Our long standing custom for my birthday is to celebrate it with a gala dinner and an overnight with our friends Karen and George. My birthday is December 8 and George’s birthday is December 9 and we have been celebrating together for a long time. George likes to tell people that we are identical twins. It is amazing that not many people say, “How can that be since you are not the same sex?” It always makes a good story to tell the servers in the wine tasting room.
This year we started in Sonoma at Armida Winery.
It may be cold December in other parts of the country but up here in Wine Country it is a beautiful Fall day.
One of our other stops is at Stonestreet Winery. They make delicious chardonnays. Although we are not as impressed with the tasting this year, we have to make sure we’ve tasted them all.
After lunch at Bistro Ralph’s in Healdsburg, we make our way down to Yountville and our hotel, the Villagio. We are greeted with hot chocolate which is to die for. It’s actually melted chocolate. After a brief siesta, we meet back in the lobby which is decorated for Christmas.
Our gala dinner is at Redd’s which is just across the street. George and I start with the foie gras (of course.)
After a fine dinner, we get our birthday dessert and a very happy birthday to both of us. Here’s hoping we’ll be doing this for years to come.
