One of the greatest things about living in the Sacramento area is our close proximity to everything that Northern California has to offer… a two hour drive east lands you in Lake Tahoe, two hours west and you’re in San Francisco. There are so many delicious day trips a Sacramento foodie can take; it’s nearly impossible to choose a favorite. But, during the summer, I’d have to say that my absolute favorite day trip is a drive to Napa or Sonoma wine country for wine tasting.
The beautiful scenery of a drive down Highway 12 immediately puts you at ease – there’s just something about hills of never ending grapevines that makes you feel completely transported…. Wait, where was I? Oh yeah – a day trip to wine country! Although I looove to go wine tasting, this past weekend I was lucky enough to be invited to a “bottling party” in Sonoma.
Two spinach quiches and I tagged along with my boyfriend’s family to their friend’s vineyard in Sonoma. Although they sell the majority of their grapes to big name labels, they save some grapes each year and throw a wine bottling party for friends and family to share in the winemaking experience.
After we added our side dishes to the five picnic benches full of food, I immediately went to check out the bottling process. The barrels of wine were lined up in a small barn and the wine was being pumped into a large plastic vat in the middle (see photo above). The wine was then siphoned into tubes that pump the wine into empty bottles. One of the coolest things was how they cork them – the full bottle is placed on a corking contraption (oh how I love alliteration!) and the cork is literally pushed into the neck of the bottle by force.
The finished bottles were then passed down a table of “labelers” – a line of eager volunteers with pens-in-hand ready to put their own mark on each bottle. My favorite label – certainly inspired by the writings in a bathroom stall – read: “For a good time – Drink this wine!” After much food, wine, dancing and fun, each family left the party with a case of the just-bottled wine – the perfect ending to a fabulous Sonoma day trip.
Side note: I just have to mention that I saw the CUTEST cupcakes at this party… chocolate and vanilla cupcakes topped with buttercream frosting and grape bunches drawn in icing. What a great idea… and one I’m certainly going to borrow for the next wine-themed party I go to!
Summer's Bounty at the Davis Farmers Market
The majority of the people who flock to the numerous Sacramento-area farmers’ markets in the summertime do so to pick up the freshest local produce of the season. After all, isn’t that the obvious reason to frequent your local farmers’ market? This past weekend I once again stopped by the Davis Farmers Market and it dawned on me that there is much more to farmers’ markets than the food! (Did I really just say that?)
On a recent Saturday morning, my boyfriend and I found ourselves once again maneuvering our way through the long corridor of vendors and trying to make the difficult decision of which tempting offerings would be coming home with us for dinner, all the while dodging the mobs of Davis market goers. It was at that moment that I was struck by the fact that I actually recognized about half of the faces that belonged to the elbows, purses and shopping bags that we were so deftly attempting to avoid bumping into.
I’m sure it’s the same in every community where farmers markets pop up for the morning, you are guaranteed to see the same friendly faces week after week. At the farmer’s market it is not out of the ordinary to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger about heirloom tomatoes, local olive oil or the many varieties of Santa Fe tortillas (the garlic butter flavor is definitely my favorite).
Being a UC Davis alum, I’ve visited the Davis Farmers Market on many occasions, Wednesday afternoons, Saturday mornings, and at all points in the season. Although the produce offerings change with the season, there is one constant – the people. The people at the farmer’s market vary from college students to families, and each week it might be a slightly different mix, but all are drawn to the same location because of a common love of fresh locally grown food. I suppose it all does come back down to the food.
And in case you’re wondering what did in fact end up coming home with us – a loaf of artisan ciabatta, half a dozen apricots, a bag of juicy nectarines and three deliciously ripe tomatoes. I wonder what we’ll pick up next weekend…
Click here to find a certified farmers’ market near you; and, click here for market-inspired recipes from Sacramento Bee food writer Gwen Schoen.
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