What was billed as a V8s in the vines event morphed into a tip toe through the rain drops, but as always, any time LCOC members, family and friends get together good fun is never far behind. Nearly 20 of us gathered near Los Olivos, CA, for a premium wine tasting and upscale Panini box lunch at the beautiful Zaca Mesa Winery.
We came from as far away as San Diego and Fresno to enjoy a special day of fellowship with LCOC friends. This time our cars, which are normally the centerpiece of any club activity, took second place, though Lincolns predominated as we assembled.
Joe and Kitty Caillau provided a highlight, making their grand entrance after most of us were in place trundling in all the way from Fresno with their beautiful turquoise 1955 Capri. An unexpected surprise was Joe’s matching pair of turquoise Crocs. See below 🙂
Mother Nature, who normally smiles down on all our club functions, instead gave us nothing short of a wry grin this time. While the nastiest weather held off until we arrived, once we were inside the winery the heavens opened up in full force as pouring rain pounded down.
Instead of the picnic in the vines with our cars and premium wines that had been planned we enjoyed a more conventional tasting inside Zaca Mesa’s View Room.
Our hosts let us sample everything from their 2019 TREAD Chardonnay to their 2013 30th Anniversary Syrah. Also on the tasting menu were a very nice 2022 Rose of Granache, an excellent 2017 Mouvedre, 2018 Estrella Syrah and a 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines were well received by all and some of us purchased bottles to take home as a tasty souvenir of our Zaca Mesa adventure. Our sincere thanks to Scott Balanda and David Meagher for their event planning efforts.
California’s gorgeous scenery did not disappoint. Last year’s and this season’s heavy rains transported the surrounding landscape from the usual soft straw color of central California to the brilliant green more characteristic of Ireland. As we headed for home we would love to have lingered in the tiny hamlet of Los Olivos and explored its quaint shops, but the weather had other plans, though we did take a short motor cruise through town to get a flavor of its ambiance.
After the tranquil beauty of the wine country we headed back toward the bustling metropolis where we live. Reality set in with heavy traffic forming as we approached and then exited L.A. It was Saturday evening in the big city after all, so the jams were expected. So was the fun we enjoyed throughout the day. As an old friend once famously said, “it’s great to be alive and be in southern California!”
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