Historically, Father’s Day is normally a quiet affair and even more so this year.  Fathers appreciate being acknowledged and a dinner is nice.  Some men golf, and I haven’t golfed since my college days, I sometimes think that Ben Hogan was my instructor, but I guess I didn’t pay attention to his lessons.  Other men like to go out on a boat, my luck it would be the Titanic, especially this year.   We are really not into barbecues either, but some people really excel at it.  Since the state is just loosening up and we went out for dinner the night before, we were going to have a quiet dinner at home.  The good thing is getting phone calls from the children and that is enough reward.  We also had a Zoom session with some of the family and that was interesting, as always.  

My Bride likes to make a bit of a splash about a Sunday breakfast or should I say brunch.  She made Bavarian-style pancakes, those baked monsters, but these didn’t fluff up as much, but the flavor was still there, so all was excellent.  We also had bacon, she is always trying to make me eat healthier, but she lets me cheat a couple of times a week.  Actually, I am the one that should be on Weight Watchers, but I guess I am not into regimens, she also tells me that it all is about portion control and I guess I still think that I have the appetite of a teenager (at times).  I guess it is my way of thinking that I am still young.  Later that day, she made Salmon with her Bourbon Sauce along with Corn on the Cob and Snap Peas.  Followed by Chocolate Pudding.  The funny thing is, that I very seldom have dessert anymore, but the puddings, mousses and Crème Brulee desserts are all hitting the spot.  Thankfully, we don’t eat that big every day. 

It was another day to enjoy the labors of the cellar.  I think it would be a sin to use Dom with orange juice, so we used Korbel California Champagne, which is produced in the time-honored way of “Methode Chanpenoise” and it is a blend of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, French Colombard and Pinot Noir. A perfect way to start off the day and Korbel is one of those houses that have been grandfathered in using the term “California Champagne.”  We now make them in the steakhouse method that we discovered in Las Vegas, which is to fill the glass with Bubbles and a tincture of Orange Juice.  I have been raiding the wine cellar and grabbing some wines to try.  Some wines come under the category of “that is too good of a wine just for us” or “let’s just have our house wine,” since we cannot have dinner with others, let’s have a little fun.  I found a lone bottle of Bernardus Chardonnay Monterey County 2000.   Bernardus Winery and Vineyards was founded by Ben Marinus Pon about twenty-five years ago with the intention of creating premier wines in the Carmel Valley.  His intent was to produce single vineyard designated wines and a Bordeaux blended wine.  Bernardus has three estate vineyards: Marinus planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec; Featherbow planted with Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon; and Ingrid’s Vineyard planted with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  All fifty-four acres of estate vineyards are in the Carmel Valley AVA.  To compliment the estate vineyards Bernardus also has contracts with vineyards the Arroyo Seco, Santa Lucia Highlands and others in the Monterey County. I am sorry to say, that Mr. Pon passed away in September of 2019 and his vision will be continued by Robert van der Wallen the current owner, who also understand the passion that Mr. Pon had for his winery.  As a non-wine note, they have recently opened Bernardus Golf in Holland, and it will be the host for the Dutch KLM open.  Just another sublime winner, a twenty-year-old California Chardonnay that has a reason to be proud.  We are really going to have problems drinking the young wines again after all of this.