After getting over the surprise retirement party, and as we were getting ready to pack up, which was unique, as normally we are the last to leave, as we are there to the end cleaning and straightening.  My Bride had all of her gifts to pack up in the car, not to mention, we had Ms. Yoga as well.  A total surprise for my Bride and they were talking almost to the time of party, sometimes we have to be sneaky.  My Bride had a lot going on with her family, that is still going on, and she couldn’t understand why a schedule that she and three of her sisters worked on, was being upended for the weekend.  I guess when she saw that Ms. Yoga was staying at Casa Raconteur, it dawned on her. 

Now Ms. Yoga, by rights should have been Castilian, as one would think that the concept of tapas was created by her.  She enjoys noshing and would rather have plenty of appetizers instead of one entrée.  I knew about it and I really couldn’t give my Bride a heads up about what foods should be forthcoming, before the “tiki” party; just like I couldn’t get the guest bedroom ready ahead of time.  I mean there would be no logical reason for me to put fresh linens on a bed, that isn’t being used, nor could I pull out a luggage stand and set it up in the room.  Though I could get a stock of Chardonnay wines chilling in the back refrigerator, without causing any eyebrows to go up.  One of the wines we had was Bernardus Winery Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands, Soberanes Vineyard 2019.  Bernardus Winery is one of our favorites from Monterey County and it was at their restaurant that I actually received a glass of Screaming Eagle for a special night and memory.  Bernardus Winery and Vineyards was founded by Ben Marinus Pon about twenty-seven 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.  Soberanes Vineyard is a joint venture of two famed growers Gary Pisoni and Gary Franscioni in the Santa Lucia Highlands.  This wine is made in the “Burgundian tradition” and it is almost twelve months between harvest and bottling.  The wine is aged in French Oak, of which forty-three percent is new.  This pretty soft golden colored wine offered notes of baked apples with crème and spices.  On the palate layers of white fruits, buttery oak and a nice long finish. 

In the two nights that we had Ms. Yoga, we had a chance to enjoy several wines, I know that I was not surprised and several dishes of food, in an eclectic manner.  I know that you wouldn’t be surprised that I was regaling Ms. Yoga about the wines along with side stories.  One other wine that I will mention is made from a man that was originally from the Detroit area and still maintains ties to Detroit, especially philanthropically.  Another party that he still holds in Detroit is a big cigar night and through the course of years I have met several of the men that are part of this party, but my Bride is happy that I retired from that habit; not to mention that I always enjoyed a panatela with an English market wrapper and that size seems to have disappeared, which I guess is alright with me.  We did get to enjoy a Celani Family Vineyards Estate Chardonnay Napa Valley 2020 from the Oak Knoll District.  The Chardonnay was whole-cluster pressed and fermented on its lees using forty percent new French Oak and sixty percent in self-stirring egg-shaped concrete fermenters. To maintain the natural acidity of the Chardonnay, malolactic fermentation was inhibited.  The nose on this wine was excellent with notes of apple, pear, tropical flowers and brioche and some soft notes of spices and jasmine. The taste was a crisp balance of fruit and floral flavors with a very decent length finish of oak and roasted nuts.  Until the next return of Ms. Yoga.