Vicky
California's Central Coast
All content on this page is copyright © Paul J. Lorona 2008. Please do not use images from this page without written permission.
Un-credited images are by Paul using a Canon EOS 20D digital SLR with the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens.
Images credited to Vicky taken with a Canon SD950IS digital ELPH.
The background image on this page is a study of an oak tree, taken by Vicky at the Cottonwood Canyon vineyard.
In September of 2008, after working through the summer with no break at all, my Fox and I had come to our wits end and were in desperate need of some time away. Not a lot, mind you, but just enough to remember why we married each other all those years ago, and to actually play together for a day or two in order that we might reinforce and remind each other of the fact that we are, after all, one.
Our pups had a great summer at various camps and retreats, as well as partaking in various other outings that my Fox and I, for one reason or another, didn't attend. So when they went back to school earlier in the month they were relaxed and rested, whereas their parents were anything but.
So what better place to do rectify that state of affairs than the Central Coast? And what better way to do that than over a glass (or several glasses) of really good wine? So off we went, tails wagging, to see what was waiting for us up US-101.
Vicky
It's been a dry summer. Even so, the vineyards had produced reasonably well, and some grapes were still on the vines, inviting close inspection. Not good eating, these little grapes, but can they make a good wine if properly handled and stored! Our first port of call on a very warm day in the very late summer season was at the foot of Palmer Canyon.
We were on our way to Cottonwood Canyon, one of our favorite hangouts in the area, run by an acquaintance of ours and staffed by some exceptionally nice folks. Cottonwood is also one of the best producers of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the area, in our shared yet humble opinion. We arrived in time to find the proprietor, Norman Beko, in the process of separating the stems and leaves from his Pinot harvest.
Norman is not the kind of guy who tells his folks what he wants done, he's right in there getting it done with them. That's him in the wine-colored shirt, adjusting the separator as it's running and monitoring the output, which is falling into the hopper at his left. The forklift operator on the right is dumping a hopper full of the un-separated harvest into the top of the machine, in the upper right corner. Norman confided in us that this was Antonio's first time performing this operation with the forklift. He did an excellent job.
As I said, Norman isn't the kind of guy who watches. Here we see him cleaning the separator after the batch of grapes was processed. Other times while we were there he was operating a forklift, and he helped me load three half-barrels into the back of the beast for my folks yard. He and his wife Sharon are very involved in the day to day operation of the vineyards and the entire wine-making process, from planting to tasting. The two of them planted their premier vineyard, "Sharon's Vineyard," in 1991, and it has consistently produced some excellent Pinots over the years.
Sharon's Vineyard as seen through Vicky's eyes. View looks north.
Another of Vicky's views of Sharon's Vineyard, looking east.
The tasting room at Cottonwood Canyon. Tell 'em SC & The Fox sent you!
We spent a pleasant hour or two with Rhonda, Norman's tasting room manager, and sampled some excellent wines before moving on to our next destination. Foxen Vineyard, long a favorite before anyone had ever heard of the movie "Sideways," is an excellent producer working out of a quaint old barn on the side of Foxen Canyon Road.
Vicky
Vicky
We spent a little while at Foxen, but there were a lot of other folks there trying to drink their way into the "Sideways" lifestyle, so after exchanging pleasantries with the staff and buying a couple of bottles of their product we moved on to my Fox's favorite in the area, Fess Parker. Fess also produces some excellent Chardonnays, and his reds aren't bad, either. But what I like are the grounds around his tasting room. What a beautiful estate!
Looking north towards the San Rafael Mountains from the grounds of Fess Parker Winery.
The Fox strolling beneath some of the huge oak trees on the Fess Parker property.
Along the Foxen Wine Trail, as seen through the lens of Vicky's SD950IS.
View looks south, Curtis Winery is in the distance against the low hill on the right.
This gorgeous image was taken by Vicky as well, an excellent example of how trained her eye is becoming..
View looks northwest in late afternoon, we are still on Foxen Canyon Road, but now south of it's intersection with Zaca Station Road.
Looking south towards the Santa Ynez Mountains from a low ridge on the east end of the Solomon Hills, overlooking Alamo Pintado Creek.
Vicky caught me shortly after the above picture was taken. Unintentionally, I have assumed a pose very similar to one my father took in the high and shining mountains of southwestern Colorado, as depicted in an album elsewhere at this site. Not the best picture of an old coyote, but I guess it'll do for now.
We were headed for dinner by the time we left Fess Parker, and directed ourselves towards the village of Los Olivos and the Los Olivos Cafe. Over a bottle of Foxen's 2006 Sea Smoke Vineyard Pinot we enjoyed some disgustingly American food, she a couple of slices of freshly made pizza, and me a typical hamburger. The food was excellent, the wine was excellent, and my Fox was at her best. It was a wonderful end to a perfect day.
Sometimes the best things can come from seemingly small adventures. Thanks for traveling with us.