Adventures on I-80

Rather than dine out on Valentine's, Aren and I had made Saturday reservations at Navio, the Ritz's dining room at Half Moon Bay. We, however, cancelled our reservations Friday night realizing that we'd rather have a meal at home where we could enjoy a 2002 Grgich Violetta dessert wine that we had been saving for a special occasion.

We spent much of Saturday day out and about in Berkeley, where our main destination was Kermit Lynch's wine store. We are planning a trip to Burgundy at the end of May and were hoping that the staff at the store could provide us with good recommendations on chateaus to visit. While we didn't get much in the way of winery recommendations, we were recommended a wine from the Burgundy region for dinner, a 2002 Les Pommards from Robert Denogent. We also picked up a 2001 "Selection Andre Dubourdieu" Chateau Roumieu-Lacoste bottle of Sauternes, which were urged to buy as an excellent five year investment.

As for winery recommendations, the staff at Lynch's store didn't give us any, but said that the Michelin Guide was the way to go. They suggested making reservations at some places and asking our concierges for help with others. They also said that my and my sister's half-Frenchness and ability to speak French will help us get into a lot of places. Score.

Dinner was nothing fancy. A couple appetizers, pizzas (a crispy thin crust for mine and a doughy one for Aren), a fresh salad, some cheeses, and Grand Marnier souffles for dessert. We lit about 20 candles and enjoyed each other's company in the kitchen and at the dining table. Oh, and the wines were a hit.