It's an... investment! Exploring Amador County wines

In 2000, we remodeled the kitchen and I added a 24-bottle wine rack. Despite the fact that I knew I'd never fill it, but it's a nice look, and the house is an investment...

In 2003, we added a free-standing wine cabinet that houses an additional 70 bottles for the overflow. It fits perfectly in the kitchen corner and is all the storage we'll ever need. It matches the decor but it's free standing and we purchased it at BevMo, so I really can't call it an investment...

We're now considering using part of the garage for some cold storage. Again, I'm considering it as an investment...

I'm living this fantasy quite nicely until one of my coworkers tells me a story. Her dad built a "small walk-in" designed to cellar 1000 bottles, knowing he'd never use that much space; it was an investment...

It's been full for a month.

That scares me. These obsessions, they creep up on you.

And Daniel is a bad influence on me. (stay with me here; the abrupt segue will make sense in a minute or two...)

First of all, he's got me addicted to his food. And at dinner last night he mentions we HAVE to check out a couple of wineries on our trip to Plymouth.

After more than enough mediocre dancing, we ditched the Sunday afternoon program. Sobon Estate Winery here we come! And $210 later...

We tasted all thirteen of the wines they were pouring and if money were no object we would have followed in the footsteps of the delightful New England couple that preceded us at the tasting bar and walked out with five cases of wine. Since we both agreed it'd be a good idea to make the mortgage payment, we settled on one case. Our favorites?


2004 Viognier - This was light and airy and summer-fruity. The perfect antidote for rainy spring evenings when your tastebuds say 'primavera' and the weather responds 'stew'.

2004 ReZerve Rose - This is certainly not your grandmother's watered down "white" Zinfandel -- the red-headed-stepchild of vinticulture. Clean and bright, this would be sensational on a summer picnic. Might just inspire us to pull out the bikes, pack up some sandwiches and explore Mt. Diablo. And for the couch potato that is me, that says a LOT.

2004 Zinfandel "Rocky Top" - This is probably going to join Stevenot's Gabriel Chardonnay and Valley of the Moon's Pinot Noir on my list of dinner party "house wines" -- rich and velvety without being heavy, Rocky Top goes with everything.

2003 Zinfandel Port - Sunset Magazine proclaims this gem pairs perfectly with peanut butter cups. Far be it from me to disagree -- I can't think of much it wouldn't work with. Y.U.M.

2003 ReZerve Primativo - My first exposure to Primativo, it won't be my last. Everything I adore about a good Zin -- on steroids. We walked away with three bottles for later.

So now I have a wine rack, a free-standing cabinet, and a half case of "spare" wine "cellared" in the breakfast nook. No, cold storage isn't far behind. But it's an investment. Really. In our happiness and occasionally our sanity.