I think that wine country was put on this earth to remind us of how beautiful everything can be. After my fantastic four days with Liz in Sonoma, I eagerly hit the road on a course for Yountville, the land of all things Thomas Keller. There's wine there, too, I guess. I wasn't my best self as a driver, for the simple fact that I couldn't stop staring at my surroundings. Rolling hills covered in vines, spectacular parts of the drive through the petrified forest--I was, and still am in awe. I rolled into Yountville around 11:15, and was one of the first people at Bouchon when it opened at 11:30. I took an early lunch to be sure I'd get a seat. Lunch was amazing--Bouchon is TK's French bistro restaurant, serving unpretentious fare in a bistro setting. As I was alone, I sat at the bar, ordering oysters on the half shell, salmon tartare, and mussels with a saffron dijon broth. Everything was incredible, from the perfect mignonette that came with the oysters, to the salty-sour mussels. I ended up sitting between two parties who were obviously good friends, as they kept talking over and around me (they arrived after I did and sat on either side). I offered to slide over, which they declined, but my offer was rewarded soon thereafter. One of the diners was a master sommelier, Brian Cronin, and they were drinking a really interesting French white, of which he gave me a taste. I thought that was a really nice gesture, which he totally didn't have to do, but it also gave me an opportunity to ask if he knew another Master, which I knew he would, as it's a small community.
After a more than satisfying lunch at Bouchon (where for the first 10 minutes I was holding back tears of excitement because I couldn't believe that I was ACTUALLY THERE), I headed to a few different wineries, namely Rombauer, Mumm and Silver Oak. Any more than three and I wouldn't have been able to drive myself anymore, which is why as I mentioned in a previous post, if I go back I'd like to do it with A) a group and B) a driver. The Rombauer grounds in particular were so beautiful, I couldn't believe it- flowers everywhere, such an idyllic setting to taste some new wines. I had a pretty early night after that, because I was exhausted and knew today would be a long one...
...which it was. I swung by Bouchon Bakery for some treats for my trip, then hit the road back to Los Angeles so I could return one car and pick up the other. With a combined total of 8 hours on the road, stopping only once for gas, and twice to nap for 20 minutes-- my efforts at a good night's sleep proved futile-- I finally made it back to Rick and Michie's place, where I am currently enjoying a well-deserved glass of wine before they get home. Tomorrow I will return my rental car, pick up Tim and Erika's, and phase 2 of my road trip will begin: The Drive Across the Country. First stop: LAS VEGAS.
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