For all of Florida’s plusses, the one thing we just don’t excel at is wines (making them, not drinking them). Grape vines are picky about real estate; they need very specific conditions: Hot, dry summers, cool, wet winters — what those in the know call a “Mediterranean climate.” Not surprisingly, this is why Mediterranean countries, Italy, France, Spain, Greece, are famous for wine. It is also why the Sonoma Valley is on the world wine map; you don’t need to be in the Mediterranean to have its climate.
So think of Out in the Vineyard as the gay man’s “in” to the who’s who of California’s Wine Country. The LGBT brainchild of Gary Saperstein, a 25-year veteran in the restaurant biz, Out in the Vineyard takes a select few to some of the most venerable wineries and artisan winemakers in the world, as well as the gay-owned and operated estates of the Sonoma Valley. Champagne breakfasts, wine and food tastings, strolls through vineyards, picnic lunches that set the standard — Saperstein creates 3- and 6-day intensive introductions to the rarefied world of wine culture. And let there be no doubt, in Wine Country, nothing but nothing is more sacrosanct than the living art of making a good vintage. The fact the California wine business pulled $19.9 BILLION in profits in 2011 goes to show how serious it all is.
Now, it’s not like gay men need an excuse to tip one back (no judgments), but Out in the Vineyard is all about winnowing the bad from the good. Some inexpensive wines can be quite satisfying; some pricey ones are pure highway robbery. Saperstein and his business partner Mark Volger take it upon themselves to educate guests on what makes a wine worthy of your table — and trust me, it’s a science. FYI, a sign of true sophistication is to read a label and know exactly how to pair what’s inside the bottle with whatever it is you are eating.
For 2013, Out in the Vineyard has organized The Big Gay Train, a unique culinary and wine adventure of the Wine Country’s most lauded gay winemakers: J Vineyards and Winery, Porter Family Vineyards, Windsor Oaks Vineyards, and Mercury Wines. Guests are whisked from one estate to another (after all the wine, it’s a given somebody else will be doing the driving) in the company of the winemakers themselves, who give an insider’s viewpoint to things like the terroir (the kind of soil the vines grow in), types of grapes, the types of wood used for barrels (yes, it’s important), and, of course, the spectrum of wines produced.
For more information, go to www.outinthevineyard.com. Steele Luxury Travel can help with all of your travel needs to the Sonoma Valley area! Visit www.SteeleTravel.com for more information.