Sonoma Tasting Limo trip report

Six of us (3 married couples) were in the limo. This trip occurred just two days ago, 12-04-2004. I major in Sonoma-Napa-Mendocino wines and have a pbutting knowledge of many other regions especially central cost (Paso Robles-SLO-Monterey-Santa Barbara)

Silver Oak charges the usual $10-person and gives you a nice, large red wine glbutt to keep. They tasted the 2000 $60 Alexander Valley Cabernet (100% cab.) and the 1999 Napa Valley (81% cab.) at $105-bottle. Neither bottle impressed me (especially considering the price). I also tasted a Justin Meyer Family port that was tasty and worth the $30 price for the 500ml bottle.

At Ferrari-Carano we rubbed the boar sculpture that greets all for good luck, which I presumed we'd need when we went downstairs in the cellar room for the $10-person "premium" tasting. Nothing their really impressed me except for an average reserve Chardonnay. The two best were the dessert wines, one a Semillion-Sauv.Blanc blend and the other a 100% Black Muscat. I bought those but have tasted much better at several other wineries in the past (e.g., Navarro, Alderbrook, Rosenblum).

Seghesio was not that exciting this time even though they were tasting three Zins at $30-bottle each. We made a nice outdoors lunch at Seghesio along with a bottle of their earthy Syrah.

Alderbrook was 4th and last. We ran out of time to visit J Winery. Alderbrook was having a members open house with food-wine pairings. Tastings were $5-person. Not much impressed me there, except perhaps for their Carignane. For an open house they were not even tasting more than 8 wines, so I was surprised.

Traveling and tasting via the limo experience is pretty cool. Large Photo collage at (500 KB image)

I did this once before 5-6 years ago on my birthday and don't remember too much of it! ;-)

Overall this was very fun and I'd do it again and hope for better wine results. I am a very experienced wine country taster and thus was a bit chagrined at the results.

-Ken