Happy Monday, part 2

This is a continuation of my post about last Monday with Moriya. After our yummy lunch at Bouchon, we headed to Patz & Hall to meet with the winemaker himself, Donald Patz. Like most Northern California folks, wine tasting is just part of the culture. But it's not everyday that I get to meet and drink wine with the guy that actually made the wine, so I knew it would be a treat :)



































This was the spread that greeted us as we walked into the beautiful salon! Crazy. We tasted some chardonnay and pinot noir, which is mostly what Patz and Hall specializes on.
















I really just sat back and listened to Moriya and Donald talk shop. It was great seeing two experts in their field exchanging stories and techniques--very similar to what printers do most of the time. A lot of the discussion was really centered on the joy in making something you're proud of and loving what you do.
















I asked advice on how to come up with adjectives when describing wine and Donald starts describing this one particular wine that reminded him of a trip to Indonesia. He basically described his sensory experience--the smells, sights and sounds of his trip and all this wrapped in a bottle was what this wine tasted like. This bottle was the 1999 Alder Spring Vineyard Pinot Noir, and he only had one left. After about an hour or so into the tasting, we were getting ready to leave for our next appointment then Donald leaves for a second and comes back with the infamous '99 bottle of Pinot! Omg. Moriya and I looked at each other, mouths dropped open, and just started to take it all in. We were just gonna have to be late.

















Needless to say, the wine was AMAZING. But what also made this so memorable was the three of us sharing this experience together. I had just met Donald, and Moriya too! But the chemistry was there and sharing this bottle of wine with almost strangers was the perfect thing. Just like this elusive bottle of wine, I can't find adjectives to describe the experience, you just had to be there...

Again, I LOVE my job.