Long ago but not far far away I met Fess – in a ditch beside a once rural road in Santa Clara, CA. No, he didn’t drive into the ditch, he stepped into it and sat down to chat with my PG&E line crew as we had lunch. Fess explained that he was just at a nearby old farmhouse and negotiating with a woman there for her farmland. He explained his vision for an amusement park. Years later my family construction company, Preston Pipelines, was digging ditches to lay storm, sewer, and water pipe for Marriott’s Great America amusement park. Fess brought in Marriott as a partner and his vision rose up majestically from that woman’s farm.

Fess died recently and I never met him again after that lunch in a ditch. However, I have found memories of a quality experience. He was at the time a well known star from his TV series about Daniel Boone but for whatever reason he shared our lunches in that ditch and was very sincere and nice.

Fess Parker Winery on the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail

He went on to found hotels, other parks, and a winery near Los Olivos on the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail in Santa Barbara County. The winery is surrounded by large oaks in a narrow valley and includes very nice landscaping for picnicking. It was featured in the famous wine movie “Sideways”; the place where Miles drank from the dump bucket.

Inside the tasting room are various artifacts from his acting days along with touristy stuff such as coonskin hats for sale. The staff has always been as hospitable as Fess when we visit and the wines are first rate.

Two bottles of Fess Park Chardonnay arrived in the mail recently. That happens when you have a major wine site or blog. One was their 2009 Santa Barbara County Chard and the other was from the same year but the grapes where from the Santa Rita Hills region of this county. Katya and I LOVE horizontal and vertical tastings so it was a treat to open both bottles on a warm day and sample them with seafood on our patio.

The Santa Rita Hills version is an aromatic medium body wine with a lasting finish. Nice subtle oak with a soft little buttery finish. Excellent.

The Santa Barbara County version from grapes from somewhere else in the county, that info wasn’t provided or on the Website, is lighter body than the Santa Rita Hills Chard, softer, and less aromatic and oak. Excellent wine also when paired with seafood.

We leaned toward preferring the Santa Rita Hills Chard because we like a little more fruit and stronger bouquet, heavier body, and longer finishes.

The next time you happen to be hanging around Los Olivos pack a picnic lunch and head out the Foxen Canyon Road for Fess Parker Winery.

- jim

It has been a busy summer for the Wine Questers team. We’ve added almost 100 wineries to our database and maps for Temecula, Santa Barbara County, and Paso Robles. We added 34 in Santa Barbara County by branching out from the Santa Ynez Valley to Santa Maria, in-town Santa Barbara, and Lompoc.

Paso was NUTS! A year ago we had most of them mapped except for a few out on the fringes of the region. This year we added 58 and many of them are newly open. Some that were rarely open to the public, and outside the scope of WineQuesters.com, are now available either on a regular schedule or by appointment. Many growers have opened their own tasting rooms. So if you thought you’ve explored Paso wineries you may want to look again.

Crazy for a hugely deep recession heh?

- jim

We wandered into the small town of Orcutt south of Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County, to visit and map Addamo and CORE tasting rooms. Addamo was the last tasting room of the day so we followed our ancient tradition and hung around to taste some wines. We rarely taste during our winery mapping and data gathering missions for WineQuesters.com because, well, we need to get work done.

The tasting room is inside a nice Italianesque restaurant that serves gourmet meals. We headed straight past the tables to the tasting bar, anxious to finally taste wines after some 25 winery visits, and was graciously greeted by Liz Addamo, the owner – chef. She’s FUN to hang out with, interesting, and we had one of those unforgettable times in a tasting room way off the beaten track.

We very much enjoyed all her wines but I’ll comment on two. The 07 Chard is a slightly oaky soft Chard that we love. We paired it nicely with fresh seafood back home. The 06 Syrah had the full Syrah nose, medium body, and a long enjoyable finish. As usual with my posts I don’t mention berry flavors and such because amazingly the wines taste for you and your circumstances a little different than we experienced in our circumstances.

We’ll definitely detour off 101 to visit Liz again and next time we’ll try her cooking.

- jim

We are in Paso Robles finishing up a 3 day winery tasting room mapping trip here and in Santa Barbara County. We will soon add 48 winery profiles for Paso and 34 for Santa Barbara County. Most are new or recently open to the public on a regular basis – the criteria for WineQuesters.com.

We met many growers who are now making their own wine and opening tasting rooms. We are constantly amazed how this many tasting rooms can open in such a deep recession. We’ve deleted only five in the past year that have gone out of business. This is a crazy industry!

Jim

Over Memorial Day weekend we drove from San Jose down I-5 / I-210 / I-15 to Temecula, back north to a friend’s home in Crestline in the San Bernardino Mountains, and across the L.A. basin to Santa Barbara and north on 101 back to San Jose.  1,052 miles.

We mapped more winery tasting rooms and gathered data for WineQuesters.com in the Temecula wine region (12) and the Santa Barbara urban wineries (8).

Our new iPad 3G exceeded expectations and performed better than our usual combination of iPhone and notebook computer applications.  We found significant improvements over our previous tools in the following areas:

Prototype iPad stand for car or home use being tested in our van.

Navigation

Without my new center console stand the benefits of the iPad would have been marginal. The stand was FANTASTIC and we intend to produce them for sale.

We use the MotionX Drive  iPhone app for ETA, time remaining to waypoint, and turn by turn directions. MotionX Drive gets directions wrong at times so we have to navigate by map also. We use the new MotionX HD iPad app for mapping wineries and navigation. All this is vastly better with the iPad and stand than the iPhone or a notebook computer.

Within a wine region Winery Quest Pro is by far the best iPhone app for navigating to wineries. Unfortunately Google won’t let developers include directions with their iPhone maps, at least not yet.

The 3G connection is critical as is the unlimited plan at $30/month. The $15/month plan is for 250MB. I activated the unlimited plan Thursday PM (we left early Friday AM) and although we were on WiFi at our friend’s home in Crestline from Friday evening through Sunday morning we used 326 MB on the cell network on this trip. That includes part of a movie on Netflix that my passengers watched while we were driving I-5. The iPad speakers weren’t loud enough in our van so they abandoned watching it after only 20 minutes. However, it would have been great for only one person with headphones.

We use Google Maps for traffic reporting along with the Traffic iPhone app. Google Maps is vastly easier to use on the iPad than the iPhone although sometimes we used our iPhones to run apps concurrently with the iPad. This is like having 2 or 3 monitors. My iPhone dash holder works with the console iPad stand so I would have Google Maps on my iPhone, MotionX Drive on the iPad, and Katya would search around us for a gas station or check the Traffic app with her iPhone. MotionX HD can search for gas and such along the route and this feature is more useful than searches around us.

Data gathering

I used the iPad version of PaperDesk to collect data in tasting rooms.  I set up and copied my interview questions that I have on paper forms onto pages in PaperDesk. I was able to use my index finger to write short comments and check off various features.  The forms can be mailed directly to my data input freelance contractor. This saves us substantial time over the paper forms.

MotionX HD has map caching, along with letting me select Bing, Google, or Open Street Maps. It is an amazing app.  Google Maps caching is dicey so in the past we had to use Google Earth Pro with our Garmin GPS device for mapping rural areas. This costs $400/year for the subscription. With MotionX HD we no longer have the cost or caching problems. Our location is accurate even in the mountains with no cell service. The iPad GPS works very well.

I didn’t think of this idea on this trip but I can open winery profiles from the WineQuesters.com database and enter data changes for existing wineries in real time as we are doing our fieldwork. While possible with the notebook plus a 3G data card  or iPhone these are so awkward that I make notes in emails and sent them to me or make notes on paper. Entering directly in the winery profiles saves substantial time and gives our users more current data. This is a very important benefit that the iPad has over other options.

Brainstorming and note taking

I usually use a paper pad on a clipboard on my lap while driving to make notes when I come up with ideas. This is awkward and looking down while writing is a potentially dangerous distraction. With the iPad on the stand just forward of my right hand I can draw and write with my finger on PaperDesk for the iPad with barely a glance from the road.  My finger writing looks like it will improve with practice but it is legible now.

When I’m done with a page I email it to me.  Back in the office I open the PDF attachment in Adobe Reader and copy my notes into my Microsoft OneNote notebook.

While I didn’t use the iPad app Office HD on this trip I did use it a few days earlier at a seminar.  Unlike similar apps, Office HD lets me take notes by typing in outline form, my preferred layout. It also has a spreadsheet and can import/export to/from MS Office. I have found that a notebook computer is awkward at times or the battery life is too short so I use paper and enter my notes into OneNote later. Office HD and PaperDesk will save me additional steps and time.

I left the iPad on a coffee table during an 11 hour party at our friend’s home in Crestline.  Many guests played around with it and the apps.  We left it on at least 5 hours continuously and the battery was at 50% at the end of the party.  Try that with a notebook computer.

Conclusion:

So in only a week of owning the iPad 3G I have found important uses that other devices and paper don’t do well or at all.  This will be the key issue for most iPad users.  It won’t replace your smartphone or notebook computer but at times it will provide a new way of doing things that the other devices don’t do well.  It will save you time and probably money.  It will also improve your experiences at times and there is plenty being written about that elsewhere.

Some of those uses require the stand I designed and built for vehicle and home use. The stand is critical for navigation and great for lounging at home.  There are no other decent options on the market now.  We’ll commercialize it as soon as possible. It will probably cost very roughly $150 or a bit more.  The main cost will be the fluid type video tripod head that lets you move the iPad easily with one hand.  We tried the much less expensive ball head but it sucks for this use.

To be notified when the stand is available and how to purchase please sign up for our iPhone app newsletter.  Of course it will come with a warning that the driver should NEVER use the iPad for high distraction type activities such as watching movies.  I believe the stand will decrease distractions and improve safety.

- jim

Pellegrini Winery is part of the little group of wineries along Olivet Road west of Santa Rosa.  For a quick day trip this route is easy and convenient.  Pellegrini is by appointment only but don’t let that stop you from making a call.  The grounds and ambiance are nothing special but the family is welcoming and friendly.

Pillegrini Family Vineyards in the Russian River Valley.

We found their wines to be a very good value.  Their Carignan from old vines in the Redwood Valley in Mendocino to the north was a special delight.  If you haven’t tried Carignan, normally a softer red wine, then this is the place to get started.  For a long time Carignan was a blending wine but fortunately it is available as a varietal in a few wineries.  The Pellegrini old vine Carignan has a full flavor and aroma profile but soft and gentle.  We buy Carignan wherever we find it and this one is memorable.

We also recently enjoyed their Cloverdale Ranch brand 2006 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  It is a traditional Alex Valley full-bodied Cab with lots to explore but at a reasonable price point.  For good and affordable wine drop by Pellegrini.

- jim

Christopher Creek Winery is just south of Healdsburg in the Russian River Valley. It is a small family owned winery with a tiny and rustic tasting room.  We’ve found that the family and staff are a delight to be with and very helpful.

The winery and tasting room at Christopher Creek Winery.

The picnic area is basically in the parking lot and would not be our first choice for a picnic.  Too bad because the setting is nice with beautiful hills to the east and a view of the Russian River Valley.

Christopher Creek has a nice selection of affordable wines. This is one of those few wineries where we see many cases going out the door.

One of our purchases was their 2005 Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  This is not a robust Cab.  Everything about it was soft but not timid or dead.  There is good nose upfront, a pleasant body with cherry, and a finish that didn’t fade away too fast.  We found all their wines to be very drinkable and a very good value.

- jim

Casa Nuestra is a small old style tasting room on the Silverado Trail in upper Napa Valley.  For those who think that the Napa Valley is highly commercialized this winery (and many others) will give you a shock.  The grounds are more like a small farm than the typical winery and the property is forested with old oaks for a woodsie ambiance. This is a fine place for a relaxing picnic.

Casa Nuestra's tasting room off the Silverado Trail, Napa Valley.

The tasting room is in what looks like a small old barn style house that is maybe one level above being a shack.  It is rustic and charming.  We arrived on a cold and rainy day and the fireplace was keeping the room toasty and cozy.

While Casa Nuestra (“our house” in Spanish) is open by appointment only they occasionally hang an open sign from their winery sign on Silverado Trail.  That means walk in and make an appointment, which we did.

I hadn’t tasted there since the 1980′s and finally found the time to stop in. The warm hospitality and friendly staff were as I remembered.  The wine selection is broad and deeper than I recall from decades ago and it took us a while to get through it.  One of our purchases was their 2009 Riesling.  It is lighter and dryer than most with mild aroma.  We recently paired it with halibut tacos and it was perfect and an excellent and maybe even a bit unusual choice.  We wanted a wine that didn’t overcome the wonderful flavors of delicate halibut and avocados and this Riesling worked.

If you are looking for an old-time Napa Valley winery experience then add Casa Nuestra to your travel plans.

- jim

1978 was the last year of a drought in California.  The vines were stressed as were just about everything living in California then.  A massive fast-track water pipe project that took up lanes of the Richmond Bridge saved Marin from drying up.  Times were tough but when that vintage’s bottles were opened starting about 1980 we realized that the Cabs were real treasures.

Jordan's palacial estate winery above the beautiful Alexander Valley.

I especially like the Cabs from the Alexander Valley and around Gilroy and bought cases of them. Yes, in them thar days you could afford a case of Jordan or Silver Oak Cab and still have money left over.  There were no tasting fees even at Silver Oak.  It all existed in a galaxy far, far away.

I think the last time I had Jordan’s 1978 Cab was in a hot tub high above Napa Valley in the mid-1980′s.  David (David’s Jewelers in St. Helena) and I crawled under his house and found a broken case of Jordan 1978 Cab. The bottles were lying in the dirt and scattered about.  It was more of an archeological scene.  We headed to the hot tub to share it with our naked wives.

I noticed Jordan on Twitter last fall (@jordanwinery) and asked if they had an old bottle of their fabulous 1978 Alexander Cabernet laying around.  They still have a small stash of magnums in their library collection and had one left available for 2009.  $400.  Ugh, but I wanted to share it with my wife.  She has heard me bragging about Jordan 78 Cab for 15 years and she needed to try it.  I drove up to Jordan and bought it.

Our engagement anniversary is more special to us than our two weddings (Vladivostok, Russia and Anchorage, Alaska).  I proposed to Katya in front of the Parthenon in Athens then taught her how to sail through the Greek Islands on a charted boat for a week.  That’s another wine story but back to Jordan.

Our bottle of 78 Jordan Cab in Katya's table setting design with our Greek dinner.

For our 15th engagement anniversary on April 15 this year (special date, I was a CPA) we decided to open our precious bottle of 78 Cab.  Katya brought home a Greek dinner from a local restaurant and we sipped the Jordan Cab with it. The old spicy Cab was still there, beautifully preserved, but the tannins were softer.

We tasted the wine for the next three days and it was wonderful each time.  I injected argon inert gas into the bottle each day and that worked very well.  There was no sign of oxidation.

I’m telling this story because it is a decent story.  DO NOT BUY ALL OF JORDAN’S 1978 Cab and leave none for me!  Try some other years or just dream but don’t act.  Get it?

- jim

It wasn’t really our plan to stay in the Napa Valley after a Saturday video shoot at Clos Pegase Winery.  Our budget is tight and Napa Marriott, always helpful that way, was full up and couldn’t take us.  As we headed down Silverado Trail from Clos Pegase for a late lunch in Yountville we stopped in at Paoletti and Casa Nuestra for tastings. Again, not planned  but their open signs were too tempting.

Scene from the bed into the wonderful courtyard of the Hotel Luca, Yountville, Napa Valley

It was 5:30 PM when we left Casa Nuestra and a big storm was approaching.  Katya called around to several hotels but they were full. Our destination was the warm and inviting Piero restaurant in the upscale boutique Hotel Luca.  We knew we couldn’t afford this hotel but Katya pleaded that we are wine travel media which everyone knows doesn’t have a budget for such places.

The Hotel Luca folks pitied us and took us in from the gathering darkness at a rate we still couldn’t afford but at least much less than normal anyway.  Only one night is really not enough there but that was the best we could do. What a beautiful, warm, inviting, and cozy little Tuscan style hotel!  We are in LOVE with the place.

The restaurant Piero is becoming a favorite not due only to the good menu and food but we really like the staff and sitting at the counter observing the kitchen activity.  We feel a bit like gulls waiting for treats to be thrown at us but it’s fun to watch everyone’s meals being prepared and chatting with the kitchen staff.

The room we had at the hotel was on the small side, especially with the king bed upgrade they gave us, but the bath was huge.  The bath travertine tile floor is heated which was good because the storm was rather cold and very wet.  There are two sinks, a large tub, and a separate shower, all better than usual.  The courtyard that all the rooms share is architecturally interesting with a Tuscan village ambiance.  I dipped in the hot tub on Sunday morning for a while before their included breakfast at the Piero.  There is a pool available and a spa.

While not within our travel budget means this little hotel will stay in our dreams.

- jim