A New Saturday Habit?

I originally had plans to take "Bert" out to a nice lunch at Meritage at Callaway just before he took a family related trip. Then he got the COVID and flu shots on Friday and was still out of sorts yesterday morning. Once again I improvised and decided to spend my Saturday afternoon with Miku in wine country.

At Meritage I opted for the strawberry and chicken salad with a glass of Rose of Sangiovese again. It's absolutely delightful but it's a seasonal item that's only available for a little longer.

I brought the Surface Pro 11 along for this afternoon journey. When I snapped this photo at one of the tables inside the members only Vu Deck, I was about to write a chapter for my short story. I had a glass of NV Bella Blanc to help fuel my inspiration, and the chapter was written without an outline in about forty five minutes.

Yes, the wallpaper is the 1993 Alfa Romeo 155 TI V6 I race in Gran Turimso. I also changed the car number from 13 to 32. Moving on...

Once the writing was finished, I ordered chimichurri fries and a glass of Late Harvest Cabernet Sauvignon. I finished reading John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath a few nights earlier, so I read the first fortysomething pages of A.J. Baime's Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, And Their Battle For Speed And Glory At Le Mans while digesting this snack.

I suspect I'll be done with this one before you can finish reading that book title.

The northern view from the Vu Deck includes the courtyard and stage where live music is played on weekends. Unfortunately whomever was performing yesterday was taking a break.

The ratio of non-wine club members to members was once again greater than 10 to 1, so you also can imagine how crowded the downstairs tasting room was compared to where I sat.

Once three o'clock arrived I drove Miku with the top down to Danza del Sol. A middle aged man strummed an acoustic guitar and did an admirable job of entertaining guests. It was quite crowded, so I had to take whatever table was available even when the prior guests left their glasses.

The culinary dream in the take out container is lobster mac and cheese. Fresh macaroni noodles and four different cheeses with lobster meat added to the mix. When I paired it with a Sauvignon Blanc, it was absolutely delightful. The four cheeses brough forth the wine's bite, while the lobster complemented its kinder aftertaste.

The trip to Danza del Sol was necessary. I wanted to acquire two bottles of their 2022 Super Tuscan, which I tried for the first time two months ago. One bottle found its new home in the 12-bottle wine fridge in the living room. The other has its rightful place in the 6-bottle "aging" fridge, where it will remain undisturbed for 2-3 years before opening.

With Bert out of town for awhile, I'm not against the idea of doing this solo day trip again next Saturday.