It was harvest time, and I took time to pick some grapes.  I have never tasted such sweet grapes in my entire life.  I really could not stop popping those grapes into my mouth; it was like eating sugar cubes off of the vine.  I now understood what the all fuss was about concentrated sugar.  The grapes seemed to be at least four times sweeter and juicier than any grape I had ever encountered.  At one point it was pointed out that I may wipe out the entire crop for a winery, but I do think that was an exaggeration.  So if you are out at any winery during harvest, do yourself a favor and pick a few grapes and round out your wine education.

We stopped at V.Sattui Winery, which was probably around a hundred years in business at the time.  The winery not only had wines for sale, but a huge delicatessen where one could buy breads, lunchmeats and desserts.  There were tables set up for dining or snacking and they also had a large area of picnic tables on the grounds to enjoy these purchases.  There was also information that the grounds could be rented for private parties and weddings.  It would be a memorable place to have a wedding, as it was so picturesque.

We started in the tasting room.  We opted for the premium tasting as I recall they had two different tasting levels and sampled the wares that they were pouring.  The tasting room was a bee hive of activity, as there were multiple tasting groups, and there were also people having lunch or snacks in the back.  Everyone was having fun.  I found the wines to be more earthy and rustic compared to some of the other wineries that we had been to.  This was very refreshing and showed that not all the wineries were cookie-cut imitations of each other.  The staff, very knowledgeable of the winery and its history seemed to be having as much fun as the visitors.  That was very commendable and put everyone at ease.  I really enjoyed the red wines that were deep in color, very intense nose and a robust taste.

We then proceeded to the deli area, and everyone started ordering salads, bread, sandwiches and some hot plates as well.  I was very impressed with their Cabernet Sauvignon and bought some, we did enjoy one with our lunch out on the grounds.  It was also a good time to double-check our plans for other wineries to visit and to discuss what we had already encountered.  It was a most pleasant way to spend lunch and relax a bit.