Dragged myself out of bed really early this morning to head into the foggy dawn for my first - and definitely not last - attempt to surf. I had signed up for a two hour lesson.

It was a blast! Took a couple tries before I managed to catch some waves and a couple more tries after that before I stood up. Hehe, I think the hardest bit is to catch the wave just before the crest; towards the end, I was getting too exhausted to paddle fast enough to do so. But when I managed to, it was exhilarating! Granted, I wasn’t going as fast as I would have wakeboarding, but there is something more thrilling in doing it via wave power, rather than by motorboat.

Alas, there are not big enough surfs in Singapore for me to attempt it again, but would anyone be up for taking a windsurfing course with me instead???

Woot. Going to grab some food now, before I go for a tasting of Santa Cruz wines.

Categories: Journal, The great outdoors, Away!
No Comments »

I like Santa Cruz, for its compactness, and walkability. Since arriving, I’ve parked my car in a garage and may not need to use it to get around the city at all.

Pauline and Mike live in a really cute loft right above Borders, with a balcony that offers a glimpse of the sea just beyond. It’s an interesting neighborhood, with a curious mix of hippies and yuppies: there is an Urban Outfitter just next to a bunch of thrift stores; half the people I pass by are in dreadlocks and smell of dried sweat and incense while the other half are sun-bleached surfers in their expensive board shorts.

I brunched at a lovely cafe this morning before strolling to the beach to check out the surfers. Sadly, not much in the way of eye candy; perhaps I will have to wait for the weekend. But there was a free performance by a troupe of Chinese acrobats, and they had a similar routine to Cirque Shanghai, so I watched that foe a bit. Then cooled off in a cafe off the beach with a glass of mimosa before I walked around town. Heh, I’ve scoped out a wine bar that sells just wines from the Santa Cruz area that I plan to check out tomorrow. And oh, the highlight of tomorrow: surfing! I signed up for a two hour intro class; that should be exciting!!!

Categories: Journal, Away!
No Comments »

July 5 feels like ages ago now, having spent the past two weeks more or less constantly on the road. I’ve traveled more than 3,000 miles already, and through maybe 8 or 9 states. Hehe, it’s not a bad life to lead, this traveling dealio, except that I’ve been bleeding money. I don’t think the Kerouacs of the world meant for traveling to be this luxurious: gambling in Vegas, and fine wining and dining in wine country. Hehe. Although, we did also visit a couple of National and State Parks, and did our share of the sweating under the sweltering summer sun.

It’s been a really good trip so far though, now that I’ve had the chance to decompress a little and slow down to think. It was so much easier to say goodbye to the folks from Chicago the second time around, because we all felt that it was a confirmation of sorts that we will be able to maintain contact in this way too. Yay for the age of convenient international travel (if one can look beyond the fast escalating gas prices). I’m really appreciative of Peiyun too, for she’s always been an awesome traveling companion and she made the otherwise long and dreary hours on the road pass by so much more quickly with her toneless singing ;).

So now I have just a week left in the U.S. I think, having slept on so many different beds in the last couple weeks have given me a newfound appreciation for a more permanent place to go home to kick back and relax. At the end of the day, I’m very glad I scheduled in this road trip as a transition period. Because I’m also getting a little excited about going back to my brand new mattress (albeit a downgrade to a queen size one) and car. And food. And the people in Singapore. Hehe.

So, this morning in San Francisco, and then the afternoon gym climbing with Irene in Sunnyvale, before I go to Pauline and Mike’s in Santa Cruz. I will stay there for the next few days, until Chuck arrives on Thursday and the four of us go camping and outdoor climbing.

Categories: Journal, Away!
3 Comments »

Back at Bruce’s house, but he, along with the rest of the gang, have left already (he and Peiyun, on Saturday night, and Walter, Jon, and Maria, on Sunday night). Boo. It was a really fun weekend though - we really went all out in wining and dining. I basically haven’t felt hungry since Wednesday (we went to Chez Paneizz on Thursday for dinner, and that was phenomenal too).

We brunched at Alexis’ Baking Company this morning. The food was amazing, with heaping sides of fresh and sweet fruit. Despite my attempt to share and not over stuff myself, I was still very pleasantly bloated by the end. The highlight of the meal though, was the very engaging and informative conversation we had with the lady who shared our table. She’s a winemaker at a tiny family owned winery in Mt Veeder, Yates, and was very generous with sharing her insights on all things wine.

Turnbull
2007 Sauvignon Blanc - grapefruit, guava, melon. Tart finish. I prefer the nose to the body but I like how all the summer fruits are so discernable.

2004 Syrah - intense, very intense fruit. Nice spice in the mouth, some tannins in the mouth but a long lingering finish. Definitely a food wine.

2005 Merlot - bright fruit, a lot lighter in the body and finish. I think I prefer the weight of the syrah. Softer tannins.

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon - super ripe black fruit. Some spice, not too much though. Some toasted oak. Rich tannins, big finish.

St Supery
I didn’t know it initially, but St. Supery is actually one of the largest wineries in the Valley. Their grounds were enormous, and they even had a museum above the tasting room for visitors to learn more about the wine making process. Alas, we weren’t too impressed with the wines themselves.

2007 Sauvignon Blanc - grapefruit in the mouth, some guava too. Interesting, short finish.

2006 Virtu - blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillonc. Like how the semillonc rounds off the wine and lends it some hints of toasty oak.

2007 Oak Free Chardonnay - reminds of apple tart. Very light, tart though. An ok Chardonnay, think zd still has my favorite chardonnay of the trip.

2006 Rose - merlot grape. Very interesting nose; blend of tart strawberry and honey. I get the honey at the finish too.

2002 Merlot - tomato and herb in the nose. Tannins are quite strong, none too subtle I think. Not my favorite.

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon - cherry, again the tannins are at the start. Finish just falls off pretty abruptly.

2004 Elu - meritage blend with 66% cab. Cherry and vanilla in the nose. Tannins right at the front too, short finish.

2006 Moscato - 7% residual sugar. Lychee and tangerine notes and body. Very sweet, could probably enjoy just a glass after dinner.

Frank Family
We were only considering going to two wineries today, but both the lady at brunch and the folks at ZD (Jon returned to pick up a bottle of Gewurtz) pointed Frank Family out to us, so up we went. It was definitely a nice way to end the trip. We had eight glasses of really good wines, including a couple of off-the-shelf special reserve pours.

Blanc de Noir - warm baked bread, yeasty. Some nuts in the nose.

1998 Signature Brut - a lot of bubbles but small fizzy. Nice hazelnut in the body. Superior to Mumm. Maria loves it too. New pour has tighter more concentrated bubbles. I like it a lot!

Rouge - 100% Pinot, one and a half hour in contact with the skins. Blackberry finish. Quite nice.

2006 Chardonnay - 100% from carneros. Jon’s immediate comment: ” like cake!” very nice, floral nose, smooth and rounded body, not tart. I like. Mellow, beautiful at room temperature. Some butterscotch.

2006 Zinfandel - yellow cake, again that sort of smooth untart nose. I like that it’s not in your face, more elegant in that sense. Nice rounded and off sweet finish.

2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - bell pepper, spice, cedar.

2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford - fuller, a lot more concentrated, even in the color. A little bit of coffee in the body. Tannins more discernable, could stand to be aged. But I like the focus. Mocha chocolate?

2005 winston hill red wine Bordeaux style ($150) - nice and tight mocha chocolate. More mellow than the prior wine, more elegant. Some plum, and mocha chocolate notes. Very nice. But not as full bodied as the Duckhorn.

Categories: Journal, Uncorked, Away!
No Comments »

We visited five wineries today, which does not feel as many compared with Aaron and company’s trip out to Sonoma last fall. Still, it was plenty enough and by the time we rolled into our last stop at Mumm, I was feeling bloated. I guess the awesome lunch we had stuffed me up too much. But it was an excellent recommendation by the guy at Quixote: we shared marinated ahi tuna, beef carpacchio, duck terrain, and the juiciest Kobe burger I have ever had. So good!!!

Anyway, it has been a really good trip out to Napa - I barely knew of the wineries the last couple of times I came out, so I think I definitely appreciated the experience this time around. We hit most of the wineries that I had planned on going to, wineries recommended by various friends, so I am definitely very satisfied. Still have a long list of wineries to hit up for when I next return!

Signorello
2006 vielles vignes estate Chardonnay -some apple in the mouth and pear in the nose. Some buttery toast, walter thinks. Thick luscious finish, maybe a little oily. Peiyun likes the heft of the wine.

2005 estate syrah (96% Shiraz and 4% viognier) - northern Rhine style, not quite the us style. I like how the viognier rounds off the finish of the Shiraz. I like the nose; some berries, coffee, and spice.

2004 estate Cabernet Sauvignon - Bordeaux style blend. Currants in the nose. Well structured, like the smooth tannins in the finish. Not very sweet but I like.

2006 las amigas vineyard Pinot noir - grown in carneros. Aged in French oak for ten months. Four uses per barrel. Smoky and nice body, some raspberries.

2006 luvisi vineyard zinfandel - 26 miles north of napa, a lot hotter. Hotter, a ton more fruit in the nose and body. Big body, smaller ass.

2003 estate Cabernet sauvignon - cool and moist growing season, completely opposite of 2004. Smells a little greener, the tannins still on the tongue, a little bigger. Interesting how the noses are so different.

Quixote (petite syrah focus. Carl big food guy, likes how this grape pairs with wine. This owner used to own stag’s leap before he sold it to beringer).

2005 panza Grenache mourvedre blend - only seventy cases. Nice hot smell. I really like this wine, not too heavy, but not in the least watery, delightful finish really.

2003 Cabernet sauvignon - tons of black currants in the nose and in the mouth. Maria really likes it too. Me too. Very juicy! Should not try to age the 2003 cabs, but this one is definitely ready to drink right now.

2003 panza Cabernet Sauvignon (5% petite verdot) - I think the Quixote was more exciting. But this is still very nice and smooth. I think that they have very nicely structured wines here, very nice and smooth tannins.

2004 Quixote petite syrah - jon thinks very nice, I do too, but my palate is a little numb right now. Very ripe black fruit, some mocha or chocolate. Should age as it can hold the fruit.

Opus one
2004 Bordeaux style blend - very very hot, a lot of currants in the nose and mouth. Very concentrated, very smooth. But I’m not sure about the $30 tasting nor the $180 price tag. Long finish very peppery.

Zd Winery
2007 rosa lee gewurtztraminer Russian river valley - very dry, citrus notes: pineapple lemon, orange. Very refreshing for today’s hot weather. Peiyun can easily distinguish the pear notes.

2006 Chardonnay California - selection of vineyards including Santa barbara. Cold barrel no maloactic fermentation. Long yeast contact. I like this a lot. Interesting body. Coconut? Little bit of vanilla in the finish. Reminds me of a breezy summer on the beach.

2006 Pinot noir, carneros - ten months French oak. Quite a light color, and with that characteristic pungent Pinot nose. Did not blow my socks off but still good, just paled after comparing with the previous two.

2005 Cabernet sauvignon - blackberries, tobacco in the nose. Some tannins buy not overwhelming. A pleasant wine.

Judd’s Hill
2007 rose - strawberries very light and refreshing, a nice change from the heavy reds. Peiyun thinks it is too sweet. Got to drink cold though.

2005 Chardonnay - quite nondescript after zd. Lemony bright fruit.

2006 Pinot noir - light colored. Nice strawberry in the nose. Some spice in the body; peiyun liked that. Nice rounded finish. Better done than the pinot we had at zd. Jon liked it so much, he bought a bottle.

2005 Zinfandel old vine (75 years) - raising nose, sweet body and raising in the finish too. Just a hint of spice. Quite enjoyable. I really like the nose.

2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (6% Cabernet franc) - nice nose, love the wood. We had this for dinner last night and loved it, which is why we decided to stop by here today. Tannins in the finish, a wine that could stand to be aged a little longer too I think. A little of that sherry nose.

Mumm Napa
The winery’s the biggest we’ve been to the entire trip. Very commercial feel, none of that small intimate winery feel that we have enjoyed at some of the other places. Still it feels quite luxurious to end the day off with a couple glasses of bubbly.

Blanc de blanc - dry, and a little tart in the finish, but the body is off sweet.

Reserve brut - tighter bubbles, off sweet and I think my favorite of the series.

Grand annee 2001 - big bubbles too tart. Way too fizzy. Granted I am not much of a champagne person; Natalie would have been able to offer a much more informed opinion, but this will not be my drink of choice.

Blanc de noir - peiyun and I think its too dry. But she decided after a couple sips that she still likes it.

At Mustard’s Grill
2006 Merryvale Pinot Noir - light nose but nice weight to the body; of strawberries.

Categories: Journal, Uncorked, Away!
2 Comments »

Multi-pitch climbing at Red Rock Canyon (July 13)

Hehe, I’m still super excited that I did my first multi-pitch climb! Now I’m feeling incentivised to become more comfortable with leading so I can pick up trad climbing…

No cloud cover today - HOT

Belaying our guide Gary up the first pitch of The Great Red Book

Me cleaning the route

Super fun route

View from the top of pitch 1

Belaying Gary up the second pitch

Jeff getting ready for the second pitch

Jeff midway up the second pitch

At the summit

Gary and I

Categories: Journal, Up, up and away, Away!
5 Comments »

Driving from New Mexico through Arizona into Nevada (July 11)

Hoover Dam

Interesting advertisement

Climbing in Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas (July 12)

Tiger Stripes

Walking around the super humid Vegas (July 12)

Categories: Journal, Up, up and away, Away!
No Comments »

Bandelier National Park (July 10):

July 10 saw us in the outdoors, hiking and camping under the stars.

Our tent

Bandelier National Park

I like how a quick jaunt up the mountains resulted in drastically different scenery. Goodbye dessert, hello coniferous and pine trees

Preparing a delicious dinner of tuna, carrots, and Korean ramen

Categories: Journal, Away!
2 Comments »

We only managed to hit a few wineries today, but I think half of us thought that was enough. Still, they were all pretty good, especially the Duckhorn, which we were unanimously impressed by.

Duckhorn
2007 Duckhorn Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc - floral notes very crisp light super refreshing.

2005 Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot - tannins young some shoots in the mouth. More leather in the nose.

2005 Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot Estate - smoother in comparison, tannins at the end.

2005 Duckhorn Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - more wood in the nose, some tannins too, little bit of spice and leather, but restrained.

2004 Duckhorn Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - weightier nose less fruity but maybe a little weightier, smooth so darn smooth. Definitely ready to drink right now!!! (speical pour!!!) more restrained and elegant, not as fruit forward. More old world.

2004 Duckhorn Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Rector Creek Vineyard - strong raisin flavor, (special pour) some citrus notes.

2004 Duckhorn Howell Mountain Merlot - light varnish maybe light not as much weight as the cab.

Cakebread
2007 cakebtead Sauvignon Blanc- floral but strong pee notes that I associate with sb. heavier def. Little time in oak, mostly in stainless steel. Smooth, but I hibk I prefer the crispness of duckhorn.

2006 Cakebread Chardonnay - some honey notes. Some nuts in the nose, little not of pear and citrus? But it is less heavy than most chard.

2005 Cakebread Chardonnay Reserve- stinky strong notes def heavier earthier more maloactic fermentation. More butter and oak. More viscuous.

2005 Cakebread Merlot - strong nose. 76% merlot and 26% Shiraz. Jon thinks a little grass jelly.

2005 Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon - heftier nose. Some tannins, still very young, a little bitter in the finish. Could stand to be in the bottle in for a couple more years. Jon thinks it has a truffle body. Could keep for a couple more years.

2005 Cakebread Syrah Carneros Cabernet Sauvignon - tannins in the front finish is kind of thin. Big body light ass. Jon think thinks gravel.

Grgich
2005 Grgich Chardonnay - very lemony nose. Buttery. Bruce thinks baked pear. Some honey in the nose.

2006 Grgich Fume Blanc - tasting notes indicate grapefruit, lemongrass and some minerality? Fume done in oak. Sharp in the tongue but a long finish. I do get the sharpness of the lemongrass in the nose and some grapefruit in the mouth.

2005 Grgich Zinfandel - strawberries and raspberries. Growth in the northern end of the valley, more stressed. Some spice in the body. Jon thinks very Asian: no nose, no butt.

2004 Grgich Merlot - ton of cherries in the nose. Some cedar, not a whole lot of tannins. Jon likes it. A little thin at the finish. But I like the hint of spice in the body.

2004 Grgich Cabernet Sauvginon - smoother than the merlot. I like the feel of the tannins best of this series actually. Very nice ass; smooth and rounded with a liitle kick.

Peju (90% sold at winery)
2007 Peju Chardonnay - room temp buttery, smooth. I like it a lot not too oak and buttery. I have to admit, I like this a lot. Seems like the consensus of this group! They served it at room temperature to try bring out the flabour of the wine. Jon thinks its a very polite wine. Just right!

Non vintage Peju Provence (seven different grapes, both white and red) - Jon thinks its a Michigan wine. Very sweet in the nose but not as didsgusting as the mich wines. Its ok not too exciting. No tannins whatsoever, a drink now wine.

2005 Peju Estate Bottled Merlot - very smooth, raspberries and dark berries. Jon thinks watery but Bruce and I really like it. Maybe a little thin in the nose but I like the lightness in the nose and the body.

2005 Peju Cabernet Sauvignon- tannins, spice, some tobacco but otherwise not really distinguishable from what we’ve had.

2005 Peju Cabernet Franc - chocolate. Smooth. A little tart, just a little in the nose. I liked it more than the cab.

Categories: Journal, Uncorked, Away!
2 Comments »

Sold Alan yesterday… so I am officially car-less. Will have to rent a car for the remainder of the week, but I’m just relieved that that’s over and done with and I don’t have to worry any more…

Goodbye Alan, you were a fine, fine companion - one who accompanied me for all of my grand adventures in the US.

Gonna wait for the arrival of Alex now (Ruoxi, Ruoying, Peiyun, and Jeff helped christen the car!), my new Prius. Hehe.

Categories: Journal
5 Comments »