Escape From The Winery Tour

Posted on | May 24, 2009 | No Comments

I love visiting wine country and a wine cellar tour can be fun when combined with ample vicodin and a few glasses of a highly-rated cabernet. I recently visited the Chevy’s of wineries in the Russian River Valley known as Korbel. Korbel champagnes are not the cheapest out there. We’re not talking pink Andre. That would be more along the level of Ross Dress For Less. No, Korbel is a good step up and their champagnes are actually very good and at $7.50/bottle (member price – yes, I joined), it’s the perfect champagne for mimosas. The winery is very nice, surrounded by ancient redwoods and beautiful gardens. The tasting room is also nice, complete with a Korbel Harley Davidson on display and faux crystal-studded T-shirts with race cars on them. They really know their market.

One member of our party thought it would be nice to actually take the Korbel Champagne Cellars tour. I’m willing to go along with most anything. How bad can a wine tour be? I have a remarkable ability to tune everything out and go far into my own little daydreamy world. So, after two minutes of the 45-minute cellar extravaganza, I was in la la land.

Hearing from others in my party, the tour guide spent ten minutes discussing random events in the lives of the Korbel family and how much the ranch hands made per week. A man that had started the tour translating the tour guide’s remarks into Japanese for his wife, stopped after only a few sentences. Numerous people sat on the benches of this church-like wine museum, lost in stare and thought.

I awoke to a tap on my shoulder from a friend and the words “we want to get out of here.” Finally, something worth hearing. As the tour guide opened large double doors to usher the group into a 20-minute video, we decided to escape. I have no problem leaving in the middle of a tour. Some may feel it’s rude, but let’s face it, as adults that haven’t been convicted of a crime, we’re pretty much free to do as we please. As we walked up the steps to get out of there, a toddler tried desperately to escape with us, crawling up three whole steps before her father nabbed her, poor thing.

Stepping outside into the sun, I could feel the freedom flow through my whole being. On to more tasting!

Comments