Picnic at Preston
For many years, Preston Vineyards in the Dry Creek Valley has been one of my favorite places to visit. A family operation, one truly feels like they are in another world after passing through the gate and driving down the dirt road lined with olive trees and vineyards. It’s like the feeling of security that Holly Golightly has upon entering Tiffany’s – nothing bad can happen to you here.
It is always a treat to spend the afternoon here, walking through the organic gardens, tasting wine, lounging lazily around one of the tables in the sun enjoying a picnic and connecting to being in that place for that time, not thinking about anything else.
Of course, there are the vineyard cats and kittens who provide limitless entertainment as they lurk around the property looking for a scratch and a nibble, passing by each table to see who has the best handouts.
On Sundays there is the Guadagni Jug. Available on a first come first serve basis, the Jug has become a local tradition since it first started in 2002 as a tribute to neighbor, Jim Guadagni. Today, people like me drive from a far to participate too. I envy the regulars who bring their jugs week after week so covered with labels (they give you a new one each time) that you can hardly see the glass anymore.
“Guadagni Red” comes in a 3 liter jug which is literally filled by the spigot straight from the barrel and when the barrel is dry, the ration for the day is complete. They say that it is a blend mostly of the grapes that Jim knew — Zinfandel, Mourvèdre, Carignane — and looks and tastes like the wines that he enjoyed as a young man. From the line up of people who stream in on Sundays, it is safe to say that those tastes of yesterday are equally enjoyed today.
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