The winery life includes both an attitude of being able to "laugh at the days to come" and having the privilege to know & spend quality time with friends who also live "The winery life". Both of these contribute greatly to our continued joy and you don't have to own & operate a winery in order to live & enjoy the winery life! This is how this whole thing began... I confess we became "groupies" in the industry before we were ever officially in the industry. In 1989 we planned a trip to the wine regions of Northern Italy. Inquiring about an inn in Alba (Piedmont region of Italy where the great Barolo's come from) we sent a letter to the innkeepers there. Much to our surprise, we returned home from a New York business trip to find a voice mail from an English sounding fellow saying that while he was staying at an inn in Alba, Italy the non-English speaking innkeepers received a letter from an American couple living in Huntington Beach, California (that's us). The Englishman, named Paul, just so happened to live in a neighboring city, Fountain Valley, and said he brought back the inn's information to us. We returned his call and discovered that Paul was a salesman for Southern Wine & Spirits, a mega-wine distributor. Paul invited us to meet him at an trade event he was pouring for so that he could give us the information. To make a long story short, two days later Frank & I were seated at a table at the Ritz Carlton, Laguna Nigel, with a half-moon display of Champagne flutes perfectly placed in front of us. We were essentially invited to join Paul and his wife, Deborah, at the "Tête Cuvée tasting of seven of the world's greatest champagnes and brunch with Robin Leach (yes, of "Lifestyles of the rich & famous").
Today, 19 years later, we are sitting in Paul & Deborah's guest house high in the Paso Robles hills overlooking Lake San Antonio. Upon arrival to their 40 acre property, we unloaded our bags at their guest house and were greeting by the tribes of animals they now raise: 17 lambs, 6 cats, 40 chickens, 40 bunnies, 2 goats, two horses, two dogs. This is much different then the apartment they used to live in with their lone cat in Tustin, California. But they are a constant reminder to us of where we came from and where we are going. It's really their fault we got into this dream as deep as we have. Paul got us hooked by making certain we tasted examples of wines from every corner of the world.
We brought a bottle of non- vintage Roederer Estate Brut Rosé, Anderson Valley (Chardonnay & Pinot Noir) and immediately plunged it deep in a bucket of ice. Paul, now the National Sales Manager for Adelaida Cellars in Paso Robles' "Far Out" wine region, popped a refreshing pilsner and poured it in a glass for Frank. We went out on their wrap-around deck and took in the panoramic view of the gorgeous valley of smoky rolling hills dotted with oaks. The sparkling rosé went down fast and well. Paul followed up with a 2007 Les Griottes Beaujolais Rosé (Gamay). Deborah laid out smoked salmon, rosemary Marcona almonds, almost frozen grapes and a medley of cracker breads. The couple had just returned from a short business trip to Seattle and returned home with a package of fresh wild salmon from Pikes Market in Seattle. Paul grilled the salmon and opened an unlabeled bottle of Adelaida 1985 (23 yr old) Blanc de Blanc Sparkling wine. It had that nice hint of oxidation you get when you drink something old but stored well...amazingly it tasted French and had slight bubbles, a little fig & apple notes but clean and crisp on the palate. We all helped set the huge table on their patio - an old paneled door set on a steel frame, with a glass top. This was their dining table for years and we spent many nights dining with them drinking many fine wines from all over the world. Now it's become their "outdoor" table. Their two beautiful daughters helped as well and insisted that Frank & I sit in the seats that face the view. They said, "those chairs there are for the guests". We were obedient and sat down. Deborah arrived with several lit candles. One that her daughter made from Soy and it emitted a beautiful vanilla aroma. Out came the thick, grilled, fresh wild salmon, the truffle salt Deborah just purchased from Sur La Table, a fabulous kitchenware store that originated in Seattle, sautéed Shitake & Porcini mushrooms, a baked sliced potatoe & herb frittata, roasted cauliflower & crisp greens with fresh whole yellow pear tomatoes just picked from the garden Each of us drizzled local herbal extra-virgin olive oil on our greens along with some thick balsamic reduction and topped with avocado & toasted pine nuts.
Paul was inside the big kitchen frying up a last minute batch of wild turkey livers to throw into the experience. I'm adventurous and tried them but passed mine to Frank. I would have needed a 20 year old funky Bandol to wash those down. Paul is most known for contributing the most wild, unusual, and adventurous dish or ingeredient to a meal (we're talking grilled goat for my 40th birthday, roasted suckling pig for New Year's Eve, black truffles shaved on scrambled eggs, etc....)
One of the best parts of this evening was having the whole family there. It was a pleasure dining with their two teenage daughters - even more that it is so evident they've been raised at the dining table. They know how to relax, look an adult in the eye, and engage in conversation. What a relief and a delight to know that there are others in this big world who still believe in protecting the family dining experience!
The meal was delicious, the wine exquisite. The weather chilled off a bit so we did the dishes and threw all the scraps into small buckets. "Nothing goes to waste" said the youngest daughter. "The chickens eat all of this". Dinner was far from over. As we've experienced, there's always "round two". The indoor huge, long table was set. Candles re-lit. A big wheel of Humbolt Fog was unveiled as was a nutty, creamy cow's milk cheese from Cow Girl Creamery called "Red Hawk", fresh figs and crisp cracker bread. We opened a simple 2001 Zenato Valpolicella Superiore but in an instant whiff, Frank & I both glanced at each other and said simultaneously, "Corked". Paul, in his England/Scotland border accent said, "What a bummah"! Paul came to the rescue as he eagerly pulled the cork from a bottle of 10 yr. old Special Reserve Barbeito Madiera. That opened us all up to recall where Madiera comes from, "What grape is it anyway?" (Sercial), & how the island of Madiera burned down and the vines eventually replanted to provide this coveted "secret ingredient" to French cuisine & sauces. It worked perfectly with the cheeses & figs.
Wow, it was midnight....Deborah loaded us up with fresh coffee beans in a grinder, orange juice and two fresh croissants. What are friends for? Off we went, joyfully staggering up the ¼ mile winding driveway under the light of the moon, past the sheep & goat pens, chicken & rabbit coop, horse barn, etc.... Frank & I felt so blessed by this longtime friendship and we were so happy to sharing their life in the Paso Robles wine country with them.
When we arrived back to the guest house we cracked open a couple of water bottles and got ready for bed. Frank popped in an old Barry White c.d he found in the guest house and proceeded to sing to me in a very deep, gravelly, low, very 70's, very "sexy" voice...."Can't get enough of your love babe".
I went to sleep, dreaming and thinking of how blessed we are to have such long time dear friends that we can share our love of food, wine, and the lifestyle that goes along with it. As my eyes began to close I recalled the verse , "She laughs at the days to come", Proverbs 31:25.
Ahhhh, this IS the winery life.
