Seeing Sacramento & Beyond
Exploring a City with a Small-Town Feel and World of PotentialArchive for April 6, 2009
Juuust Right
Picnic Grounds at RH Phillips Winery
The woman at RH Phillips Winery (Yolo County) admitted that the particular Chardonnay we were sipping was being kept at about 38 degrees, much too cold for such a luscious, ripe wine. So I cupped the glass in my hands to warm it up. A few minutes later, the wine was good to go and my taste buds appreciated the restraint.
Seems it’s always Liz coming from the back office through the large, modern winery to greet the inquisitive tasters. And seems she’s always talkative and friendly and knowledgeable about the area (not to mention the wine) in which she lives, works and plays.
Vineyards, wineries and tasting rooms(!) encircle Sacramento like loving tentacles, from the Sierra Foothills to the Delta region; from Central City to busting city limits. And some of us truly embrace them back (maybe sometimes even more than we should).
California itself is an agricultural powerhouse, with grapevines being a very prolific and hot commodity. Wine regions around Sacramento include Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, San Joaquin, Nevada and Placer counties (see Sacramento wine guide), with the infamous Napa and Sonoma counties not far behind.
But not all good wine needs a long-standing reputation to precede it. The best ones often find us unexpectedly, when we’re traversing a scenic back road or trying something we’ve never had before at a local restaurant. My suggestion: Just be open to new experiences and flavors. And when you find something you love, love, love… buy, buy, buy as much as you can afford. Because good vintages aren’t easily (if ever) duplicated.
There is something special about Sacramento; the rich land upon which she was built, the rivers that flow through her, the bounty around her and the people who make it their home.
Life is good in California’s Capital City for many reasons, including climate and geography, community and amenities, nature and wildlife, and more. It’s hard to imagine a warmer feeling than a sunshine-drenched morning here, an easier feeling than a refreshing spring day, or a more engaging experience than a night on the town after a cleansing rain.
There’s truly something for everyone and every mood, for Sacramento is a shifting entity itself, with four distinct but relatively mild seasons, diverse neighborhoods and people, a ripening food and restaurant scene, year-round events and outdoor fun, and daytime and nighttime adventures. Its magic is a blend of history and tradition, vision and reinvention. And there’s so much pleasure to be had here – with family and friends, food and wine, adventures and experiences – that they’re likely to create the kind of fond memories that might seem so familiar… but aren’t quite like any other.
