We started out our second CLJ by meeting for an incredible Mexican Fiesta on the Santa Monica Pier catered by Good Gracious! The tequila was flowing and the Carousel was spinning – a dizzying combination, but since we had the entire Carousel to ourselves, we let the inner child in each of us, come out to play. The next day we traveled by coach to Los Olivos via the scenic Malibu beach route.  Since this is one of the key locations for California wines, this CLJ became as much about the local wines as about the “new” California cuisine we were sampling everywhere.   We enjoyed a Santa Rosa style barbecue food station in the gardens of the beautiful Gainey Vineyard – in the heart of California Cowboy Country.

At Clairmont Organic Lavender farm we sipped on Lavender Champagne spritzers and sampled strawberries and lavender-scented biscotti, after walking through field after field of aromatic lavender.  Some of the local wineries produced spectacular luncheons and dinners for us.  I remember one afternoon the bus stopped in the center of a vineyard – and while it was a beautiful setting, we wondered why we had stopped.  We exited the bus just as tuxedo clad waiters came walking down the road towards us holding silver trays of glasses and magnums of chilled white wine. They escorted us up a small bluff where one long farm table was set with crisp white linens for our luncheon.  It was truly spectacular sitting in the center of a vineyard eating and drinking all afternoon.  It was here we learned how to “saber” champagne bottles.  Some bottles more successfully than others!

One very unique experience had us break into three groups for a competition.    Each group had the opportunity to name a design team and a wine-maker team.  We were to create our own wine blend, using the wines they provided in whatever proportions we wanted.   While one part of each group blended wines, the second part of each group named “our” winery and created a label for our own personal wine.

Our final dinner, set in a cave – no, not just a wine cave – a real cave that was converted into their wine cellar.  This dinner was catered by New West Catering at Sunstone Winery.  A tour of the winery was followed by a fabulous four course dinner with wine pairings from the winery for each course.   It was an incredible setting for a spectacular dinner.  As an added bonus, Virginia Madden, from the movie Sideways, joined us for dinner and dancing that evening.