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| Year | Wine | Seth's Comments | Nataliya's Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Zinfandel, Sonoma County | Fruity, but a bit dry | Too dry. |
| 1998 | Napa Valley Merlot | Fruity and dry with a slight aftertaste. | Too dry. |
| 1999 | Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon | Complex fruity flavor. Not bad! | Too dry. |
| 2000 | Late Harvest White Riesling R.S., 13.8% | Too sweet! | Very good! Nice and sweet! |
| Year | Wine | Seth's Comments | Nataliya's Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Carsi Vineyard Estate Chardonnay | Nice crisp taste. | A little too dry. |
| 2000 | Johannisberg Riesling - Dry | Sweet and fruity. | A little dry, but not too bad. Not my taste, though. |
| 2000 | Johannisberg Riesling - Off-Dry | Sweeter - too much for me. | Better than the previous. |
| 2000 | Napa Valley White | Too sweet, almost carbonated. | Good taste! |
| 2000 | Gamay Rouge | Sweet, fruity, red wine - ok, but a bit too sweet. | Nice sweet wine. |
| 2000 | White Zinfandel | Good wine, a little bit sweet and minimal aftertaste. | Okay. |
| 2000 | Muscat | did not try. | A nice dessert wine. Very sweet. Very good. |
| 1999 | Merlot - Napa Valley | Just OK - not fond of the lingering aftertaste) | Not very good. |
| 2000 | California Madeira | Another sweet dessert wine - Did not try | Sweet, but you don't taste as much of the sugar. Clearly the best! |
| Year | Wine | Seth's Comments | Nataliya's Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Knights Valley Alluvium Blanc | Good taste, light and dry. | All those poor grapes... oh the horror! |
| 2000 | Leaning Oak Pinot Noir | OK, but tasted more like a merlot. Flat aftertaste | Would taste it if the room would stop spinning... |
| 1999 | Leaning Oak Zinfandel | Coated the tongue w/pasty fruit flavor. Not very good | I'm thirst not-y. |
And as if I needed another magnet... (I really don't know why I keep buying
these damn magnets - I don't even like magnets... sigh) I bought
third one for my new collection. At this point, we realized that we didn't
take any pictures of any of the wineries, so we stopped to take get one taken
of us in front of this cement fountain. I'm not sure what it is, but it was
at the Beringers Winery and it was spouting water...
We then drove out to see the
"Old Faithful Geyser"
in Calistoga. At least it gave Nataliya a chance to
sober up a bit by the time we got there.
They advertised the Old Faithful Geyser as having a hot water eruption every
40 minutes, but it was more like every 6 minutes. Each eruption went about
30-35 feet in the air and lasted about 40 seconds. We hung out for three
eruptions before heading out. This area was once all muddy land that was
bought and cleared out to make way for a tourist magnet. (No more magnets,
please!) A relative of the owner of the property was there and looked to be
a fixture there, waiting and watching every geyser, almsot with pride. She
added that you could predict earthquakes from the frequency of the eruptions
and that based on the current geyser schedule, there weren't any earthquakes
coming any time soon. I thought that was interesting, but I was hoping we'd
get to feel one during our visit.
Well, we decided to head back, but thanks to my (read: lousy) directions, we took the
scenic Silverado Trail back via a circular pattern. Nataliya fell asleep.
We stopped at a road-side fruit stand for some super-sweet corn and cherries.
The roadway went over the mountains where they could no longer block the
desert temps as well, increasing the outside temperature 20 degrees in a
matter of 30 minutes. Jared's kitten started getting sluggish, unable to
keep cool, and it became listless and limp. Jared pulled over and tried
to give it water, but it was too hot. By this time Nataliya woke up.
Jared rolled the cool water over the
cat which seemed to help a little, but not enough. Jared drove a bit faster
around the mountain roads leading us back into the valley, the kitten's heart
beating a bit too fast for anyone's comfort. Nataliya and I got a little
nauseas as he drove around the curves, hills and dips, but considering the
kitten's condition, we didn't complain. Once back in the
cooler valley, the cat's heartrate dropped to normal and he started showing
a little more life.
Once dropped off by our hotel, Jared went to find a hotel room for the night.
Nataliya and I went to Chinatown for postcards and souveniers We were a bit hungry
but neither one of us felt well enough to eat. We both still felt a bit sick from the mountain drive.
On the way, we stopped at a CompUSA and spent a few minutes because they
were offering free (although slow) Internet on their PC display models. We
didn't find anything much in Chinatown that we wanted to get, but we were
starting to feel better. We called Jared and found out that his cat is
feeling better. We all agreed to meet at a popular all-you-can-eat restaurant
called Moonstar. We then
started walking towards the restaurant.
The restaurant was very good with lots of selections to choose from. It
would be our last time together in California on this trip, and it was really
nice to see my brother as happy as he was. After dinner, we said goodbye to
Jared and Maks as we began walking back to our hotel.
At the last moment,
though, we hopped on a cable car and headed to Fisherman's Wharf instead of
just calling it a night.
Most of the area seems to be long since closed by 8 PM - exceptions being
some restaurants and bars. We found one souvenier store open and did a little
shopping. Jared had suggested I try a burger at
In 'n Out. It
may not ba a Kahuna burger, but
this is a tasty
burger! This is what Burger King would be like if you could really
"Have It Your Way!". Shortly thereafter, we got back on a cable car
and went back to the hotel.
Once back at the hotel, we fell asleep right away with both the light and
television on.