I told myself I was going to start the newsletter on Monday this week because I would not have time to cram it in on Thursday or Friday. What do I do? I wait until Tuesday to start. Not bad, but also the constant question of, “Why do I procrastinate so” rings through my head. One day I should explore this question more.

Normally, I don’t do very much for Thanksgiving, and it’s a Holiday I don’t overly celebrate. But, for some reason, this year feels a little different. I am far from the traditional turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing person. Instead, I enjoy finding something off the wall to explore and see how badly I can mess it up. A few weeks ago, I mentioned making Timpano, inspired by reading Stanley Tucci’s food memoir. I said this to my daughter, and she was totally on board after seeing some pictures. Over the years, we have cooked and baked so many things. Most were great. Some failed. It is the time together, though, I treasure most. Tonight we started the Ragu for the Timpano, and she freaked out a little when I told her it would take three hours. I’m glad I prepared a little, so I am not starting at 5:00.

The fact my daughter is looking forward to making this mammoth dish with me has me excited for Thanksgiving this year. It’s a little cheesy, but this time of year is all about being around family and friends to enjoy the time together. I hope you had a killer Thanksgiving and didn’t get mobbed by too many people in Wine Country on Friday.

Around this time of year is also a time for celebration at wineries. Harvest has wrapped up, which means it's time for pickup parties! Going around these last few weeks has felt incredible, especially since we didn’t have real pickup parties last year. So this week is all about pickup parties.

My first pickup party was on October 10th with Corollary. I do believe this was their first pickup party ever. Driving up the hill, parking at Winters Hill, I darted to the tent and paid no attention to where I was supposed to go. But, I was excited for bubbles and ready to go! Dan helped direct me in the correct direction. I had some fantastic food and wine, and I met Jeanne’s parents, who were helping out. The sun was magnificent that day! You couldn't have had a better day for the pickup party! I did a little bottle swap with Dan, and I left a super happy person!

Fast forward a bit to November 6th for Arlyn’s pickup party! Again, I was so excited that I showed up at 11:00 instead of when everyone else showed up at like 11:30. Sorry, Janis, for being a little enthusiastic. The day was trying to be a little nasty, but eventually, it turned out to be a great day. The pavlova filled with whipped goat's cheese and topped with beets sounds like, “Um, thank you, but no thank you,” but let me tell me, oh my freaky gourd, it was the most unexpected and joyous pairing! I also had the chance to talk with a couple of strangers who are now friends. We talked about places to visit in wine country, and we all adored the 2019 State of Grace. They were on their way to Vidon’s Raise the Temp event while I was off to Adelsheim, followed up to my next pickup party, Privee.

If you are not familiar with Privee, here is a newsletter I did earlier in the summer. I get the sense Piper, the new owner of Privee, enjoys hosting. I snuck into a tasting room full of people chatting, eating, and having a great time. Her mom and dad were helping serve food and wine while Piper was talking with everyone nonstop, trying to pour Port while her partner, Ben, was locked in a cage getting wines for members. It filled my heart to see so much life, people having a good time with food and wine. I did get a chance to talk with Piper a little while trying the Port. I asked for a super small pour because I am not much for Port. I have to say it was pretty tasty, and I went home with a bottle. Geez, why can't I have better willpower?

I had to go home and rest up a little for another pickup party for the French side of the house for Domaine Serene the following day. I have to admit, yes, once again, I was super excited. Way back in the day, there were pickup parties in what we now call the “old tasting room,” or the Monogram Room is the official name, I think. Anyway, it’s the underground tunnel where I fell hopelessly in love back during a pickup party on November 22, 2014. Assistant winemaker Trent Lemperle was doing a barrel tasting of Fleur de Lis, and it was all over for me. I never thought I would be in the same exact place seven years later, tasting through 8 different French wines. The 2018 Chateau de la Cree Pommard Les Petis Noizons Pinot Noir was almost as good as the Fleur de Lis.

How are you doing so far? Do you need a break? More coffee, perhaps? Are you good? Alright, here we go!

The following weekend, November 13th, I was scheduled to attend a pickup party for Elevee, and Amy the Fantastic invited me to Purple Hands pickup party. There were again more people having a great time with a spread to die for accompanied with music. Cody, the winemaker, was super approachable and was pouring some 2021 Pinot from the barrel. Oh me, oh my! Super amazing juice and so young. I can’t imagine what it will be like in a few years.

Also on display and for sale was an early wine from Cody. It was a 2010 Red Blend. I asked what the blend was, but I didn’t write it down, which means my memory banks were full, and now the information is gone. I was super tempted to buy a bottle, but somehow I went home without the bottle. I am super shocked on so many levels that sometimes my willpower does work. Wow!

Leaving Purple Hands, I drove to where Longplay is now set up for tastings. Elevee and Longplay are sharing the winery facility, and the pickup party was in the winery. I walked into the winery and was immediately greeted by France. We talked and talked and talked and maybe talked a little more, all the while a helper was patiently waiting to know who in the heck I was so she could check me in. Again, I was a little excited to see people and talk to people. I grabbed my first pour, a 2015 Elevee Vineyard Pinot with Duck Adobo Rillette to pair, set down my glass, and recognized someone I hadn’t seen in about four years. I walked up, said hi, and we chatted for a good 10 minutes nonstop. I walked away only because I felt terrible for crashing the already-in-progress conversation.

I always kick myself for not mentioning Elevee more. France and Tom are freaking out of this world fantastic. All of their wines are spectacular, and they are the nicest people. France is always cooking up something unique. Last year she made some Pinot Noir Jam. This year she made hazelnuts. I need to talk more about Elevee. The Longanisa Deviled Eggs were to die for. I went back for seconds of the 2018 Departure Pinot. Every single time, my knees want to buckle and give out. Thank goodness I know this about myself and this wine. Otherwise, I would have looked like a fool falling over in front of everyone at the pickup party.

After regaining a bit of strength back in my knees, there was one more pickup party on the list the following day at none other than Hazelfern.

I don’t know if you have noticed or not, but there is a constant theme of being excited about every single pickup party. Hazelfern is no different, and in fact, I might have been the most excited for this pickup party. In seeing previous pictures, the parties at Hazelfern looked a little epic. I knew it wouldn’t be that epic (covid precautions), but I had high hopes! Walking into the winery, Laura greeted me, and we talked for quite a bit. The tasting room/winery always floors me. It is perfect in so many ways. I am sure Laura is the mastermind who put it all together, but Bryan also has a vibe about him where I could see he also could have contributed to the overall appeal of the building. Either way, I need to ask one day (is this foreshadowing for something else?).

The Pinots, the Chardy party, and the food were terrific, but what I truly enjoyed about this pickup party was the people. I sat with a small group, and we had a great time talking. A little later, Bryan hooked us up with a couple of special pours. One was a past release, and the other, I hope it finds its way to bottle. It has been a while since I got out this much with this many people. My little extroverted introvert self needed so many little energizer bunnies to refill my tank, but I would do it all over in a heartbeat. I mean, it’s not every day where you regret, but not really regret leaving your phone on the picnic table to get a pour and find a picture you were not expecting on your phone. Thanks, Lars, for making me laugh and catching me off guard!

In all seriousness, it is officially the Holiday Season, even though my heart is still aching for summer. It is a time of year where people can feel alone and sad. The last 20,000 months have been rough on a lot of people. So reach out to someone you haven’t talked with in a bit to say, “Hi.” If you are reading this and feel alone, you have to hit reply on this email. I will email you back, and if I can make it happen, we will have a glass of wine together, share some memories, and laugh. Reader, I can’t thank you enough for reading my newsletters every week and allowing me to take up a little time in your week. To you and your family, Happy Thanksgiving!

With Gratitude,

A.J.

PS - Another episode of Between two vines is with none other than Wynn Peterson-Nedry​

PPS - Need a get a gift for that someone special who loves cracking open a bottle of bubbles? I got the perfect gift just for you!