Tom and I have many wonderful memories of living in New Zealand. Among our favorites was a weekend exploration of Hawke's Bay wine region with our Kiwi friends. It seemed only fitting that Elsie and I should resume our world-wide exploration of wine regions - this time on the U.S. soil of Sonoma.
Along with others attending the surgery conference, we took a scenic hour-long bus ride from downtown San Francisco to Sonoma. Our first stop was Artesa Winery - perched atop the highest hill of a 350-acre estate.
Artesa's architecture and winemaking traditions honor its Spanish heritage. After an informative tour, Elsie and I honored tastes of Artesa's Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.
From there the tour drove us to a frustratingly short lunch stop in the city of Sonoma. We could have done some serious shopping in the charming boutiques surrounding the city square - had we had more time.
Our next stop was Kunde Family Estate, located on an 1,850-acre estate in the heart of Sonoma Valley. Five generations of the Kunde family have been producing wine for over a century.
Our tour took us through grapevines on our way to the wine cave where we learned that actor Seth Rogen had been married earlier that month, and where (more importantly) we did some barrel-tasting and sampled Kunde's award-winning Reserve Century Vines Zinfandel.
What a nice excursion, Team. Good on you! I imagine Sonoma is a fun trip, and your pictures proved that it's beautiful and bacchant (not sure if I am using that correctly, but we'll go with it). Though I have read these posts before, it's fun to re-read as I catch up on my commenting. Such fun memories, Mosh!
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