Happy birthday Vinomaker.

Yes, today is Vinomaker's birthday.  And, as is our tradition, we decided to go out and do a little bit of wine tasting.
Usually, I try to choose a winery that is off the beaten track, has an interesting backstory, or produces an uncommon varietal wine.  But today I chose to visit a winery that is slap-bang in the middle of everything that is touristy about the Napa Valley; Grgich Hills Estate on Highway 29, Rutherford.
Although Grgich does have an interesting backstory, the Judgement of Paris, I have never found their wines particularly to my taste. However, the 3 million people packed into the tasting room (alright, I'm exaggerating, it was only 2.9 million - and they were all soggy because it was raining), alongside me and Vinomaker, apparently disagreed. The tasting room is outdated (brown, stained plywood), the wines are mediocre (except for a truly awful 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon), but the flock of adherents are, seemingly, irrepressible.
All in all, I did enjoy the experience because it reminded me that there are a lot of different experiences to be had in the Napa Valley. Besides, where else could one find a cheery, be-bereted Croatian on a wine label? Vinomaker and I then drove over to Laird Family Estate and bought a mixed case of  some wines we could actually drink.
Dinner tonight is at Mustard's Grill, so I'm expecting to end the day with a happily overcrowded tummy.

The Judgement of Paris.

I could not let the 40th anniversary of the Judgement of Paris pass by without saying something about it.  However, I don't have much to add to this forty year old tale about the wines of the Napa Valley beating the French at, what the French considered was, their own game.  
The only French prop I could find in the house was this mini Arc De Triomphe (have no idea where it came from), which is quite ironic really because the French lost.  Vive le vin!