Aside from setting me up for disappointment with every
other guy on Earth, my dad has also taught me to enjoy the finer things in life
through our dad/daughter dates. In Girl Scouts, we had a yearly Daddy/Daughter
Dinner Dance, during which we would exploit our fathers’ affection and dress in
matching outfits to dance the night away in the elementary school gymnasium.
Arrogance is against the Girl Scout code of ethics, but I have to brag: my dad
and I absolutely killed it every year. From homemade Western costumes to
ballroom dancing, we had a blast planning and enjoying the evening. When I got
older, these date nights evolved into eating Arby’s and driving roughly six thousand
hours a day to Oakland for my ballet lessons.
Now that I’m in my twenties, our dad/daughter time is
filled with many fewer pirouettes and many more pours of delicious wine. We
headed to Eckert Estates, Eagle Ridge, and Dante Robere on our last Sunday
Funday to pick up some wine club purchases and catch up over the cornerstone of
our family: red wine.
 |
| Eckert Estates Winery |
Eckert Estates was one of the first wineries I visited on
my amateur hour trip after my 21st, so it was nice to re-visit and
see what was new. I love the distillation
equipment holding court in the center of the tasting room, as well as the
vintage photos adorning the walls. Let’s be real, snacks are key on any wine
tasting voyage, and Eckert has you covered with truffles, chips, and trail mix
for sale. We picked up two of their new reds, a 2010 Montepulciano and a 2010 Carignane.
In a nostalgic frame of mind, we headed to Eagle Ridge to
say hi to Jim and the lovely pourers. Driving up the borderline-terrifying
gravel incline, we noticed that the vines were groaning under the weight
thousands of grapes. Jim told us that
they were harvesting the very next day, so our view was limited edition.
 |
| Jim pours a new release |
Atmosphere-wise,
Eagle Ridge is the perfect place to take a wine tasting newbie or your friend
who’s always on the hunt for a solid Instagram. Your aunt or mom will also
probably spend 80% of the visit shopping the wine knick-knacks, and I’ll
probably spend 100% of my time trying to play with your dog and make them love
me.
 |
| Dante Robere’s new digs |
After saying goodbye to Eagle Ridge and swooping up two
more bottles, we spontaneously decided to check out Dante Robere’s new digs. The
exposed beams in the lofty ceiling, spacious patio, and friendly family vibe make
the new Dante Robere a must-visit for your next wine tasting adventure. The
upgraded location has only improved DR’s wine as well. A final bottle of wine
rounded out our trip, and we headed home to continue celebrating a successful
Sunday Funday.
People tell me that I’m a pretty even mix of my parents,
despite my brothers ardently convincing me as a child that I was adopted. From
my mom, I got my blonde hair and my ability to make friends with a brick wall
and talk to it for several hours. From my dad, I got my brown eyes, my affinity
for singing, and an archive of date ideas. They both gave me the wine tasting
knowledge, and I’m so happy to share Sunday Funday’s with them as often as I
can.
