She Asked, “Can We Go To The Castle?”

Dream Big Or Go Home

Wine lovers aren’t born, they’re created, and this is my story of how it simply seems to happen. Ask any nursing mother to prove me wrong, we plant seeds, nurture them, and watch them grow. It’s like cultivating orchids, we use our gawd-given intuition and they bloom beautifully. We’re not born wine lovers, due to mother’s milk containing lactose and is really sweet. (The suffix “ose” tells us “sweet,” like fructose, glucose, and galactose, etc..)

We cultivate our families to be respectful, expand our collective consciousness for the arts and humanities, and just have great times together.

Their first day ended with Jose making pizza for us all, and a rousing game of Qwirkle.

80 – 20 Rule Applies

My children had to first be curious for anything coming their way, and that curiosity evolved as part of their core. When wine is made and established to be really expensive for only the projected wealthy, the 80/20 rule no longer works, and the trickle down becomes out of balance.

How many of us eat whole foods, like fruits, veggies, and proteins (meat and cheeses)? These foods don’t come in ready prepared packages from some manufacturer. Neither does wine, but it can’t be for just the (billionaire) gods, and there you go.

 

Wondering Why Through Algorithms

So here we are, wine people, scratching our head and wondering why? I don’t wonder, due to studying marketing and living it for over 50 years, because it’s the same repeated redux… Remember the song, You Can’t Hurry Love?  “…you can’t hurry love, no you just have to wait, she said love don’t come easy, it’s a game of give and take…”

How can anyone expect people to widely purchase a $250 bottle of Napa Cab, for starters, without the wine industry hurting? We just need a level playing field, and, we can regrow one.

Desire Blooms

Last October, on a Sunday, my grandson Nate messaged me from the East Coast and asked, “Can I bring Sarah to California?” Sarah’s his lovely girl friend and we hadn’t met her, yet. Still we knew her from social media posts, and we’re fans. She’s become quite a star in her own right, and besides her studies, she’s subsidizing college by working in a fine dining restaurant.

I could see their potential was there and so is their passion for culture, because many young people have aspirations. And, wine is still a desired as part of their lifestyle, by some, most especially the many of those to who are also working their way through college.

What A Perfect Opportunity

Nate has also been telling Sarah about his summers in California, and he wanted her to know him better, because of his grandparent visits. It just seemed like this could be fun, so I said, “Sure, when do you want to come out?” He enthusiastically responded, “Right away!” I though okay, but, I still had to explain that getting airline tickets on a moment’s notice could be pretty expensive.

And, I knew I’d have to shift a lot of gears quickly; but, “okay, chance of a lifetime” I thought. He also mentioned that Sarah would like to go to “the castle.” First thing on Monday, once I was sure they were coming, I arranged the Castello di Amorosa appointment for Wednesday.

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Sarah’s Three Day Wishes ~ My Four Day Plan

• Tuesday: They arrived and we headed north to Sausalito, first arriving at Spinnaker.  After a hearty meal we headed to beautiful Sonoma County, which included our lake.
• Wednesday: Korbel Champagne Cellars (first wine opportunity) → Armstrong Redwoods → Pacific Coastline → Home for Jose’s pizza and Palmeri Lemon Ranch Gamay Noir
• Thursday: Castello di Amorosa (the big request) → Quixote Winery (a poignant reason to visit, due to my Carl Doumani relationship)
• Friday: San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts → de Young Museum → California Academy of Sciences → Fisherman’s Wharf, with dinner at Cioppino’s Restaurant

Redwoods, Castello di Amorosa, Palace of Fine Arts

Nate has been wine tasting with us, and fell in love at Castello di Amorosa, in Napa Valley’s, ultimately inspiring this request. Sarah works in a fine dining restaurant, so you can see where this was headed. On Sunday, Nate got really affordable tickets for Monday’s red-eye, and by Tuesday morning, they were here. We got them into the car, Sarah asked, “Can we go to the castle?” I knew exactly which castle, and who wouldn’t want to go to that castle? “Yes, Sarah, it’s been arranged for Thursday.”

Let’s Begin: Arrival Tuesday, Spinnakers

Lunch was our first stop, from the airport pick-up. It was intended to get organized and also introduce Sarah to one of Nate’s favorite towns… Sausalito. The views of the bay were breathtaking, and little did we know that we’d start this journey, through all learning about King Tides. The Spinnaker parking lot was totally flooded, so we had to step carefully. While the valet was unfazed, we braved it, because we were ready for some sparkling wine and our first wine event together. We had lots of reasons to celebrate.

Sarah came away chanting, “I love Sausalito, I love Sausalito, I love Sausalito.” Did the bubbles have something to do with it? Well, yeah! It’s part of the memory.

Wednesday ~ The Dream Begins

Korbel, Armstrong Woods, Goat Rock Beach

Ah, Korbel. People, don’t simply drive past it on your way to the beach. It’s a favorite memory of so many, which includes me. My first trip to California included this Champagne house. Now, I’m thrilled to introduce others to a wine company with so much history and so many delicious wines.

So I switched our itinerary to begin with Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. Sarah was anxious to see the Redwoods too, and it wouldn’t put pressure on anyone to jump through hurdles. That day also had a big surprise, as we neared Korbel Champagne Cellars. My husband Jose was our chariot driver, and as we approached Korbel I suggested we all stop for some bubbles! The winery also has a fantastic deli, so we wouldn’t become hungry during our other Redwood or Pacific adventures.

When we arrived at their tasting bar, I had to ask the question. “I know that the descriptor ‘Champagne’ can only legally be used by the Champagne region of France. How is Korbel using it legally?” We got a great answer. The use of “Champagne” on U.S. sparkling wine labels became restricted in 2006. The Wine Institute trade agreement with the EU, now prevents new brands from using the term. Yet, any brand using the term before 2006, became grandfathered in, and Korbel is one of those brands.

 

They Found Their First Redwood

We were each treated to a four wine tasting. The “kids” each had three bubbles first, as did I, and coincidentally mostly the same bubbles. With the fourth wine, the two of them had their 2024 Pinot Noir Rose, and I has their 2022 Blanc de Blanc / 750ml, Russian River Valley. It didn’t take long, from that point to then all drift into the deli, bubbles in hand. Korbel’s wines are really fabulous. When headed to the Pacific Coast, do yourself a favor and experience their excellent wines and hospitality first. It makes for a seamless adventure. Their deli foods are so excellent, and also top of the line.

The Forest Primeval

We’ve got tree huggers, Ladies and Gentlemen! I had been to Armstrong Woods once before, and didn’t want to take the same path, because it just climbed endlessly. I needed to also explore, so we went to the left and meandered into a fairy tale existence. Nate asked if he and Sarah could walk ahead of us. “Of course! Have a lovely time!” Jose and I went at our own speed. Food, wine, big trees, lush green moss covering opportunities for growth, this was an opportunity of a life time to explore for us all, with a new life’s path.

 

A Breath of Fresh Air

I experienced captivating trees, especially one that had a curious opening within it. Imagining what critters had already climbed into it for shelter from the storms, indeed it had my head spinning. Obeying to not cross over the fence line wasn’t easy, you have no idea how difficult that was. Some trees had gone the straight and narrow up, up, and away. And some had gone the way of beautifully grotesque, for any number of reasons.

Light filtered in, while the dark surrounded us. Moss enriched many images, due to forest conditions being moist and shady. The moss helps trees to absorb water and nutrients from the air instead of deep roots, moss just grows, and the forest is enraptured in life.”

Limited Life Experiences in Maine

Although I grew up in Maine, it didn’t ever prepare me for this day, when the trees would effortlessly just reach for the sky. The other path taken at another time just seemed to be endless walking in a tree envelope, because the sky was so far away. Very little light barely filtered in, so I had to more careful where I place my feet, so I wouldn’t trip.

I’m good for tripping and rolling over. On this new side of the forest, I could see and marvel at trees that are over 300 feet tall. The Parson Jones Tree is the oldest tree in the park, know to be 1,400 years old, for instance.

Ending This Day At Goat Rock Beach

This was a perfect day to not miss anything, still Castello Amorosa was calling, which was mañana! We had wines, we had dined, we shared a culture and this was a best life school experience for learning. Welcome to Jose and Jo’s Earth School. Tomorrow the learning continues.

Tomorrow Starts At Castello di Amorosa

My contact Madeleine Reid planned for a superior wine adventure, Day Three!

She even arranged to have President and General Manager Georg Salzner greet us. It’s a position he’s held since 2008, and I was reminded that he had also met us a bit before, on Nate’s first visit with his mother, my first born. The appointment was made for Thursday, and such a deep sigh with this one, I could now relax into the rest of it

 

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Written by Jo Diaz, a partner of Diaz Communications, who is helping to make stars realize their dreams. Edited by partner Jose Diaz. To reprint, please contact Jo Diaz: jo@diaz-communications.com