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What We Did in Wine Country (California): Part 3

Haven't checked out part 1 and part 2 yet? Make sure you do! April 27, 2016 Happy Anniversary!! We went to town to look for an olive oil tasting, but absolutely nothing opened up till 10. We did go see the amazing Castlello di Amorosa and take pictures. We drove around and ended being the first group at Sterling . What a place! It is more of an experience than a tasting, and what a production. The tour starts with a Gondola ride up to the building on top overlooking all of the vineyards. It�s sort of a Disney effect. We got the extra tastings free with our hotel card and visited the art gallery with my favorite Chagall �Fox with Grapes�. It also included several original Ansell Adams, a Picasso and a Renoir among others. I can�t find our tasting list � but won�t give up! After Sterling, we went to Tra Vigne for a pizza lunch. Our next stop was Rombauer - not really what we expected. The grounds were pretty, but unlike all of our other experiences, the employees weren�t very ...

What We Did in Wine Country (California): Part 2

Haven't read part 1 yet? Make sure to catch up!  April 24, 2016 We left early for 10 am brunch reservations at Cliff House and got to explore � VERY WINDY. Brunch was at a beautiful table by the window with views of the rocks jutting out of the ocean. The champagne poured freely! The buffet was a mix of breakfast foods and lots of salads. The popovers were a specialty and the dessert bar was impressive. For Richard and I, an entire bowl of roasted garlic beside the scalloped potatoes was pretty amazing. Another specialty was Eggs Benedict. The harpist was not a specialty and played 2 songs twice in a 30 minute set (As Time Goes By and Somewhere in Time � clearly time was an issue for her). Cliff House After brunch, we tried to walk on the beach, but it was really chilly and so windy that our faces got burned from sand and wind. We did find a little sea glass and a sand dollar! We then drove to Golden Gate Park where we saw the bison field and drove around forever trying to park...

What We Did in Wine Country (California): Part 1

Sallie Swor is a 9th generation Nashvillian and a dear friend who shares my passion for great food and great wine. When she sent me her travel journal from her recent visit to wine country, I absolutely could NOT resist asking her if I could publish it on my blog- and she said yes! So this post and the next two will feature snippets from her travel journal- I'd love to hear what you think! Sallie Stamps Swor Cooking has not only been my obsession and creative outlet, but also my greatest pleasure for as long as I can remember. Way before the food craze, when most of my friends were poring over Cosmopolitan Magazine, I spent my time engrossed in the latest issue of Gourmet. In my first college apartment, I discovered the thrill of entertaining friends with dinner parties, brunches, picnics � well, just any excuse to cook. I also discovered that no one minded! I have been fortunate to have a career working with students and young adults as a high school counselor and college consulta...