We made it! We had an extraordinary time and it was thanks to the great people we had the privilege of meeting. Cheryl, James and Claude from San Bernabe, a Delicato Family Vineyard, were extremely hospitable, with an extensive tour of the vineyard, winemaker James answered all of my questions with ease and was a wealth of information. The Vineyard has over 5000 planted acres and was once the largest continuous vineyard in the world at over 8000 acres - amazing. Cheryl Indelicato was unbelievably great; she even put a candle in my ice cream sundae for my birthday. There is so much to talk about, but I am going to make everyone wait until I post the interview.

Our trip also ventured north to Sonoma and Napa. We held an impromptu interview with Bob Kelso from Jacuzzi Family Vineyard, the new kid on the block, so to speak. Boasting a variety of Italian grape varieties and an olive oil tasting bar, this is a great winery to visit. Napa led us to a retreat in Yountville where Domaine Chandon has made its home. Thank you to Nadia Olsen who was a real trouper in accommodating the interview at the last minute. Although they are known for their sparkling wines, their still wines are impeccable, we even returned with a Pinot Meunier, something we can’t get in Canada.

Well, I will continue to blog here and there about California, and I will let everyone know when the videos are up.

Tags: California, Central Coast, Cline, Delicato, Domaine Chandon, Indelicato, Jacuzzi, Moet Chandon, Monterey, Napa, San Bernabe, Sonoma