WINES TASTED:

1986 Pahlmeyer Cabernet
1987 Pahlmeyer Cabernet
1990 Pahlmeyer Cabernet
1991 Pahlmeyer Cabernet
1992 Pahlmeyer Cabernet
1993 Pahlmeyer Cabernet
1994 Pahlmeyer Cabernet
1995 Pahlmeyer Cabernet
1994 Pahlmeyer Merlot
1996 Pahlmeyer Merlot
1994 Leonetti Cabernet
1996 Leonetti Merlot
1987 Dominus
1994 Tinto Pesquera Janus
1985 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Bosche
1994 Peter Michael Cabernet Les Pavots
1987 La Jota Cabernet Howell Mountain
1996 Venge Scouts Honor Zin/Sang
1991 Dunn Cabernet Howell Mountain (?)
1983 Ridge Cabernet Santa Cruz Mountains
1991 Mondavi Cabernet Reserve
1993 Abreu Cabernet
1996 Gainey Chardonnay
1988 Banyuls
1976 Chateau Suideraut

After our first full day of tasting (and a somewhat pedestrian lunch), we were ready for DINNER!

This was my first visit to Greystone since the CIA had converted it [Culinary Institute, not Central Intelligence]. This building has a rich history as a home for the Christian Brothers Winery, then was taken over and converted into the Left Coast campus of the CIA, whose home is in Hyde Park, New York. The restaurant got some mixed reviews when it first opened, so I decided to give them a chance to work out the bugs before I dined there.

Jim (JHunt) and Diane Mather on the patio at Greystone

The waitstaff was not yet prepared for us to be seated, so they asked that we wait out on the patio – which was just lovely. We had a chance to relax and enjoy a beautiful evening view of the valley. The hostess, noticing that we were carrying our own Riedel stems, offered to run them through their washing system.  (I thought that was a very savvy thing to do.) Mary Pisor arrived shortly, then Nils and Toby (who was, unfortunately, relegated to the bed of Nils’ pickup).

There was a transient moment of panic when we realized that we had left our dinner wines on the bus, now headed for wherever drivers go when they have time on their hands. Fortunately, we live in the age of cell phones and beepers, and Keith returned promptly with our vertical of Pahlmeyer and other goodies.

The first round of appetizers awaited us on the tables as we seated ourselves, then the corks started flying.

We started off with a sparkler, and the few whites we had brought were quickly consumed. (The Gainey Chard was quite tasty.)

Jayson Pahlmeyer arrived just as the Paella hit the table, and the red wines started flowing. Even though we had a vertical of his Cab, it was hard to maintain any semblance of order. Bottles were passed from one table to the next, with new selections appearing here and there.

Jayson Pahlmeyer

Jayson circulated around the tables, introducing himself, and pouring some of his wines for us. He seemed very comfortable with this group of winelovers, and was soon laughing and sharing stories with the rest of the table. Of course, all of us wanted to spend a little time with the winemakers, so many of us wound up standing and chatting; bringing a wine to the next table to taste; pulling the cork on the next special bottle and seeing to it that Jayson, Nils, and Mary got a taste. The energy level got higher and higher (and the noise level along with it).

Russell, Victoria and Nils Venge

Before we knew it, the hour was late, and the restaurant was emptying out. One of our group spotted Robert Mondavi finishing a birthday eve dinner with his wife. Naturally, Russell wanted to sing "Happy Birthday" to him. A few of us more inhibited types tried to reason with the ringleaders, but to no avail. Fortunately, it went off smoothly and respectfully, with handshakes and appreciation from Mr. and Mrs. Mondavi. We finished up with a few dessert wines, then reluctantly boarded the bus for the ride to Santa Rosa.

As we discussed the evening’s wines on the way back, it became clear that a paranormal event had occurred. It seemed that a bottle of highly prized Cabernet had been uncorked, then disappeared amongst a cluster of cabhounds, never to be seen again. I dubbed this the "Abreu Phenomena".

We are no longer strangers.