I look forward to this event every year. Most of the time, I’m just window-shopping. Occasionally, I get to spend some money and buy a new toy. This year I got to do both: a little buying and a lot of wishful dreaming. Some day I’m going to get one of those tractors I’ve been lusting after. (That’s all Gary has been talking about since he returned home-the Landini’s, the Yanmar track layers, the Kubota’s, not to mention the two story grape harvesters and on and on).

For this trip, my shopping was for practical items like bottles, corks, labels, glasses and tasting room software. It's still fun to just walk around and look at all of the exhibits (What he really means is picking up all the free give-away's. How many corkscrews and pens does one man need?) If you have a vineyard or winery or are thinking about starting a vineyard or winery this is the place to be. Mark your calendars for next year.

Of course, what would a wine and grape symposium be without some wine? Yes, there was ample wine being poured at many of the vendor booths as well as a wine tasting, featuring wines from all over the country. For those of you who were unable to attend, I sampled your share as well as my own. I must say that California, and especially our local regions, make some excellent wines!

We have been blessed or cursed, depending on your point of view, with a lack of rain so far this year. It looks like the Old Farmers Almanac was right about January’s lower-than-normal rainfall. I prefer to look at it as a blessing. It means that I can get out into the vineyard and get some work done. This is a good time to be taking care of your vineyard floor with weed abatement. It’s also a good time to continue with pre-pruning, trellising repairs, and irrigation maintenance. (It’s also a great time to stroll between the rows and imagine you are Sophia Loren acting in one of her lustier roles-or Lucille Ball looking for grapes to stomp. Oops, did I give away my age there?) There is always something for everyone to do in the vineyard.

As usual, February shaped up to be a busy month. The Amador Vintner’s Association hosted their popular Behind the Cellar Door event, a winter cellar-bration of wine, food and fun, on February 10th-11th. The two-day event featured tasting of new and limited-release wines, gourmet foods, and an array of demonstrations and seminars designed to enhance your knowledge and appreciation of wine.

Since this is one of our favorite events, Sue and I weren’t about to let a little rain dampen our plans. Donning our rain gear and umbrellas we made our way to Plymouth excitedly expecting fantastic Sierra Foothill’s wine tasting. Although the crowds were lighter than last year, spirits were high and the wineries did not disappoint. (That also meant more artisan polenta, mouth tingling chili, and lusty wine for Gary)

Some highlights from this year were Montevina’s 2006 Terra d’ Oro Syrah barrel sample. It’s well on its way to becoming a "worthy wine." (While Gary and his business partners, Larry and wife, Pam, sampled the generous offerings of Montevina’s vintages, I pretended to be the designated driver. Of course, you and I know Montevina’s gift shop is what Pam designated the "Disneyland" of all gift shops and I cashed in all my "E" tickets. No rides, thank you Mr. Disney, just a cornucopia of glassware, clothing, jewelry, and frou-frou.) Mike Roser, winemaker at Cooper Vineyards, treated us to a tasting of their 2006 Barbera Reserva. This Barbera is not blended with any other varietals but lacks nothing in its exquisite taste and bouquet. We are really looking forward to pouring this wine into our glasses after it is bottled.

A must-stop was Karmere to barrel taste their 2006 Barbera, Syrah and Zinfandel and to replenish my stock of Empress La Petite Morgan Nebbiolo-Syrah. This year’s vintage did not disappoint. I’m not generally a fan of buying wine futures since I had an experience where the wine tasted better in the barrel than it tasted when it was bottled, however, we made an exception with the 2006 Zinfandel. Shenandoah Vineyards showcased their 2006 Paul’s Vineyard Zinfandel and 2006 ReZerv Barbera with barrel tastings and futures offerings. Paul Sobon has a good idea, you can sign up for futures and be guaranteed wine but you can cancel if you do not like it after it’s bottled.

Again, we made an exception and added our names to the 2006 ReZerv Barbera. Shenandoah Vineyards was also serving pepperoni pizza that was so good even the vegetarians were huddled around the table. (You know who you are. Excuse me, the vegetarian Rules of Conduct manual says nothing about inhaling aromas). Also on our list of must- stops was Dobra Zemlja. This is a fun winery. We were immediately greeted by the tunes of the "Late for Dinner" band. Even in the rain, the band was jumping and people were dancing. Unfortunately, Milan Matulich was out of the country but his partner, Dick Martela, was working the crowd. The 2005 Viognier caught our attention, it did not have as much citrus nor was it as floral as most Viognier but it was quite nice and drank more like a red wine than a white wine. At Bray Vineyards we were impressed by most all of their wines. We missed this winery last year but it is definitely on our "must see" list for years to come. Of special interest were the 2004 Sangiovese, 2004 Barbera, and 2004 Vinho Tinto.

Also on February 10th –11th was a weekend of Wine & Chocolate in Lodi Wine Country. One could travel from winery to winery throughout the Lodi Appellation tasting world class wines, savoring delectable chocolates, and listening to a medley of music.

The Calaveras Wine Association sponsored their annual President’s Day Weekend on Feb 17th – 18th. We, along with many others, helped ourselves to barrel tasting's, new wine releases, recipes for food and wine pairing, and live music from several of the 19 Calaveras wineries celebrating President’s Day Weekend. You could shake hands with "Abraham Lincoln" and "George Washington" and raise your glass to toast the people who've made this country great! (I wanted to question George about that cherry tree episode. Who was really holding that ax? Could it have really been that tight-lipped little Benjamin Franklin. I’m sure there is more to that story than we were taught in grammar school.)

Coming in March is the 27th Annual Lodi Spring Wine Show which will be held March 23rd & 24th, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. each night in the Grape Pavilion at the Lodi Grape Festival grounds. More than 3,000 attendees are expected at this premiere event, which features wine tasting from over 40 wineries throughout Northern California, hors d'oeuvres, music, entertainment and more! For more information call (209) 369-2771.

Until next time, Gary and Sue

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Wine is the "healthiest and most health-giving of drinks."
--Louis Pasteur