I'm sorry...

...but there's no wine left in California.

I bought it all. Or tasted it all.

Seriously. There are a bajillion bottles currently sitting on my dining room table.

The funny thing is that when I was grocery shopping the night before the grand wine extravaganza, I found myself, by habit, in the wine aisle. I nearly bought something before I realized how ridiculous that was.

The highlight of the day was a winery I've never even heard of -- the Mayo Family Winery. It's kind of a boutique winery, and they make really good wine. But the really cool thing is the food and wine pairings they do at their reserve room. Oh. My. GOD, the food was AMAZING with the wine. The wine definitely enhanced the food, and vice-versa. AND the chef went out of his way to rework some of the recipes to make them gluten-free for me. They couldn't have been nicer or more accomodating and OH MY GOD, did I mention the extreme yumminess?

There was a low point, also, when we stopped at a winery I've been visiting for two decades (!!). Back then, the winemaker and his wife sold wine out of their garage, and it was a completely charming experience with really great wine. Over the years, they've built bigger and nicer tasting rooms, but hadn't turned into a corporate-esque entity. It still had most of the charm of a smaller winery.

Until now. They've become Frass Canyon (as in, "Sideways"). There was a wait to taste, and then the tasting turned into a sideshow for tourists. I hate that. Thank goodness I can still order the wines I like online, because I won't be stopping there ever again.

Where else did I go? Lots of great places, some of which we just tripped over on previous outings. Hop Kiln (the Thousand Flowers wine is amaaaaazing.). Roshambo (which hosts the regional Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament each June -- it's hilarious). Landmark (which makes amazing Chardonnay). And Prager Port Works. If you like port, you must try their Noble Companion Tawny Port. It is TO DIE FOR. I'm not one to spend 50 bucks on a bottle of wine, but I will always gladly fork that over for this stuff.

It was a wonderful day all around, with good company, spectacular weather, and great wine in mostly unpretentious places.

Now the question is, which bottle do I open first?