SO sorry about last night's lack of Diary ... my Blogger system was down. I was not amused. I have put some photos up from a wonderful day though ... cooking at The French Laundry and driving to Sonoma and the Farmhouse Inn and Restaurant.
This morning we first drove the 5-kilometres to the Bartolomei vineyard - 8 acres of Pinot Noir and Trousseau grapes. My guide was the delightful Megan Glaab - sommelier at the hotel.
The Bartolomeis (Joe and Catherine, brother and sister) own the Farmhouse Inn ... an 18 bedroom boutique in the Russian River Valley.
The hotel is very sweet ... a definite destination on any visit to Sonoma. The cuisine is superb ... and the kitchen is run by Steve Litke - who holds a Michelin star. I cooked a couple of dishes with him ... a lobster and a tuna dish ... both VERY tasty!
From there we drove the hour back into Napa and we have checked into the Calistoga Ranch ... which looks mighty impressive!
One of the highlights of the day was a visit from my dear friend Shannon Brooks ... now International PR for California Tourism. She was, until recently, working with Santa Barbara Tourism ... when we filmed there, she appeared on the show horse-riding and drinking wine!
