Monday, October 27, 2008

Project 30: Cheers!

Task 24/30: Go Winetasting.
Complete: October 26, 2008

Soquel Vineyards

I'm not a big wine drinker, I am actually a big wine idiot. As a professional adult, this is sort of an undesired thing for me, I don't want to appear clueless and therefore appear classless. I want to at least know more about wine than pairing red with beef and white with chicken and fish. I've drank a fair share of wine, but I seem to miss the complexities and subtlety that a lot of people revel in. I prefer vodka obviously, but just because it is not my drink of choice doesn't mean that there isn't virtue in having some wine education.

While when I put wine tasting on the list, it was planned as a big afternoon of shuttled drunken fun around the Napa area. But again, like so many things in this project, the idea was really about education and not about excess, so I feel comfortable with a little substituting here. I am lucky enough to have friends that have some serious expertise in the area and yesterday a buddy and I trekked into the Santa Cruz mountains after our horse riding to sample some of the wines at Soquel Vineyards.

It is a beautiful property that reminded me that I don't have to go all the way to Scotts Valley or Ben Lomand for country times. It was one of those things that made me seriously consider moving to a new part of town. It seemed like another event took place on a perfect fall day, so the vineyards and the sunlight just seem to combine in the most picture perfect scene. We tasted 5 wines and I learned about the differences and some nifty wine terms to help me figure out what I'm drinking. I learned a little about the business of wine, and how grapes travel and are sold. It was neat and I think it was a good relaxing Sunday activity that was enjoyable and satisfying enough to call this very easily MISSION COMPLETE!

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