the world’s leading family owned wineries.
Boisset owns property in Burgandy,
Beaujolais, the Rhone Valley, the South
of France, and 300 acres in California.
Under the direction of President Jean-
Charles Boisset, the winemaking team
at Raymond consistently produces wines
which have been highly acclaimed, while
utilizing organic and biodynamic farming
techniques.
Our visit to Raymond Vineyards is
unique, beginning with a picture frame
photo opportunity on the front lawn,
followed by “the theater of nature”
which focuses on biodynamic farming
techniques. Upon entering the hospitality
area, we were offered a glass of wine
before entering the “corridor of senses”.
This area allows guests to experience the
color, smell and texture that wines can
display on the palate. The “Red Room”,
“Crystal Cellar” and “Barrel Cellar” tasting
areas were unique to Raymond.
The highlight of our visit was the
“blending experience”, hosted by Chief
Blending Officer Tyson Madden. The
blending experience is open to anyone,
and offers visitors the opportunity to
become “Winemaker for a Day”. Each
winemaker selects a colorful lab coat
and hat, and then is assigned a position
at the lab bench equipped with beakers,
graduated cylinders, and bottles of wine.
After an interactive discussion about
winemaking with Tyson, each winemaker
learns the winemaker’s art while
blending their own red wine. In our case,
we blended Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,
and Cabernet Franc.
Once
each
winemaker
had
finalized his blend,
we each got to name
and create a label
for it, and actually
leave with a bottle of
our own customized
blend. We could also
order a case of our
custom blends to
share with friends
and family, for as
long as that vintage is available in the
future. The blending experience was a lot
of fun, and we look forward to enjoying
our blends with friends. Donna’s blend is
called “Memories”, and mine is “Time to
Chill”.
We concluded our winery visits
with a terrace tasting at Joseph Phelps
Vineyards in St. Helena. This tasting of six
wines included Insignia, a Bordeaux style
blend recognized as one of the world’s
great wines. Great wines, beautiful views,
and nice weather...that pretty much
summed up our week in Sonoma and
Napa.
Saturday, April 20th
We drove to the town of Tiburon, just
north of San Francisco, for lunch prior
to returning our rental car to the airport.
Tiburon is a beautiful town located in the
Bay area and we chose to eat at Guaymas
Restaurant on the waterfront, for a south
of the border experience.
We had a great time celebrating our
anniversary in wine country and sharing
our experiences with you! All our travel
arrangements including flights, hotels,
and rental car were booked by us through
our own online travel business. We offer
everything travel related... cruises, all
inclusive resorts, limos, sporting and
concert tickets, river cruises, travel
insurance, Disney packages, Tauck
Tours, and much more. Visit us online, at
TimeTravelBiz.com
or call us at 540-493-
1220 or 540-493-1221.
You have the right to choose your repair facility!
You want the best... we’re here!
“The finest in auto body & paint repairs”
Located in Westlake ... yes, we’re local, your neighbors!
Lifetime Warranty • Free Pickup & Delivery
95 Springlake Drive, Moneta, VA 24121
540-721-4000 •
before
before
after
after
S
M
I
T
H
M
O
U
N
T
A
I
N
L
A
K
E
,
V
A
• Caps & Hats
• Jewelry &Yarn
• Socks & Gloves
• Coats & Jackets
• Sweaters &Vests
• Gift Certificates
Tuesday thru Saturday
Open 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
“The best attribute of our alpaca
garments is the unmatchable
texture and feel of pure alpaca.”
BLOG:
www.
AlpacaByJaca4U.blogspot
.com
by
JACA
ALPACA
APPAREL
•
YARN
•
GIFTS
The Forum atWestlake on Rte 122
13699 BTW Hwy, Suite 201 • Moneta, Virginia 24121
866-384-7080 or
www.
AlpacaByJaca
.com
Hombre
Discount lots on and around
SML with Owner financing
Call Us at
(540) 420-5573
New homes with lot starting at $229,900
Our Services Include:
Development of Waterfront Subdivisions
Building Waterfront Homes
Building Docks & Boathouses
Sales of Home/Lot Packages
A subsidiary of Venning & Co. Developers, LLC. by Gregorie Venning
Builders & Developers at Smith
Mountain Lake, Virginia
Discover Smith Mountain Lake
Fall 2013
33
32
