“Why don’t you come with us,” she suggested.
I was enjoying a delightful lunch with my friend Vanessa and her husband Kelly. They had just shared that they would be heading up to the winery the following day to sample their new wine.
“I would love to!”
Ah the joys of being an entrepreneur and to change your plans at the drop of a hat!
I met them the following morning after dropping the girls off at school and we were off on a fun adventure.
We arrived after a pleasant hour drive and I was surprised to be in front of what looked like a retail space. I’d expected to find myself among luscious sun drenched vines for the morning. “We’re at the winery, not the vineyard,” Kelly reminded me,” the lab essentially, where all the magic happens”.
As I entered the building I knew this was indeed a magical place.
Hundreds of oak barrels filled with wines of all varieties filled a giant warehouse. I could feel the excitement building…
The main objective of the day was to sample their three wines and determine whether they were ready for bottling. Sean, their fabulous and incredibly knowledgeable consultant, syphoned a sample from the first barrel and poured it into glasses for us to taste.
We sampled all three wines but their unique Angelaia blend was the star of the day.
The color was gorgeous! I admired a deep red with beautiful cranberry hues as it danced along the sides of the glass.
The nose of this wine was rich, complex and inviting.
As I rolled the wine on my tongue and then carefully “chewed” it to allow the full body to blossom on my palate I was delighted! The 2012 vintage of Angelaia is delicious!
Vanessa’s husband Kelly has long been fascinated with wine making and a few years ago I sampled some wine he’d made in his garage. It was a decent wine but nothing like what I sampled last week. Seriously this is a really good wine! It has nothing “amateurish” about it. It’s a full bodied wine, complex in flavors and quite enjoyable.
This was a very special day for me… To see Vanessa pursuing a dream with her husband, enjoying a unique and truly scrumptious life experience. I loved seeing the joy on her face as she relished this very special moment, when all the hard work and waiting has paid off, and a delicious wine is born!
I asked Vanessa to share with me a little about her experience as a wine maker. Here are her thoughts on this exciting adventure:
“One of life’s little pleasures for me is a delicious glass of wine. Whether it’s relaxing after a tough day or complimenting an interesting meal, a glass of wine can instantly bring me to my happy place. There’s something about hearing the cork pop out of a bottle, as you anticipate what you’re about to experience, that’s exciting. Because every bottle of wine is unique. Even when you think you know what you’re about to taste, there will be some sublte expression in this bottle, that’s different from any other you’ve tasted before. It’s nature’s art at work. So when the crazy idea of making our own wine came up with some dear friends, my husband and I jumped at the chance and Angelaia was born.
Our wine is a uniquely Californian blend, made in the Italian tradition…a Cal-Ital experience! I could go on about the wine itself. It’s a little gem and truly delicious. But the journey is what’s been so fulfilling for me. I remember the exhilarating feeling of watching our grapes as they were crushed, revealing the gorgeous, deep purple hue and fruity aroma. We were stunned to see the depth of color and the beginning of a signature flavor as we tasted our young wine a few weeks later. And when we finally bottled our first vintage in 2011, the thrill of holding a bottle of our wine with the angel on the label, was incredible.
As a working mom with a demanding career, my free time has been happily occupied with family and raising our amazing daughter. But now that our girl is a teenager and about to enter high school, I’m loving this shared passion I have with my husband. There is so much to learn and experience together as wine makers. I don’t know where the Angelaia journey will lead or whether our little hobby will continue to grow and evolve into a thriving business. I just know that for now, it’s interesting, fulfilling and just plain fun!”
I can’t wait to run up to the winery again next month for the bottling of Angelaia.
Do you have a special hobby that takes you to your “happy place”? What fun and scrumptious experience do you share with your husband or other loved ones?
That is a real neat experience. I can’t even imagine the dedication that takes place to get a wine to the level of being able to bottle it for public consumers 🙂 My parents make their own wine, but it’s not vintage quality LOL.
It was so much fun to be a part of this in a small way Tammy. I wish I had been there for the crushing of the grapes as well. There’s always next year. 🙂 I love to see friends follow their heart, do something unique and turn it into a marketable product. Their wine is so good they’ve sold most of it before it’s even bottled!
How exciting to test it before it was bottled? It will be really neat when it is and you’ll say you had a part in it. 🙂
I felt very privileged to be a part of the pre-bottling tasting Liz!
How cool to be able to taste the win before it’s bottled. Very neat experience. Bet it was a lot of fun.
It was a lot of fu Sheila! I’m so grateful to have friends who decided to make their own wine… and to have it be a delicious wine on top of that. Super fun!
I’m totally adding this to my bucket/life list – visit a winery, learn about wine-making, and wine tasting. This looks amazing and now you’ve TOTALLY got me wanting to do this now!
Heehee Lisa, that is a great bucket list thing to do! It was a lot of fun to be a part of! One of the best part was listening in on the conversations with Sean, their consultant… he is soooo knowledgeable!
I’m going to my first winery in just a few days… I can’t wait! I really need to learn more about how to tell if a wine is good or not.
How exciting Kathleen! When it comes to whether a wine is good or not,the most important thing is whether you like it! I love a full bodied dry red wine, perhaps because I’m French and that’s what I grew up with since my dad tends to favor those as well. But many of my friends prefer lighter wines with a more fruity taste… Enjoy your visit!!
I have no idea how I am the “MoscatoMom” and have yet to visit a winery LOL SO neat!
How fun Lynsey the Moscato Mom! I’d say a visit to a winery is a Must! Take a few girlfriends for a day off and enjoy some wine tasting!
What a fun experience! My aunt & cousin did a winery tour last month and it sounded like SO much fun!
I love winery tours Sara. It’s a great way to discover new wines… This experience was particularly rewarding because I got to sample the wine before anyone else 🙂
How exciting, both for your friends to achieve that level to offer to the public and for you to get to try it first!
Thanks Val! It is exciting and I felt so special being including in this one of a kind wine tasting.
How cool . . . to be able to sample the wine before it’s offered to the general public. That’s a really special treat, and I’m a bit envious!
I kind of felt like royalty Audrey… definitely a unique experience 🙂
While I’m not a wine drinker, I still think the whole process is incredibly fascinating!
I grew up with a father who is quite the “connoisseur” Chelle and have had the pleasure of tasting some pretty amazing wines… but to be a witness to the entire process has given me a whole new level of appreciation. Wine making is such a delicate balance between art and science, it is fascinating!
So neat! That Angelaia wine looks yummy!
I have to say Angelaia is quite a yummy wine indeed Jennifer… complex and full bodied… and it still blows me away that it’s a wine that my friends are making!! It’s so fun and rewarding to see their passion lead to something so beautiful!
I would love to go on a winery tour! I prefer sweet wines but I do enjoy sampling all kinds.
Sampling is so much fun Kimberly and a great way to discover a new favorite you may never have been tempted by otherwise. These three wines were very distinct… we also were treated to one of Sean’s wine that has been aging for 6 years in oak… scrumptious!
I love the hands on experience that you got, very cool!
It was a lot of fun Tiff! I hope to be a part of the process from start to finish next year… the grape crushing sounds particularly fun!
What a fun experience! I haven’t had much time for hobbies lately but I like spending time with my friends when I can.
It was a lot of fun and spending that quality time with my friends made the experience that much sweeter 🙂 Hobbies are such a great way to fill your own cup so try to carve out a little time for that as well Shell 😉
I don’t have such a hobby or a girlfriend or spouse to share one with if i did. but i loved hearing her talk so passionately about the journey her and her husband are sharing. looking forward to your future posts, max
I find it so hard to believe that you do not have a girlfriend or spouse Maxwell… you are such a caring man. I’m glad you enjoyed Vanessa sharing her story… I wish you could see her face light up every time she talks about this fun adventure they are taking together!
What a nice story. I like to hear about people following their dreams. I hope all goes well with your friend’s winery and I look forward to trying one of their wines.
I too love seeing people follow their dreams. I always say that Life is too short for regrets so I was thrilled to spend the day with Vanessa and Kelly and enjoy their dream with them. You are going to love Angelaia! It is a really good wine 🙂