August 30, 2009

Arista's Japanese Garden

Located in the Russian River Valley on the back roads of Sonoma, Arista makes some outstanding pinot noirs.


And a beautiful Japanese garden to walk around.

August 25, 2009

Shots I like from Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe 逍遥游。 没有做什么特别的,就是整体闲逛。见到美景拍个照。见到美食吃点东西。玩累了,回酒店赌钱。

With my amateur photographing skills, I think I only captured a glimpse of the beautiful Lake Tahoe. The winter there will be more attractive.

This is one of my favorite shots.



Another one...

August 22, 2009

Sonoma Winery - St. Francis Vineyard & Winery

Almost right next to the Ledson Winery, we found another one that also offers views and serene surroundings - St. Francis.


A big cabin-like tasting room with a lot of goodies to browse.


Another great place for lunch!

Sonoma Winery - Ledson Winery & Vineyards

Mom wants to visit a castle, and I want to photograph wineries with attractive architecture. Ledson Winery meets the needs of both of us perfectly.


Located right off of the highway 12, the heart of the Sonoma Wineries, the Ledson family winery is known as "the castle" by the locals and truly is an architectural showpiece.



A great place for a picnic lunch. They do have a deli place that sells delicious sandwiches, cheese and of course, wines.


A great place for wedding photos too.

Napa Wineries - Modern, Exquisite, and Expensive Opus One

Many have believed that most of the world's well-renowned wines come from Europe -- many of them being either Bordeaux or Burgundy. But, Opus One's Cabernet Sauvignon does stand out as the "American Royalty". It comes at the top of the list of wineries highly recommended by my friend.


The price of the tasting does reflect the "Royal" status of this winery. $30 for a single tasting. And, reservation is required.



I believe that three types of people should definitely pay a visit to Opus One
1) For those who are truly into wines, yes, Opus One cab is rather phenomenal.
2) For those who want to progress from a "wine-snob-in-training" to a "full-fledged-wine-snob", this is definitely the first place to visit in Napa. I have to admit that I belong to this category.
3) Finally, for those who have no idea of wine tasting but can do an amazing job of pretending and appreciate the architecture(just like my mom, ha, ha, ha....), this is simply a quiet and beautiful place walk around and enjoy the view of the vineyard.