winery: Steven Kent / La Rochelle

You know you've found a great winery when they feed you cheese and figs along side fantastic wine.  Or at least, to me, I know I've scored when the cheese tray comes out.  I'm easy to please, just give me some fine brie and the middle of a fig newton.  Oh how I love that.

In the reserve room, you can choose if you want to do a La Rochelle or Steven Kent wine tasting.  La Rochelle is all about Pinots, while Steven Kent is about the Cabs.  You know us, we dig the Cabs. So that's what we tried. I don't quite know any more about how the two are connected.  Today, we are talking about Steve. Stevie.  Steve-o.  He makes good wine.

The best part of Steven Kent was that every wine was better than the one before.  Seriously, our socks were blown off! Mike had talked to a guy on a flight from Las Vegas to Oakland recently that was a big fan of Steven Kent, he was totally dead on.  This place was great. 

We will be back and when we go back, I'll remember to write down the wines so that I can talk more intelligently.  This trip was just about hanging out with Mike and enjoying some wine and talking to a Steven Kent employee that was wine tasting on her day off.  It also happened that everyone in the wine tasting room had some tie to Minnesota or Wisconsin. You know it's super cool then! Duh!

Paraduxx

[hey look, it's a pair of ducks...or a paraduxx.]

[no wait, this is Paraduxx]

The wine guy at Andretti recommended that we go to Paraduxx. I'd like to go back and give that guy at Andretti a high five.  I must admit that it might not have been on our short list of places to go, however it will be now.  Paraduxx does a wine and cheese pairing no matter which type of tasting that you do. 

Who doesn't love that? 

This winery gives you directions on how to do your wine tasting.  Wines number 1,2,3 (going from left to right) are all the same wine just different years.  2005 was a bountiful year full of rain, so you can really taste the fruitiness.  2006 and 2007 weren't so bountiful, but they were good - the 2007 especially. Pardon me but I have no idea what wine number 4 was anymore.  It was good, but it wasn't part of the tasting instructions, so I can't remember what it was. I pay attention to directions. 

Step 1: Try all 4 wines without eating any cheese.

Step 2: Try the wines and eat the cheese.

Step 3: Try wine numero tres with the orange cheese.

Step 3a: Slightly chew the orange cheese.

Step 3b: Take a sip of the 07 wine with the cheese slightly chewed and then swallow both.

Step 4: Don't choke.

The difference in the 07 wine with and without the cheese is astounding.  Seriously. I have no idea what this cheese was, but it was magic.

This winery really was a fun place.  The patio outside had enough room for the entire town to chill out on a comfy outdoor couch (well not the same couch, but rather multiple couches).  I loved it, although it was quite chilly outside so we went spent our time tasting inside. 

the end.