The
#Navarra5 team hit the ground running (not yet drinking) at the start of our
first full day in the great
Kingdom of Navarra (Twitter, Facebook) with our trusty guide and F1 driver Michael "Miguel" Mantilla (ARGOS Wine Consulting/Kraynick & Associates, Inc.). Technically
I ran the day before, through parts of the glorious and small city of
Pamplona, capital of
Navarra/Navarre and the setting of many a famous scene in
the writings of their adopted son,
Ernest Hemingway. I ran past some of his favorite haunts during that afternoon jog, past the tolling bells of the
Church of San Lorenzo, and through the ruins of the
Citadel. One of my favorite ways to get to know a new city, neighborhood or surrounding land is to take a run through it's fresh splendor.
I'm delirious to announce a new project that I've stumbled into, courtesy of my fantastic sabbatical, rather sabbradical, from my work at Genentech: I am working the 2011 wine harvest (#Harvest2001) at Chimney Rock Winery (Twitter, Facebook, WineLog) in the Stags Leap District (WineLog) of Napa Valley, CA. I will be the harvest intern and cellar worker of which I've always dreamed...and basically working my ass off helping to produce fine Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, rosé, (Fiano), and Meritage wines.
My participation in the controlled chaos of crush at the Rock comes courtesy of Terlato Wine Group (WineLog), my best friend Jeff van de Pol, Assistant Winemaker; and Elizabeth Vianna (Twitter), Winemaker and General Manager.