Drink two bottles of wine and get your steps in!…read more
If you've never done a wine walk, wineries set up tables in shops and restaurants in a downtown area. Often they are stuck in the back so that you have to walk by the merch, but sometimes they are out front. They're usually manned by a pair of owners, managers, or growers. In the case of L&M Wineries, for example, we were served by both L and M. They're almost always patient and gracious, giving me a courtesy smile when I say it "tastes like grapes". Often you get just one pour, but you might get two if they have two different wines or you're charming. I have the charm of a bee in the car, but I get mine by wearing a cowboy hat and pretending I'm not a b-hole.
Besides supplying a map, the downtown association ties balloons to the door to make them easy to find when your vision starts to blur. Then, people who paid $60 or so for wristbands and promotional glasses enjoy their easter egg hunt, getting 2-3 hours to drink and turn their teeth purple.
After 7 years of Wine Walks in Los Gatos, Campbell, Willow Glen, and Mountain View, this was the first wine walk that used tickets. This meant you must submit a ticket at each of the twenty spots. They likely do this to curb people from getting "seconds", but even though I've never tried to get seconds at the other places, this restriction triggered me to do so. (My wife heard this and told me I'm not allowed to put my socks in the laundry basket). Anyway, next time I go, I am bringing pre-made index card fragments that read "Ha Ha Wines" or "Sucker! Winery"
I had two pours of Fortino Winery at Maison A, and 1-2 pours of Martin Ranch at Sinaloa Cafe where a band Encore played a Tom Petty song. Had 1-2 pours of Guglielmo wines at Cigarland, 2 pours of Miramar at Noah's Bar, and 1-2 pours of Kirigin at Avery's Avenue. I may have gotten another pour from Sinaloa (by being nice) and allegedly from Maison (purportedly by using the ticket book cover), but I can't be certain. We got 1-2 pours of Aimee June wines at Betty's Bistro, 1-2 pours of Wildeye at Portraits by Rebecca, where the lines starting getting about 8 deep. Saw a dog parade (a highlight, as MHDA has many dog events). We got Verde at Bubbles and Brew, and L&M Wines at Studio 38. We got Moose Mountain at Craft Roots, Hecker Pass at Trail Dust, Solis at Urbn Ranch, Sarah's at Dezign Salon, Little Uvas from Rosy's at the Beach, Clos La Chance at Sushi Confidential, and Giorgio's for Lightpost Winery. We got a pour of Emmalily at Jewel Box where my wife got her ring cleaned (I didn't have cash for tips- next time I'll also make index cards that read "one money").