Wine Tasting, My Way

Wine Tasting

Napa Valley, late spring, mid 80’s, sun hot and bright over my left shoulder.  Riding this new bike was like a breath of fresh air after the weight of my previous cycle.

Who would have known just a few short years ago that I’d be living in the land of wine, Napa Valley, USA in just a few short years??  The city in which my mother grew up, the town I’m learning to love.

I’m riding up Silverado Trail from my home in the south side of town.  By south side of town, I mean beyond Maxwell Bridge, which crosses over the Napa River.  I started my ride around 11 am, a bit late, I’m thinking now, but nonetheless, a great time to get going.  My goal is to ride to Mumm’s, have a wine tasting to refresh my self, and then get on back home.  I can take my will-call wine club delivery in my backpack.  The extra weight doesn’t bother me at all.

Anyway, as I’m riding up valley, listening to tunes on my Ipod, I begin thinking of the time it was taking me to do the trip today.  The ride up AND the 22-mile trip back home.  As I contemplated, it dawned on me that I could ride across valley just north of Mumms, put my bike on the bus that cruises up and down Hiway 29, and then ride back to town.  Yes!  That was the new plan.  I never said my goal was 40 miles!  It was 20.

After a 2-3 easy hours, a few water and snack pit stops, I pulled over to the left and sailed down that right slope of a driveway into the parking lot.  Locked my bike up, hung my helmet on the handle bars, stopped into the ladies room, washed up a little and went out to the patio for my reward.

I was soon chatting with a young Chicago IL couple on their honeymoon, toasted to their happiness, drank up, collected my shipment and headed north and west for a brief 3.7 mile ride over to Rutherford.  I knew there a bus stop over on 29 somewhere close-by.

It was a shady ride over Hiway 128, heading off of Silverado Trail, narrow road, covered in ancient oaks, riding over bit of a slip of the Napa River.  I approached Rutherford, Hiway 29, glanced across the road and right there in front of me was the bus stop!  I crossed the road, turned around and there was my bus, the #10 headed south.

Quickly I jumped off, slipped my bike onto the front rack, paid the fare, walked back a few rows and slid into a window seat.  Time to sit and relax.  I nodded across the aisle to a couple kids, leaned back, easing into the ride, thinking about this ride, and the next.    Maybe over to Domaine.  A mere 11 or twelve miles, one way.  I could easily do that one back AND forth.