It even smells purple

You never truly appreciate the beauty of a vineyard until you see it for hours on end on sprawling hills.


around each bend there would be a tiny town, three or four buildings and a grandpa sitting out front. wisteria climbing the walls making the air smell of heaven.

are we rounded our last vineyard we pulled into venica venica. it was here that we were blessed with poor advertisement. the website led me to believe i would be staying in an italian motel six. however when we got there we were greeted with complete luxury. it was a stone resort. ivy climbed its simple walls. a creek bubbled through the property. sunshine bathed the endless windows that open on a field of grapes. the pool lays next to a gazebo full of comfy white couches and a refrigerator full of wine.  little lizards scamper through the bed of daisies as we walk by. the walk to our room is lined with more china cabinets filled with wine leading to more outdoor patios. our room is a pine paradise. a cozy cabin with windows on the floor and an arched ceiling to let more sunlight in.

we rush to lunch, a quiet local spot, we enjoy wine and the smell of wisteria. It wraps around the table legs to meet local cats and loyal dogs as their owners sip afternoon wine. when we return the tasting is ready. i listen intently as she rolls the language around on her tongue just as we do with the wine. keith banters back and forth combining his two loves of wine and italian. he is in his element yet again and its hard to take your eyes off him. the wine is sweet and so is the day. we settle on a few favorites and go to change for a dinner adventure.

as i get ready keith takes a nap, my job as an alarmclock fails me as i wake up some hours later asleep on his chest. curler on and makeup off we have missed our reservation and any hope for food in this tiny town. an epic adventure of boiling pasta noodles we had aquired in verona commences. we successfully boil a handful of noodles and use the noodles to heat some tomato sauce. we take a taste of our hard work and it has the delicacy of a soccer cleat and i  imagine tastes almost as similar. its horrific but the memory of its creation is delicious. we result to some merlot as both antipasti and primi.

we wake to church bells, there is a warm mist on the land before us. we slip into cozy sweaters and sit drinking tea and espresso as the sun rises alongside us.
we are the only guests here. the resort chef makes us fresh frittatas. they steam with garlic and spinach aroma. fresh prosciutto, strawberries, and grapefruit juice.
 we spend the day in the gazebo drinking wine from the vineyard we look out on. keith types away working and i lounge in the sun doing my best to acquire some nose freckles

at lunch we visit la subida osterria
i enjoy il frico- the good parts of a grilled cheese( suggested from a wine friend in seattle)
and white asparagus risotto. keith has green pea soup and flower sprinkles.
across from us a baby boy celebrates his first birthday in suspenders and a fedora. his family loves on him and he giggles with delight. a puppy strains under that table for a morsel of any of this delicious food. pasta is twirled and tasted and families come and go. keith and i drink honey sunshine wine and i melt into liquid happiness.


we finish and walk amongst the vineyard, through trails and vines and back to the horse stables. wisteria follows us wherever we go and i am grateful for the perfumed air. we hike through the grass tangled with flowers. atop the hill is an old bunker. here you can see all around. its quiet, its beautiful. near the bunker is a steep slide that was once abandoned. I climb to the top and slide down in a happy haze. at the end, my bottom meets gravel and i am denied a soft landing. instead, i earn a very large cut on my left buttcheek. oddly i find comfort in a time ago when i went "skiing" down a hill at potts of gold. it is a similar unfortunate injury. from this moment on i am exponentially grateful for keith and our relationship. as he proceeded to pick gravel and dirt out of my backside i am reminded, even as he has to gauze up my butt for the following 7 days. he is a good man.


more wine and sunshine, but with a sore behind.



la subida dinner
7 course meal phenomenal in every way shape and form

see photos.

this 16 year old boy inherited this land and he created la subida from it. which is now a fine dining resturant, resort and local lunch spot. quite the accomplishment. we had a lovely 5 hour dinner complete with fabulous wine pairings. if i could eat this everyday i would. although the list of foods were ones i had no interest in originally i can say now that i am happy i went out on a ledge and braved some 'unknown' foods