the highlight of my vacation was the weekend trip to Paso Robles. it's a little town but possesses so much charm. i was excited to be staying with someone who not only lived there, but owned a vineyard there also.. and we couldn't have gotten there on a better day because their vineyard was actually hosting an event called 'Train Wreck' that very evening. when we got to the vineyard, our friend and generous host, keith, took us on a tour of the tasting rooms and introduced us to some of the employees. since we arrived early, he gave us a complimentary tasting of all their wines and z and i took turns acting like we knew what we were talking about by offering feedback, which mostly consisted of "mm, this is good" or "i liked the other one better". yep, such fine wine connoisseurs we are.
by the time we were done with the tasting, we were on a pretty good buzz. z bought 2 bottles of the cabernet (at a generous price) and off we went to tour the vineyard so keith could start greeting the actual customers. while walking the vineyard, z couldn't help but be in awe of the work that must have went into maintaining it. as we stopped to examine some of the grapes, he started going on about the farming process and techniques, but honestly, i was just overwhelmed to be standing there, with him, at that time, on such beautiful soil. it was everything. and i was so happy to be in that moment.
after taking a ridiculous amount of pictures of each other on the vineyard, we decided to head back to the courtyard with the other guests and check out the live band and food. soon after, my friend Irene finally arrived, fresh from work. (she is actually the one responsible for the whole visit because keith is her boyfriend.) we ate, we talked, we drank, we talked, we drank, and then we called it a day. and what an unforgettable day it was.
the next day was mostly spent at the Atascadero Wine Festival. the weather was so perfect. we laid out blankets and towels under these big, beautiful trees that were begging us to take advantage of their shade. once settled, we set out to do some wine tasting. there were so many wineries in attendance that we didn't even know where to begin. it wasn't long before we found ourselves at random booths, tipping our wine glasses for a pour, and listening to the birth stories behind each wine. it was an awesome experience. not to mention that the festival was right by a pretty lake that added to the relaxing vibe. eventually the wine started to take its toll and so, we went back to our spot under the generous trees and i laid down to take it all in. i silently thanked the trees for their natural gifts and closed my eyes to recover from all the wine "tasting".
i could go on and on about our time in paso robles but i think you get the picture. speaking of pictures, below are a few of them.
**i recognize that Irene should have been mentioned in the post about the friends (below) i had the privilege of seeing last week but i thought she deserved her own entry. irene and i have never really been the closest of friends but i've known her since high school. we've occasionally met throughout the years, mostly through mutual friends. the last time i'd seen her was in our apartment in 2008, where we rang in the new year. i have a profound appreciation for her kind heart and welcoming smile. even though i share only a few memories with Irene, the ones we do share will stay with me always and i can only hope that we have plenty of more memories together in the future. thank you again Irene for a wonderful weekend to top off a great week.
(us at the Atascadero Wine Festival)
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