Clos du Val

First stop-technically not but whatever. It's always nice when you're friend drives you to wineries on her  birthday. So we rode in a trail blazer on the Silverado trail and stopped at a winery with a French flag which at first we thought was Italian. Blue,  green,  whatever- who cares they both make wine

We should have known when the roses that lined the vineyards had no smell that we should have kept going. After all in the common world roses should smell like roses these smelled like nothing which is exactly what the wine tasting host taught us.

The big door was beautiful and heavy- the wood panel room enticed us and boy were we suckered in. Props to the nice couple from Ohio who made room for us at the bar but of course they were happy their host told them stories and gave them detailed information about  their wine and what they could pair it with

We on the other hand read to the descriptions of the wines to ourselves and wondered why there was toast in the wine while the hostess  looked over the rim of her black plastic glasses and said nothing to us.

When it was Lesli’s  turn to read about the third pairing which included mocha fruit and toast Kristen yelled out sounds like breakfast in the common world.  We all chuckled while Kristen hand under chin in a higher polite tone asked “ Excuse me I don't know much about wine but what is toast?”  - as we all thought to ourselves wheat white or sourdough  She rolled her eyes at us looked up over glasses sighed and said something about burning the inside of the barrel bla blah blah we heard.

The silence kept growing,  the couple from Ohio kept enjoying themselves,  sharing a map with  their host.   Kristen noticed our host diligently writing something on the cork from our bottle.  Free souvenir we thought, silly us.

 Kristen says, “Are you signing that cork for us?”   The host sarcastically chuckled and  said “Oh no I'm just doodling to pass the time.”  Kristen still hopeful that that this would be a free souveneir realized those hopes would be dashed as the hostess smirked and threw the cork into the the garbage  At this point we were sure there was  a commoner alert system at work in establishments throughout the Napa Valley.

It was time to pay and we whipped out our respective credit cards and cash to pay the whopping sum of fifteen dollars each. Therese always the collector of credit card points and frequent flier mileage whipped out her Zinc American Express  card which she never bothered to design meaning it's white not really white more blankish in common terms. Our personable hosts suddenly came alive. Why what does a white card mean I've seen black,  I've seen platinum but I've never seen white. You could see the wheels turning as she realized these customers might not be common they might be. Wait for it rich.

A ten minute conversation ensued about the status of Therese’s  American Express card and her life on the D list while Lesli  always the kinder more considerate member of our group counted out a five dollar tip.

As we said goodbye we were certain the saleswoman from Tyler Florence’s store would call ahead to the next winery that our Trailblazer would visit and warn them about the commoners tearing through Napa Valley - But that's Another story.