hot pockets!

we think this is slightly funny...

Doggy (and Kitty) SuperPost...our version of the book "Winery Dogs..."

Maddie @ Alexander Valley Vineyards

Moe @ Elyse

Shallots! at Michel-Schlumberger

"JC" (not!) at Diamond Creek

Stick @ Michael's, Carmel

Chili @ Terry Hoage

Cute OLD Doggy @ Pasolivo

Chloe! @ Sam's house in Paso

Foley Wines

Established in 2001, the Santa Rita Hills AVA is a unique, ultra-cool climate growing area located in the westernmost section of the Santa Ynez Valley. Situated at the foot of Point Conception with the Purisima Mountains to the north and the Santa Rosa Mountains to the south, the mountains form the most significant western running corridor into the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Chile. The AVA benefits from brisk daily ocean breezes and early forming, late dissipating maritime fog which blankets the vineyards and makes the Santa Rita Hills one of the coolest growing regions in the world. The soil types are varied, with marine sand, loam, clay and limestone widely found. Elevations range from virtual sea level to eighteen hundred feet. The area is semi-arid, with average rainfall of thirteen inches annually. Almost all rainfall comes between the months of December and May. This permits vintners the opportunity to allow fruit extended "hang time", without the menace of fall rains that afflict other Pinot Noir and Chardonnay growing regions. The extreme nature of the Santa Rita Hills, in particular, the cold, windy climate lead to the low yields that create Pinot Noirs of great density of color, and overall intense flavor characteristics in all wines.

LinCourt Vineyards

LinCourt is fortunate to be situated in one of the great grape growing areas in the world, Santa Barbara County. The diversity of the County is reflected in each wine. Unique to the west coast of North America, Santa Barbara is blessed by two valleys with east-west orientation. The Santa Maria and Santa Ynez Valleys funnel the cool ocean breezes and maritime fog to the western vineyards, creating a haven for the cool climate varietals, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In the warmer reaches, farther from the ocean, grapes such as Syrah and classic Bordeaux varieties thrive as the fog cools the vineyards at night, allowing the grapes to retain proper acid and sugar balance.
Santa Barbara County also enjoys one of the longest grape growing seasons in the world. Mild winters result in early bud break. Unlike many other notable growing areas, fall in Santa Barbara is typically rain free, allowing the grapes extended time to hang on the vine. The results are grapes that are physiologically mature and extremely flavorful without overripe character.

Santa Barbara...how I adore thee

We wake up at Bill's in Paso and load the car and head to Paso Robles. Naturally, we hit the first In N Out burger along the way for sustanance.

We hit Foley vineyards for a noon tasting and LinCourt shortly after. We make our way into Santa Barbara proper and find our hotel right on the main "drag" if you will.

We check into our hotel for the night, The Harbor View Inn, and find an amazing hotel room waiting for us. We are tired, we have packed up our clothes and moved about 12 times in 2 weeks, and we are quite thirsty. The beach is right there, and so is a pool. While Kel and Kim wander the streets of SB looking for surfboards, I grab a chilled bottle of Jordan Chardonnay and hope to the pool (there will be no pictures of this, as nothing spells "not sexy" like my body in February). Clear across town, Kim hears the cork pop and darts back to help me polish off this bottle (and another). We put on some clothes and head to a Mexican restaurant for some take out, only to discover that the location we called for pick up is actually 25 miles away...oopss. They drive it down, and we head back to the lovely room for dinner (Melissa's note: After dinner, I wandered back down to the hot tub, only to find a woman who "is really a nurse but paid to hang out at the hotel" naked in the hot tub. I think this makes her a hooker? Kelly and Kim: we are not in Sonoma anymore!).