The Image Goddess
Wine
In the Bay area, we are blessed with many things:
among them great weather, geographically dramatic and fairly abundant open spaces,
friendly people (well, except when you encounter them behind the wheel), relatively
progressive politics, and two major wine-producing regions in Napa and Sonoma counties.
Though the Goddess's taste buds tend to prefer wines from southern France (e.g.
the Rhône Valley, the Languedoc, Madiran and Cahors) - and let's not forget the
pleasant surprises coming out of Chile and Argentina these days - she does appreciate
the beauty of the local vineyards and their oft-successful efforts toward excellence.
(Though I must add that most could benefit from going a little easier on the oak!)
A number of the photographs on this page
were taken during an August 1999 tour of several Napa Valley wineries, including
most notably Joseph Phelps, which makes good Rhône-style reds here in California
(but don't show up for a tasting without a reservation); and Prager, a tiny winery which
makes the best cabernet and the most fabulous and unusual ports the Goddess has ever
tasted. The latter is well worth the visit, for you won't find Prager wines elsewhere.
Other images include the Clos du Val winery, also in Napa, and grape bunches & sunflowers
on the Prager property.
Many of the below photographs were also taken during our August-September
1999 visit to southwest France and its many winemaking regions (Madiran and Cahors in
particular). We were really given the royal treatment in Madiran; it seems they don't get
many Americans at their wineries. Tant mieux! In between swirling, sniffing and
swilling, the Goddess snapped quite a few shots of the striking and in most cases ancient
vineyards she visited with her most excellent minion, and as well of the many varietal
grappes (that's French for bunches o' grapes) she encountered growing in various
parts of southwest France. She was also taken with the sweet wine - a.k.a. vin
moelleux - local to Auch, which she was moved to photograph at the Château
de Bonas flanked by local fruit and flowers.
See if you can distinguish the photos taken in California from those
taken in France - bonne chance!
All images copyright Cynthia Mitchel 2000
