Trey's New House! October 2009

The proud new home owner! Lots of work to do, but commitment to match the challenge! Congratulations, Trey!

Frances Comes to Visit - October 2009

October was a busy month for us. We drove to San Antonio, spent a few days and traveled back to Parras de la Fuente with my mom. She stayed with us for almost two weeks. We had a great time taking her around, introducing her to our friends, and showing her our town. Unfortunately, the pictures were lost in a computer melt-down. After a lengthy period of procrastination, a mind-wrenching hike up a learning curve, and no small amount of frustration, I have scanned some of the pictures that
were printed before the melt-down.
We had a Mexican fiesta for her with all the trimmings. A sampling of friends who came to meet her: Dr. Felix and his family on the left, Dora and Antonio on the right.



The three featured attractions

of the evening were:

THE LAMB

THE MARIACHIS

BLANCA - who does

everything around here - with a smile!

The next morning, another group of friends came for brunch on the patio. My very good friend Estela is waving from the end of the table.

Solo Vino was still enjoying left-overs from the night before.

Her visit fell during the pecan harvest and she enjoyed watching the process. Can you imagine how tired these guys must be at the end of a long day of stoop labor? They still had enough good humor to tease me about selling their picture to some magazine in Hollywood. They were waiting for their bags to be weighed and counted.

Meeting Tonita is a mandatory stop on any tour of Parras. She makes candy the old-fashioned way: in a huge copper kettle over an open fire. She wasn't actually in production the day we dropped by, but she was more than willing to pose with her new friend.

Santa Maria was another favorite on my mom's list. Santa Maria resides in her namesake church on the principal square of Parras. She is the town's patron and guardian of the grapevines.

We enjoyed every moment of mom's visit. It's always fun to show her new places - it makes her eyes sparkle.

Santa Tomas

And so it went . . . one great winery after another. At Santa Tomas, even though grape harvest was underway, the winemaker, Laura Zamora, met with us and gave us a tour of the facilities. The size of the equipment and the production capacity were daunting to say the least. However, the best part was the special treat Laura, arranged for us. Given several barrels of wine to choose from - a variety which included younger wines and older wines from several different varietals from younger plants and older plants, stored in barrels made from different types of oak - we blended a bottle of wine just the way we wanted it. Such fun! However, in all honesty, I tasted so many wines that day I am sure my bottle was a poor reflection of what it could have been. I tend to do better with fewer choices. Thank you, Laura! It was quite an experience.

Liceaga

This beautiful winery is a real treat. The wine is delicious and the grounds are lovely. Designed to accommodate anything from an intimate party to a huge group. It's perfect for weddings, birthdays, and reunions. The owner treated us like royalty and we had a grand time wandering the grounds along gravel pathways that meander through a grove of ancient live oaks.

I highly recommend that you visit this lovely place the next time you are in Ensenada.

Adobe Guadalupe

Our tour of wineries around Ensenada was loaded with great stops. Adobe Guadalupe includes a bed and breakfast. We are already making plans for another visit and next time we want reservations at the BandB.

After all the grapes were harvested, crushed, fermented, pressed and put to rest, we needed a change of scenery . . . grape harvest in Ensenada with our good friend Nacho Chacon was just the ticket. We arrived in Tijuana and went directly to the hotel where we were introduced to one of Mexico's most famous bullfighters, Eloy Cavasos.

Back row L-R: Mary (Eloy's wife), Antonieta, Eloy, and Nacho

That day we walked the streets of Tijuana, visited an art gallery, and treated ourselves to a delightful dinner.

On Monday, we left for Ensenada with Nacho, Antonieta and Issac. On the way, we stopped at Puerto Nuevo for longosta, delicious little sea creatures that pass for baby lobsters. Ummmm yummy!

On to Ensenada . . . We had a grand time beginning with a walking tour of town.