Every so often, it’s good to take a few minutes to clean off the cellar desk… you know, so the top of the desk can actually be seen.
With that in mind, here are a few notes, quotes, stats and facts — all of a vinous nature — that have been conspiring to hide your trusty editor’s desk…
- Staying at the Milliken Creek Inn & Spa, located along the Napa River, is like being transported to a bucolic scene in Provence. The gardens and lawns are meticulously tailored, the breakfast is sumptuous, and the spa treatments are revitalizing. It’s a hidden gem with 12 lovely rooms. www.millikencreekinn.com
- 456,916 — That’s the number of winegrape-bearing acres in California as of 2010, according to Wine Institute. An additional 19,462 acres were identified as non-bearing. Because the California Department of Food and Agriculture provides estimated totals based on a statistical sample, it states that total winegrape acreage in the state actually is closer to 535,000 acres.
- California wine country is home to dozens of uniquely designed wine estates. Among them: Quixote Winery, which is located in Napa’s Stags Leap District. Designed by architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser of Vienna, the front of the winery probably is best described as whimsical — nothing like you’d expect to encounter in an area when there is so much “serious” architecture to be seen. www.quixotewinery.com
- “Compromises are for relationships, not wine.” Sir Robert Scott Caywood said that, in case you were wondering.
- Planning a family trip to California wine country? Castello di Amorosa in the Napa Valley should be on your “to go” list, because anyone 5 or older is welcome on the winery tour and the horse-drawn carriage rides. There’s also a Family Room on the property where the young ones can color, while in the company of at least one adult. And instead of the standard apple juice, the youngsters receive grape juice made from Muscat of Alexandria grapes. Yum! Man, I wish I were a kid again…
- Heading not to Northern California, but rather to the L.A. area? East of the iconic Griffith Park, the city of Glendale is becoming a cultural and culinary hub. Part of that scene is the Left Coast Wine Bar & Gallery, where one can dine and sip alfresco, or opt for the upstairs, indoor loft where singer/songwriters are scheduled on a regular basis. The wine list is well selected (most available by the bottle or glass), and wine flights also are featured daily. www.leftcoastwinebar.com
And with that, I have just spotted the upper left-hand corner of my desk. I’d almost forgotten it’s made out of maple…
