a tasting in a Yountville wine shop before heading even further up into the mountains: Spring Mountain, to be exact.
My friend and Burning Man partner-in-crime, David, hosted us at the vineyard where he works as winemaker, Barnett Vineyards. We arrived just at dusk and the four of us sat in front of the caves, watching the sunset. It was the most beautiful time of day in the most beautiful location; a moment that truly made me appreciate living in Napa.
Yet, it only came about because I had friends to entertain, people to whom I wanted to give the "Napa experience." Had it just been a Saturday, I don't know that I would have found myself sipping wine atop Spring Mountain as the moon rose. I needed a reason to take advantage of my surroundings. I needed to live like a tourist (though an informed one, at that!).
And that's when it hit me: holy cow, I'm a local. Less than four months here and I've become so acclimated to the beauty that surrounds me that I'm already taking it for granted!
But, recognition is the first step to recovery, and I vow to never again take for granted how lucky I am to live in a place where most people only visit. I think part of it has to do with the constant high, eating and drinking everyday like it's the last day before going back to the real world.
Believe it or not, this is my real world, at least for the moment. And, it's necessary to take the time to do real things, like cooking dinner at home and sitting on the couch with Nathalie to watch Love Actually (dubbed in French!). Or doing yoga. Or writing in my journal. All these things will keep me grounded, and make those special occasions when I drink wine on top of a mountain that much more worth it.
And fortunately, for now, those moments aren't so few and far between.
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