Saturday 8am, Pismo Beach

We began peddling as the morning dew lifted and the wind was still silent. Our first quick steep hill of the day, the 100 yard climb from Oceano to Nipomo, always a panic for me. I quickly downshifted into granny gear and miraculously reached the top of the hill before going anaerobic.

Guadalupe, Mile 15

La Simpatia… ah, heaven. Large bowl of chips, salsa, guacamole, and two chicken enchiladas. Guadalupe is an authentic little Mexican village, less than 2 miles long, in the heart of the Central Coast.

Lompoc Mile 45

Lunch Time! Jalama Beach Café; Warm turkey sandwich, french fries and large lemonade (sugar and salt are an important part of touring). Lots of small hill climbs to the freeway. The key to freeway riding is speed. We flew down the highway, challenging the semi-trucks, sports cars and motor homes that zipped along as the setting sun glittered over the waters of the pacific.

Goleta, Mile 90

“Snickers Break” Patty exclaimed as we pulled into a liquor store. I stumbled off the bike, my back crackling, my legs shaking and my butt numb. We cruised through Santa Barbara on State Street, watching the nightlife come alive, infecting us with a second wind. We rode to the beach and caught the coastal trail to Montecito, a welcomed car free finish to a long days ride.

Montecito 108.3 miles

We Did It. 11 hours and 5000 calories burned. Time to celebrate. Dinner at Trattoria Mollie, arguably one of the best Italian restaurants in California, not to mention Oprah’s favorite. Martinis, wine and a five course feast was an indulgent reward to a long day’s ride.

Sunday

“All Aboard”

Deep tissue massage for breakfast, a painful but leisurely afternoon stroll down State Street, and a visit to my favorite Paso Nuevo store.. “The Cheese Shop” for an ice cold bottle of Chardonnay, and an assortment of cheese, Patty and I boarded the train heading home. The 2 hour coastal train ride flew by as we relaxed our aching bodies and toasted to a truly indulgent adventure.

Happy Friday! I like to start the weekend off with some good news/ conversation pieces that usually don’t find a place among on the 20 second sound byte sensationalized news networks…

So here are some time-worthy stories to peruse. Enjoy the weekend!

Mr. Lopez meets Mr. Ayers- 60 minutes

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4883160n The real life version of the Soloist movie coming to theatres soon. It’s a touching piece about Nathaniel Ayers, a mentally ill musical virtuoso, who was discovered living on the streets by Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez. Its an insight into schizophrenia, musical genius, and the benefits of opening your mind to new types of friendships.

Tweeting Food Truck Draws LA Hungry Crowd

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101881984 I love this story. Top notch food, a unique dining experience, reservations via twitter, and all for under $2.00 a taco.

Where the Hell is Matt?

http://vimeo.com/1211060?pg=embed&sec=&hd=1 This isn’t really news but its sweet.. sigh. As I watched it, I found myself shakin my ass a bit.. It will surely inspire you to get out of town!

So many fascinating bits of information discovered in week 2 of the ‘15 degrees C Wine University’. All of which, I am pleased to pass on to my fellow wino-be’s.. Used properly, these bits of info are sure to impress even the likes of Art Buchwald.

“I’m looking for something obscure”- In Burgundy, there are only two types of whites produced: Chardonnay and Aligote. Aligote, planted by monks, is very similar to Chardonnay in structure, but less common, and more full bodied.

“What year is it, darling?”- 2006 was great year for red grapes in Burgundy. 2005 was great year for red and white grapes in France.

“I’m in the mood to celebrate!” – Order a bottle of Beaujolais Neavous. Go for the Cru vineyards if possible (there are only 10). Traditionally Beaujolais is a wine consumed in celebration of harvest; 2008 will be enjoyed this year. Whatever you decide, don’t buy Duboeuf- he was found guilty of adding artificial flavors to his wine.. And don’t buy any Beaujolais more than 3 years old. That being said, I loved the Cote de Brouilly 2006.

A votre santé!

Once thought of by wine snobs as unpalatable, rosé wine is toasting to its world revival: French wine critics love it, the British market is booming and more Frenchie’s now buy rosé than white wine. But the victory has been spoiled by the European Commission’s plans to loosen the strict rules on how the distinctive pink wine can be made.

In Provence – where rosé is as important to the region’s glitzy image as the Cannes film festival- winemakers are furious about the EC’s proposal to allow producers in all member states to make rosé by simply mixing red and white wine.

Unlike the rest of the world, European methods of making rosé are strictly regulated: it is produced from black grapes only, using a complex method in which the grape skins mingle with the juice for only a few hours until the right pink hue is achieved.

Does blending matter? Sounds like a perfect excuse to swish, sniff, and slurp a little afternoon pink tasting of my own this weekend..

Cheers!

If you live in the LA area, love food, and have not been to Capo.. shut down your computer and go.. Seriously, it’s the best little Italian restaurant on the Westside.

Arrive a bit early so you can enjoy a martini at the bar.. The sassy but lovable bartender will either entertain you or insult you as he pours you a perfectly proportioned concoction.. and you will be happy he did once you see the expensive but extensive wine list.

My first experience there was a bit intimidating; the tiny 15 table restaurant is littered with celebrities and powerful looking people. Denis, the front of house manager, was accommodating but not terribly happy with us being 20 minutes late.. A shot of chilled patron silver for Denis, and by the end of the night, he was sitting at our table, entertaining us with his brilliance.. The staff is as enjoyable as the dangerously delicious cuisine. I have yet to find an item on the menu that didn’t leave my palate screaming for seconds.

Some recommendations; the prosciutto Danielle, the lobster or crab risotto, chocolate soufflé with whipped cream… and order Denis’s shot of patron, chilled.

Cheers!

Capo

1810 Ocean Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90401

www.caporestaurant.com

The Bush administration’s import duty on “luxury foods” — a measure passed just days before Obama’s inauguration – takes effect on Monday, March 23. Importers will now pay up to 300% duty on a long list of delicacies bought from European producers including French truffles, Irish oatmeal, Italian sparkling water and Roquefort cheese. Starting next week, many cheese retailers are expected to stop carrying the cheese due to its outrageous price. If you can find it, expect to pay around $30.00 a pound.

Roquefort is hardly your typical blue cheese. As the legend goes, a young shepherd tending to his flock caught the eye of a beautiful girl. The eager boy followed her and stowed his knapsack, containing cheese and rye bread, in a little cave created by one of the crevasses that run through the hills of the region. When he returned later, he found the bread had turned moldy and passed the spores to the cheese, which was veined with blue. Starving, he ate the cheese anyway — and Roquefort cheese was born.

Don’t let your palate pass up this uniquely delicious blue cheese aged in the caves of a little French town. Head to your local cheese monger this weekend.

Recipe for zee best serving of Roquefort

On a slice of a fresh French baguette, put a dollop of French butter like Churn ‘Beurre de Baratte’, then top the slice of buttered bread with a mound of Roquefort cheese.

Serve with a glass of Chateau Haut Bergeron Sauternes- The most famous dessert wine in the world.

*Don’t forget the wine! The Roquefort bread without it is completely overpowering, but the pairing is delicious.

Á votre santé!

What better place to be shamaned than the Spirit Garden in Big Sur, an outdoor hippie wonderland littered with bongos, jade, and beautifully painted murals.

My shaman was not what I expected… First of all, he was white.. I thought Shamans were supposed to be Native American. Secondly, he was wearing just a plain black t-shirt and cargo pants.. Where were his beads? And robes? And feathers? He barely even looked hippie enough to be in Big Sur.

He talked at length about what it is to be a Shaman, clearing up my prejudice of what a Shaman should look like. He basically described Shamans as the ‘Wise Ones’. Shamans discovered fire, they figured out how to cure pain, they are the smartest people in any room. Then he skipped to some interesting ‘did you know’ stuff;

When there is something of indecision in your life, you will see a lot of cats.

When you become obsessed with something small, you will see an eagle.

Next, he asked me why I was there, what was wrong in my life.. Not wanting a therapy session, I told him I was happy and mostly just curious.

He laid out a stack of rocks and asked me to choose the one that spoke to me, call to mind what I was worried about, blow that fear onto the rock three times and lay down on my back with my eyes closed.

He stood over me calling on the East, West, North and South and a bunch of other nature spirits with his rattler and a drum to come into the sacred space and help me become free of my baggage and the baggage of my ancestors. Then he sat at the top of my head, practically with my head in his lap, and hovered his face above mine, asking me to breathe with him. I tried focusing on my breath, and the spirits, and my ancestors but my mind kept wandering…

Was I answering his questions correctly?

Did he think I was boring because I was happy?

Could he smell the turkey sandwich I just had for lunch?

How was I going to tell him that I was $10.00 short for the session due to turkey sandwich (I didn’t realize that most places in Big Sur are cash only)

Eventually I was able to quiet my mind. I felt this enormous strength come over me, as if I could do anything. I loved it! I could feel him breathing on me, blowing out bad energy from my body. And suddenly, there was silence.

How do you feel?

I feel good.

Then he started rolling up the mat and said with a smile. ‘Well, you are pretty clean. You have already pretty much dealt with any negative experiences you or your ancestors had.’ Then he said I had some pockets of resentment in my liver area. But he cleared me of all of that.. thank you, Shaman. And, I needed to be around more wild horses and let them be free.. It was over.. I gave him the $190.00, with a brief explanation of why I was short $10.00 for the sandwich… The End

To find a Shaman near you, go to www.shamansearch.com

Tags: big sur, borracha, experience, shaman, travel, wine wipes

‘It isn’t enough to drink wine, you must be able to talk about them, if not intelligently, at least at length’. Art Buchwald

So I figured since I am in the wine business, I should probably expand my palate a tad.. Time to deviate from buttery chardonnay and J.Lohr Cab. So I enrolled in 15 Degrees C Wine University, a 6 week course that turns winos into wine snobs..

After 2 hours of smelling, swishing, and tasting, I felt like a wine pro. Maybe it was the 8 glasses of wine, but I walked out of class reciting words like ‘meniscus’, ‘corked’, ‘steely’ ‘viscous’.

For those of you, like me, who love wine, but cant carry a conversation about it.. Here are some of my favorite ‘go to’ lines if this weekend you find yourself surrounded by winos in the know, compliments of Mr. Buchwald.

“ah, yes, it has a pleasing shimmer about it”

“Its provocative I’m sure, but I wouldn’t dare put it up against a Haut Brion”

“What a delightful name. It almost tastes domestic in flavor”

“I like champagne because it always tastes like my foot’s asleep”

I guess my big question is; Does all of this matter? Will wine actually taste better after the 6 week course? Stay Tuned..

Cheers!

Daniel Boulud is one of the top five chefs in the world and his restaurant Daniel is considered the best restaurant in New York City. The service is everything you expect from a 5 star French restaurant– perfectly pretentious. In fact, I am pretty certain there is a ‘No Smiling’ policy for the staff… B-o-r-i-n-g. What better way to liven up the place than shots of patron! One for the Maître de, and one for our waiter. My only regret was that our brilliant idea came at the end of the meal and not the start. Suddenly, there were smiles and backslapping all around us; ‘more truffle for you madam?’, ‘you must try this Reserve French Bordeaux, my lady’ even Daniel Boulud, himself, came over to our table for a chat and a laugh. I was truly taken aback by his ear to ear smile and pleasant demeanor, who knew that such an amiable man was responsible for all the stuffiness that is Daniel. And if that wasn’t surprising enough, our table quickly became inundated with complimentary dessert after dessert, with wines to pair for each. I guess Patron and Fine Dining are the perfect pairing.

Quick Tips: Men must wear jackets. Women- think ‘opera’ when deciding on an outfit.

Daniel was rated one of the top ten restaurants in the world by the International Herald Tribune, and has received numerous awards such as Gourmet’s Top Table Award, Wine Spectator’s Grand Award, and New York City’s top ratings for cuisine, service and décor in the Zagat Survey.

60 E. 65^th Street Upper East Side New York City, NY 10065

(212) 228-0033