Enough of the wine tasting for now. After tasting over 20 different wines, it was time to move on to Fair Play.
View from our room at the Barkley Historic Homestead Bed and Breakfast
We drove down Mt. Aukum Road towards Fair Play. On the way, at the intersection of Grizzly Flat Road and Bucks Bar Road, we spotted the Gold Vine Grill. This was one of the places Jolaine suggested for an evening meal. We stopped to look at the menu but it only showed the choices for lunch so we went inside to ask if we could see the dinner menu. They were only too pleased to do so. The lady we spoke to was very friendly and said her husband was the chef and he prepared amazing sauces. The menu did look good but we haven’t not made up our minds yet.
Further on, at the junction of Fair Play Road and Perry Creek Road, we spotted the Italian restaurant Bocconato, which was another suggestion by Jolaine. The menu also looked good. We decided to book here as it is closer to where we are staying.
We continued on Fair Play Road, passing lots of wineries. They all looked interesting and the names were enticing – Granite Springs, Single Leaf and Fitzpatrick. We passed a sign telling us we were in Fair Play but, as I expected and Jolaine confirmed, there is no main street. There are a few businesses scattered around but no central focus. It did not detract from the charm of the setting though.
Our destination is the Barkley Historic Homestead Bed and Breakfast which is on Stony Creek Road. A short drive down this road brought us to a sign proclaiming we had arrived at the right place. We drove through the gate, passed a small lake complete with lily pads, a small landing stage and a couple of boats, and arrived at a small tasting room. This is where we were told to check in. As we walked through the door, we were greeted by a man who asked if we were there for the wine tasting or the Poker Run. I knew there was going to be a poker run because the owner phoned the night before to confirm our booking and asked if we had signed up to take part. Now I had no idea what a Poker Run was and assumed it was a big poker game and envisioned a host of people in one room playing poker continuously all weekend. Tom, on the other hand, thought it was an actual race. Neither option appealed to us, so we declined. We now learned that a Poker Run is something completely different. It cost $90 per person. You visit 8 different participating wineries where you are given a bottle of wine and a poker card. At the end of the run you have accumulated eight bottles of wine and 8 poker cards. There is a dinner where everyone opens their poker cards and presumably the best hand wins a further prize. Maybe if we had known what a Poker Run was, we would have signed up for it. At least we know for the future.
We were shown to our room by the owner’s daughter. She was born and brought up in Gilroy, which is about 20 miles south of where we live in South San Jose. Small world. To get to the room, we walked up a small hill and then steps to a veranda. There were another couple of rooms off the same veranda. Our room was called the Winemaker’s Room and was large with rustic overtones. Outside on the veranda were a table, two chairs and an umbrella but we had our own small balcony off the side of the room with two wicker chairs and a table plus a view of the lake. It looked a great place to sit out later and watch the sun go down.
I sat outside on the front deck under the umbrella and wrote up my journal. It was so peaceful, with just the tinkling sound of a small fountain nearby and occasionally the calming tones of a wind chime in the soft gentle breeze. I looked down to the lake and off to my right I could see a wooded hillside in the distance. A golden retriever ambled up to me to say hello and then settled at my feet for a five minute rest. Utter tranquility.
At 6, we drove to Bocconato for dinner. There were several groups sitting outside under the umbrellas but we decided to sit inside. Nobody else was sitting inside so we had a choice of tables and during the meal we realized it wasn’t the best choice. We were right next to the door leading to the outside patio so the servers were going to and fro constantly. Also, a couple of flies got inside and made a nuisance of themselves. We were forever swatting them out of our faces. Tom dispatched one pretty smartly with his napkin but the other evaded Tom’s most determined efforts.
To eat we both chose the two appetizer specials. Tom had brushetta with chopped heirloom tomatoes, onion, capers and cheese and I had the Caprese – slices of mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, olive oil and basil. To drink we had a Zinfandel from the nearby Perry Creek Winery. For our main course we both had the same – chicken cooked slowly in wine and served on polenta. The starters were good, both made with locally grown tomatoes and very tasty, but we were a bit disappointed with our entrees. We were expecting the polenta to be firm but it turned out to by runny and the two pieces of chicken on top were sinking into the middle of it. It was difficult to eat with a knife and fork. The chicken was very tasty but we were not impressed with the polenta. Although it had the wine broth in which the chicken had been cooked in, it was sort of bland. Plus we should have ordered a side of vegetables to go with it. We both had deserts. Tom’s choice was a chocolate tortini with an ‘equisite lava’ inside. I had the green grape gelata. They make fresh gelata every day. Apart from the polenta and the flies, we had a very enjoyable meal.
Back to the Barkley Homestead where we we sat on our side balcony and watched the sun go down and then had an early night.
Next morning, after a peaceful nights sleep, we were up at 6.30. Yesterday we were told that the track running behind the house is the old Fair Play Road and the stage coach used to drive along it. As breakfast was not until 9.15, we decided to go for a hike on the old road.
The view at the top of the hill during our early morning hike
There was nobody else around and very quiet as we set off. Soon the road branched and we didn’t know which way to go so we took the uphill route, hoping to get a good view. The road was very rutted probably caused by heavy winter rains. Grape vines were growing on our right and we passed a dilapidated structure on our left which was probably once used to house some sort of animal. At the top of a rise we came upon a small lake, which obviously had fish in it as we saw bubbles and small ripples. Then we came to a gate and realized that we had taken the wrong road.
Back down the hill we went and at one point had a marvelous view over a small valley. At the bottom we took a right. Surely this must be the old stage coach road. I spotted some bramble bushes and stopped to check out the blackberries. Boy, they were good. For the next twenty minutes we picked and ate to our hearts’ content. I ventured too far into the bushes and got snagged on the brambles. Fortunately Tom was there to rescue me. If I’d known there were blackberries to be picked I would have worn jeans. Shorts did not protect my legs from the wicked barbs. When I finally stopped gorging, I looked at my hands and they were stained purple but I’d had the time of my life.
On with the walk Margaret. We passed an old picnic site with a large BBQ pit and even a smaller one with a spit but it must be years since either were used. Nearby was a little wooden bridge which had become really overgrown with vegetation and didn’t seem to lead anywhere.
Once again we came to a fork and did not know which way to go. We found out later that we should have turned left but we didn’t and finally ended up back where we’d started.
We went back to our room and made a cup of coffee. Still an hour to breakfast so we sat out on our private deck, looking over the lake and drank our
Dead give away. Margaret has been eating black berries. And plenty of them too
coffee. It’s going to be another warm day and it was wonderful to sit there and watch the birds. On the lake, a couple of ducks were ducking and diving. They constantly dipped their heads into the water and stuck their bottoms up in the air. A blue jay started squawking and landed on a tree near us. The birds we spent most of the time observing were a family of woodpeckers – the parents and I’m guessing three fledglings. They kept flying between a huge pine tree and a power pole. The young were vying for position at the top of the pole and tapping into the wood. Sometimes they flew over our heads and we watched their flap, flap, glide mode of flight.
To the sides of the balcony were apple trees and one of them had branches that were within reach. They were loaded with little apples. I couldn’t resist picking one and biting into it but it was not quite ready. Another week and they could be picked and, along with the blackberries, they would make a wonderful blackberry and apple crumble.
Eventually it was time for breakfast and we walked a few steps from our room along the veranda to the big dining room where we met up with the other guests – a group of four from Sparks in Nevada and another four who arrived just as we were leaving. They had been out until the early hours of this morning at the Perry Creek Winery for a special ‘Find the Zin Man’ dinner.
For breakfast, we had fresh fruit – water melon, melon, canteloup, bananas, grapes and strawberries; followed by scrambled eggs with bacon and fried potatoes. Coffee and orange juice were available to drink and we could toast our own bread or bagels. All very enjoyable.
Time to settle up and drive home. We have had a wonderful two days in El Dorado Wine Country and if you are bored with the much visited Napa wine region, branch out and sample the multitude of family run wineries in this tucked away little gem.
August 22 2009 | Special Places | 4 Comments »
Old gas station where gas was showing at $.40 a gallon
We waddled out of Zachary Jacques and continued on Pleasant Valley Road. It was indeed a very pleasant valley. Shady pine trees line the road with an occasional redwood. Every so often we passed nice houses nestled amongst the trees or perched on small rises with pastures surrounding them. Goats and horses grazed in the fields.
We saw an old gas station on our right. Tom pulled in, unable to resist this photo op. While Tom pottered around the outside and even ventured inside the old building, I sat in the car with the windows down and studied my surroundings. Next door to the gas station is a property set some way back with a long drive leading to it. The sign at the roadside said ‘Four Seasons’. I watched as a quad bike, driven by a man with his small daughter sitting beside him, drove down from the house. There as a trailer attached with a re-cycling bin inside. The bike stopped and the man and his daughter opened their mail box and the little girl ran back to the vehicle clutching a pile of letters. All very pastoral and idyllic. When no cars drove past, I could hear muted birdsong around me. It was very pleasant sitting there, feeling the soft breeze blowing through the windows and enjoying the moment.
(click on the photos for larger versions)
We were in the El Dorado Wine Country and on the lookout for our first winery – Narrow Gate. Once past Newton Road,we looked for the sign and before too long we spotted it and turned right, through a gate and up a steep slope to the car park. There were a few other cars in the car park so we knew we weren’t the first. Inside the light was quite dim and we could see lots of wine barrels. Before we made our way to the counter we looked at the paintings and one photograph which were on sale.
We managed to find a space at the counter and the winemaker’s wife, Teena Hildebrand, greeted us. She was very friendly and soon we were tasting our first wine – Chardonnay El Dorado. Then we sampled the Mourverde, which was a varietal we had never heard of. Tom’s favorite was the 2007 Petite Curvee at $17 a bottle but we didn’t buy any. It was getting really crowded at the counter and twice we had to squeeze up to allow more people to sample the wine.
I do not have a head for wine at all so I just limited myself to one small mouthful of each wine. In the past I have been quite merry after trying just half a dozen wines. Also I prefer white so tend to stay away from the reds altogether. Note from Tom: The trick is to only take a small sip or two, slosh it around your mouth to get a good idea of what the wine is about and then dump the rest. Otherwise you’d be sloshed in a short time.
We moved on to our next winery. Studying the map we saw that there were two not far away on the same side road. We turned onto Leisure Lane and
A rose bush was planted at the beginning of each row.
drove about a mile. On the way we passed under a power cable and I noticed an owl perched on the wire. Unfortunately Tom didn’t catch sight of it. Maybe it will still be there on our way back.
Our second winery - Holly’s Hill - was in a beautiful setting. They were in the middle of building works and a sign apologized for the dust during the remodeling. A tent had been set up outside the tasting room and we found out when we went into the tasting room that they were holding their Patriarche Verital Tasting where, for $5, you could sample their flagship wine from 2002-2008. The 2007-2008 are not on sale yet but they could be bought as ‘futures’. The entrance fee also included appetizers.
The tasting room at Holly’s Hill was bright and uncluttered. Wine barrels supported the counter and,as it was not very crowded, there was plenty of space and we didn’t feel cramped at all. The two guys pouring the wines gave us a lot of information about the Rhone grapes grown in this area. It is a European grape originating from the Rhone region of France. We sampled the 2008 Viognier ($18), the 2005 Hill Top Syrah ($20), the 2007 Grenarche Noir ($20) and their 2006 Patriarche ($20). I particularly like the Viognier so we bought two bottles plus one bottle of 2006 Patriarche. We were recommended to leave the Patiarche for a couple of years in a cool dark place before we drank it.
Outside again, I went to the small picnic area and drank in the wonderful view over the Cosumnes River Canyons. I could have stayed there admiring the view but there were more wineries to visit.
A stone’s throw away is the Sierra Vista Vineyard and Winery which is at the top of a steep hill. They also had and tent and an event going on but this was called a Barrel Tasting. Entrance fee the same as Holly’s Hill. Once again we only went into the tasting room. Here was another counter supported by wine barrels behind which was a very nice lady who chatted away about the winery and the Barrel Tasting. There were over ten wines to taste but we restricted ourselves to only seven of them. I won’t list all the ones we tried but I will tell you that we bought three bottles – one of the 2006 Reeves Vineyard Zinfandel ($18), one of the 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($22) and a late harvest 2006 Viognier Doux. The last one was not on the tasting list and we can’t remember how much it cost – I just know it tasted great.
Vineyard at the Sierra Vista Vineyard and Winery
We spent some time outside where there was a lawn area complete with picnic tables. Another spectacular view greeted us – the Crystal Range of the Sierra Nevada Mountains as a backdrop, with rows of ripening grapes in the middle and flower beds in the foreground. It was very peaceful up there, sitting at a picnic table in the shade of an oak tree, writing my journal and breathing in the fresh air, listening to the drone of conversations from surrounding tables and enjoying the view. Tom, of course, was wandering round the vineyard taking photos.
The three wineries we have visited so far have been similar in many ways – small family run and friendly. We have learnt a lot about the Rhone grapes that are prevalent to this area and enjoyed tasting many different wines. I think we only have the stamina to try one more winery so we made our way back to the car and drove back down Leisure Lane. I did look out for the owl but he was gone. There was a Red Kite though sitting on the very same power cable.
Our fourth and last winery in Pleasant Valley was the Miraflores Winery on Four Springs Trail. There were quite a few people up at the counter so we were prepared to wait but there was a bench counter where we were invited to stand and sample the wines. The wines on offer were written up on a blackboard and once again there were a lot of them. By this time I was all wined out so declined to try any of them but Tom masterfully sampled eight of them. There were not that many up on the board but he was encouraged to taste some which were not listed. Tom liked the Syrah best of all and we added another two bottles to the six we have already bought – a 2005 Syrah ($30) and a 2005 Syrah ($25).
It was time to find our bed and breakfast accommodation for the night. We thoroughly enjoyed our day of wine tasting in Pleasant Valley and recommend everyone to visit this little gem in the El Dorado Wine Country.
August 17 2009 | Special Places | 2 Comments »
Old Building in Ione. Obviously the Coke sign was there before the window.
We’re off on another trip to the Gold Country, this time to the El Dorado wine region. Originally we were planning a day trip but as El Dorado is further than our normal destination in the Gold Country, we decided to make a weekend of it and booked overnight accommodation at a bed and breakfast.
After our recent trip to Murphys and Mokelumne Hill, we had a comment from Jolaine Collins extolling the El Dorado area in and around Placerville and Fair Play. I have been through Placerville several times quite a few years ago but never realized it was also a wine area. Fair Play neither Tom nor I had ever heard of. The place name itself intrigued me but when I searched for more information I could not discover too much about it apart from the fact that there were several wineries situated there.
Jolaine sent us a link to the El Dorado Wine Country which gave me a list of wineries and their opening times along with a down loadable map of the area. We pored over the map and consulted the wineries list and decided to leave early in the morning on Saturday going first to the Pleasant Valley are where all four of the wineries opened at 10 am instead of the usual 11 am. We wrote to Jolaine and told her our plans, including stopping for breakfast on the way, and she kindly sent back lots of useful information along with the name of a place to go for breakfast.
An hour into our journey at 6.45 in the morning we were on I-205 and approaching Tracy. It’s going to be a nice day. The sun, which 15 minutes ago had popped up over the Altamont as a bright orange ball, is now shining into our eyes. Sunglasses on and visors down. Ahead we spot a small plane fly low over the freeway, bank steeply and fly back. It was a crop duster. By the time we reached the point of his crossing, he was back again seemingly inches above the roof of the car. It was definitely a ‘wooh’ moment.
I-5 was as monotonous as usual. Lots of SUVs and trucks pulling small boats, jet skies and trailers, probably on their way to one of the many lakes dotted around. On Highway 88, just outside Stockton, we stopped at a Starbucks for coffee. Tom had a muffin as well. He was getting hungry and it is over an hour to where we plan to stop for breakfast. Unlike the last time, when we stopped in Copperopolis looking for somewhere to eat and failing miserably, we knew exactly where we are going today – Zachary Jacques in Pleasant Valley.
Highway 88 is a two lane road through the Central Valley. We were heading towards Jackson (the same Jackson as Nancy Sinatra sang about I wonder?) on Highway 49. Our route takes us through orchards and Tom remarked on the fact that although the trees were all the same, some of them were tall and some were short. It looks like the tall trees had not been cut back but the short ones obviously had. We wondered why. Oleander bushes were in full bloom and lined both sides of the road at one point. Just before the Harney Road intersection I spotted a peahen standing motionless at the side of the road.
Along Highway 88 grapes, apples, and a host of other fruits and vegetables grow profusely. Fruit stands are abundent, selling strawberries, corn, applies, cherries, blackberries, apricots and blueberries – all grown locally. As we drove through Lockeford, I noticed that the Lockeford Meat Service (good sausages) in the center of town was not open yet. Just north of Clements we bear left, still on Highway 88, and for me this is new territory.
Suddenly we are no longer on the valley floor but steadily ascending towards the foothills of the Sierra Nevada range of mountains. The land has become more open and hilly. the orchards and vineyards are no more to be seen.
I see a sign advertising the Black Chasm just outside Volcano. My daughter Ginnie and I visited this cave a few years back and it was great fun. Near the Black Chasm is Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park which Tom and I visited once. Both places are worth a visit.
According to the map, the Camanche Reservoir was off to our right but I see no sign of it. I see a road sign pointing towards it with the brown symbols showing that fishing and boating can be enjoyed there.
We enter the town of Ione. How is that pronounced – I-one, I-on or I-own – I wonder? Tom says it is I-own so I’ll bow to his superior knowledge. The town looked interesting so we decided to stop and stretch our legs. The main street is wide with lots of parking places. There is a wide covered sidewalk on one side of the road and the buildings are all evocotive of the heady gold rush days.
Right behind the Ione City Hall, which was originally a hotel built in 1864, an old railway steam locomotive stands under cover and behind a high barred fence which is difficult to look through, Tom couldn’t even take a photo of the train. A sign to the right of it proclaims it to be ‘Iron Van’ which was ‘the last steam locomotive to operate over the Amador Central Railroad between Ione and Martell. …….The last trip………was made in 1956.’
It is just 8.30 in the morning and there were very few people around and certainly nothing was open. We took a stroll up one side and down the other to see what there was to see.
In the C&P Tax Service window were some old typewriters and adding machines. One was an Underwood, which looked just like the one my Dad used back in the 1960′s and on which I learned to type. Memories, memories.
Old gas station in Pleasant Valley on the way to breakfast. The pumps still showed gas at $.40 a gallon
The library is housed in the Ione Parlor No 33 N.S.G.W. building which was built in 1854. This builidng is two stories hight with a balcony on the second floor.
On one corner of Main Street is an old brick building with a faded Coca Cola sign painted on the side. A door and a window have been built into the wall which partialy obliterate the sign. On the wall of the building opposite are some large , bright paintings of annual events in Ione – the Soapbox Derby, Fireworks in Howard Park, Pumpkin Patch at Winterport Farm and Home Town Christmas.
A sign on the front of 18 Main Street declares the building to be the Daniel Co Store built in 1856. this was the first brick building erected in the Ione Valley. The sign goes on to say that Ione was once known as “Bed-bug” and “Freeze-out”. That conjures up a pretty picture doesn’t it?
Time to move on. We are both more than ready for breakfast but we still have some way to go. We left town on Highway 124, which is the Plymouth Highway, and the road climbed upwards. The brown hills on either side became higher but we had occasional views to the even higher hills ahead of us. No sign yet of the majestic peaks of the high Sierra, which will grace the skyline shortly.
At 9 am we reach Highway 49, the scienic route through the Gold Country and the historic gold rush towns from Oakhurst in the south to Vinton on Highway 70 to the north.
When we reached those higher hills, the road began to twist and turn and there were steep drop offs to my right. Our ears started to pop. A convoy of motor bikes passed us, heading south. And there, to the left of us, we caught sight of those high mountain peaks.
Just south of Diamond Springs we drive through the small town of El Dorado. This little hamlet must be the county seat of El Dorado county. I checked a map of the counties of California and was surprised to see that this county is bigger than I though it would be. It stretches all the way to the stateline with Nevada.
At 9.30 we finally reach Zachary Jacques and at last we get to eat.
August 14 2009 | Special Places | 1 Comment »
