White Barn With Old Vines

Since OilMan went off this morning to play golf, I decided to take a drive in the Sonoma Valley. We drive this way often, and there are lots of blipping opportunities, but OilMan isn't always in the mood to amble along, stopping frequently, so I decided to do it myself.

There are dozens of wineries along the way, many of them quite new but housed in buildings that look like gothic castles, Spanish haciendas or Italian villas. Most of them strike me as a bit over the top, although some of them make good wine. The building of fancy buildings to house wineries strikes me much the same as the horse farms in Kentucky where thoroughbreds must be housed in barns that are fancier than my house, surrounded by acres of green grass and spotless white fences. I'm pretty sure the horses don't care...

As the grass here gets higher (and drier) the sound of mowers is ubiquitous. Even the mustard growing between the rows of vines is mowed and plowed back into the soil to provide some nutrient to the grapes. Then come the men in masks, white jumpsuits and helmets, usually on tractors towing the barrels of insecticide which they spray on the vines. One wonders what happens to the wine, if the men tending the vines have to wear this much protective clothing....One of our favorite Sonoma County wineries, Medlock Ames, grows everything sustainably and without pesticides. Their tasting room in the Alexander Valley is pleasant and unassuming, and the winery in Chalk Hill nearby is all business (except on the days when they throw great parties.)

I don't know who this barn belongs to, although I gather it is somebody with the letter "P" in their name, but being a fan of barns of all kinds, I couldn't resist it. Especially with the vineyard of old vines in front of it. There is an equally charming house next door--a Victorian farmhouse with a porch all the way around it, set in the trees and surrounded by climbing roses. They must own the vines, which must be at least 100 years old, but they let them speak for themselves. I often see somebody parked by the side of the road with their camera out....