So, last Sunday was our little exercise in vinous multitasking. Cline was hosting a club members’ party to pick up the latest selections, but since it didn’t start until 2 p.m., Kathy and I thought that we’d, to paraphrase Frank’s rendition of “Nice and Easy,” make a few stops along the way.
We thought that it would be oh-so-civilized to begin the day just past Cline to sip a flute of sparkling wine at Sonoma’s Gloria Ferrer; they’re a participant in the VISA Signature complimentary promo, but the last time we pulled up, they were hosting a special event and the tasting room was closed. This last weekend was magical chez Gloria.
But first, we had to run the Highway 12 cones at Infineon Raceway, this weekend the home to the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.
Now, Kath and I used to live in San Fran 13 years ago, and we’ve made this trek many times. Hell, in the 2 years we’ve lived in Oakley, we’ve made this trip, from the opposite direction, as many times. But this is the first time that we’ve hit the highway on race day.
California Highway Patrol is directing traffic into the various gates, as everyone, whether attending or passing through, is backed up on the drag; all traffic signals are set to flashing red. Actually, we’ve endured more frustration on our local Highway 4 than this semi-ordeal. And, hey, Helio Castroneves was competing. Today, as a driver, not on “Dancing With the Stars.”
So, Kath and I eventually get to Gloria Ferrer and its majestic facility. And the experience was both wonderful and hilarious. It’s a different experience, in that it’s more of a wine bar than a tasting room. One can get a teaser taste or two, but it’s primarily a joint at which to order a flute, sojourn to the patio and chill.
The patio overlooks the sloping vines, and on this gorgeously sunny ayem (see photo), we sipped our bubbles as the pitter-patter of INDY GRAND PRIX wafted over us! Kathy and I just had to crack up. Table service on the terrace didn’t hurt, either.
Our next stop, for the first time, was the downtown Sonoma Plaza, a quaint place that we’d tried to visit previously. It’s home to lots of tasting rooms, but the free diagonal parking disappears by morning, so every time K and I have tried to drop in, we’ve ended up circling the square, then abandoning the search in favor of continuing up 12 (the same main drag, BTW) toward Glen Ellen or Kenwood for other wineries up the Valley.
This time, we got here earlier, got parking, and got to experience many of the tasting rooms that have opened outposts downtown. Kinda liked we talked about a few weeks ago about the Walla Walla Woodinville tasting rooms. As usual, some places were more welcoming than others; again, the staff sells the show. Does not hurt when the winemaker is on site. Such was the case in the Plaza chez Westwood, our last stop downtown before hitting the Cline clambake.
Now, Cline has the wildest wine club. They have multiple tiers: reds, whites or mixed. But one can substitute anything on their roster for anything else. And one gets the same 25% discount. And that’s what happened when we showed up for our first party.
Great time: lots of wine, servers with silver trays and tons of people who want to share your table. Seriously, very cool.
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