It's been slightly over a week since our rendezvous in Napa, so it's probably about time I write about it! We met up with our friends, whom we'll call Cindy & Brandon. After dropping their kids off with their grandparents, we took a drive out to the wineries. The landscape of Napa is bewildering and beautiful. Grapevines neatly set in rows as far as the eye can see, wineries every few hundred feet, selling their specialties and advertising tastings and crushings. We stopped at a little deli that, we were told, is at or near 100 years old, and makes and sells all sorts of yummy treats. After browsing the selection, our party got two sandwiches and two little sides to take with us to another winery to dine under some shade trees. Although this was 'strictly' forbidden by the signage at the winery, we and others still brought in food from outside. It was not the price that kept our friends from purchasing food at the winery's deli, but rather the folklore that, at an event years ago, a customer was (somehow) served a rat carcass. What must the kitchen staff who placed the carcass upon the bread have thought... "Ah, this piece of roast beef is oddly chunkier than the others I have prepared..." Scary. (This surely sets the stage for another blog post, one where I discuss the realities of dining out and not knowing where your food comes from or who (or what) has handled it.)
After this delicious meal, the wine began to pour. I, as always, was the unspoken designated driver for my caravan of three. On a daily basis it does not really occur to me that I must abstain from alcohol, but having to miss out on things like wine tasting in Napa, Oktoberfest in Munich, celebrating the coming of the Super Bowl or the glass of beer or wine that accompanies a well-prepared meal ... these things pain me. I suppose, though, that I'm lucky enough to be able to enjoy these things by proxy and always encouraging Lucas to try an interesting drink so that I may sniff of the aroma. This digression aside, the wine tasting went off without a hitch and I took Nikko to explore the property. He, of course, found the one thing in all of a winery he might be able to enjoy. At first, I thought what an odd thing it was to have these rounded infant flip flops in the gift shop. What it is, though, is a coaster for your stemware that merely looks like a misshapen flip-flop. Nikko picked out his favorite (green/blue with a bow and mini seashells) and off we went, leaving our friends and Lucas to enjoy their purveying. We happened upon a fountain that captivated the attention of my tired and no doubt confused and over-stimulated little man. The novelty and inherent tranquility put Nikko at ease, as he just studied the stone shape spitting water out that top that landed below making splashy sounds. And there, he drifted off into a short but sweet slumber...
We packed up and, due to the continued slumbering of the underage attendee, we drove around wine country to allow for a 'proper' nap. Boy, what a sight! But what work it must be, the experience that one must have to run such a business, and how sweet the rewards are when you find success. Visiting such a place must be done in person, as no description or individual's point of view would suffice to convey the complexity, vastness, diversity and beauty of the landscape, nevermind the variety of wines one might enjoy! We came upon another winery, this one smaller than the previous and having sentimental importance to our friends, who had their post-Hawaiian wedding reception in the garden here. Despite his nap, Nikko was just not having this, even though he got some much needed exercise on (what turned out to be wet) grass just outside the tasting room. The visit was short, but certainly provided sufficient wine to accurately judge the harvest and concocting of infusions. As is the case in the mid-afternoon, the "I must be in my crib, on my sheepskin, for my nap, NOW" tantrum began and we made our way back to the grandparents house.
Surprise, surprise, a new environment and Nikko suddenly has all sorts of sprightly energy. We met Brandon's parents and were greeted by Logan and Makedah. It was really neat and cute to see how Logan played with little 6 month old Nikko and the duplo/lego blocks. Makedah was quite active, bouncing between sitting on a speaker (haha) and garnishing attention from her grandfather. She did eventually concede to put clothes on in order to go home. After a very relaxing finish to a wonderful day, we headed back to our hotel to prepare for another trip further into the Southland.
