Wine on Mars

My housemate Guillaume is a winemaker from the Burgandy region of France. He’s working at Clos Pegase in the next town over. The other night we were having a spontaneous late-dinner at the counter in the kitchen (well, I was eating ice cream and he was having an original potatoe stew creation) and we remembered that the once-in-a-lifetime-Mars-sighting was going on (this was on Wednesday). Clos Pegase was hosting a special Mars event with tons of telescopes and celestial gurus that night–so we decided to go check it out! SO HOT! We got to see the ICE CAP on MARS through this one telescope!! The woman working the scope would adjust the lens and then you had about a 45 second time window during which you could see the cap. It was very interesting and educational! Plus Guillaume (whose name I hope I’m spelling right…) gave me a private tour of the wine cellars, bottling department and caves. And as special guests we got a free tasting of the 2000 Cabernet and the 2002 Port that they released for the first time that night (in celebration of the Mars spectactular). Sidenote: I found it interesting that they served miniature macadamia nut cookies as palate refreshers. Usually you just see a plain cracker, this was a nice change, but I think left you with an overly powerful flavor on your tongue that interfered with the tasting. I was so exhausted yesterday as a result of staying up late, but it was very fun and refreshing night.

Clos Pegase (ring any bells Latin Scholars??) is a beautiful winery–they have some very nice modern art pieces displayed about the grounds, and the building itself is gorgeous when all lit up at night. We learned that it takes 45 minutes to get your night vision! Que interesante. 🙂

This getting up at 5:15AM everyday is quite an experience! I’m looking forward to the long weekend–ding! Going out with girls from school tonight (lookout Downtown St. Helena!!), homework, studying and paper writing tommorrow, hiking Mount St. Helena and having picnic breakfast at the top on Sunday morning, then hitting up some outlet malls. And on Monday heading to the vineyards for some local tastings! Action-packed weekend. Happy Labor Day everyone!

COMMENTS

Oh man! I just wrote this huge long note to you and I LOST IT! Darn it all!

Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that there was this HUGE article in Raleigh’s independent (hip and trendy) newspaper about cooking classes! 3 of the classes are taught by Greystone graduates! lol 🙂 Also there was this huge article about this guy that made a mid-life career change to become a PASTRY CHEF at a local restaurant! I felt like that whole section of hte paper was devoted to Shee-Shee!

You will have to teach me all the cultured things you are learning! 🙂 In exchange I will teach you everything I’ve learned and am learning about swing dancing, beer, ultimate frisbee, and writing technical articles in XML about webservers (because you know you could use that EVERY DAY!).

I just realized we have to get up at the same moment in time – I usually get up about 7:30 or 8 EST – we should have a morning yoga session over the phone or something! I don’t know how you’re managing to get up so early all the time. I have a hard enough time getting in bed early enough to get up at 8! 🙂

It sounds like you’re having a fabu time! 🙂 Could you forward me some tasty morsels? I’m getting a little sick of fast food and lean cuisine! haha 😀 Talk to you soon!

Love,
Carrie

Posted by: Carrie on September 3, 2003 12:10 AM
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CARRIE!! We could definitely arrange a morning rendevous, however perhaps we should do it in spirit as neither of us are exactly ‘morning people’–although I’m quickly learning how to be one, as I bet you are too!! I will definitely start forwarding some tasty treats your way–we’re doing merengues right now, I wonder if a chocolate or banana cream pie would make it in the mail? 🙂 There are some other techniques I can practice though, so I’ll send something soon.

Posted by: Shira on September 4, 2003 08:22 PM