NAPA, CALIFORNIA

I don't get all the hoopla over wine.  The sniffing, swishing, sipping, spitting, etc.  I just don't get it.  But, it is impossible to come to Northern California and not visit a winery.

I visited the Andretti Winery today in Napa, California (that's Mario Andretti, the race car driver). I expected it to be like the movie Sideways - it was not!

The place and the sourrounding gardens were quite beautiful.

Here's where everybody stands around and sips wine and then they talk about it. Seriously, what can one say about wine for hours?

I think these huge metal vats are used to store the wine in.

The vine fields were in perfect rows.

I wish there had been grapes on the vine, but there weren't. I really don't see how a grape could survive in this California heat!

This was the best part of the winery - a cat named Merlot.

Second best part - a photo of Mario Andretti with Paul Newman!

The grounds arond this winery were so nice. This is a pathway leading out to the vine fields.

Another view of the building. Again, it was very pretty grounds.

This is what I didn't get. People sitting around in the 100 degree heat (there was a very unusual heat wave in California today) sipping wine that they paid $12 a sip for. They did seem to enjoy it though. I just wonder who was driving them home!! (Anybody every heard of DUI?)

More people milling around sipping wine - then discussing it. I don't understand!!

Pretty flowers were all over the winery. A most magnificent rose garden!

This was a cool plant. Some kind of succulent; but, I have never seen it before.

It had these pretty little blooming flowers all over it. Very unique.

Despite the 100-degree heat wave, and me being a total non-drinker, I am glad I got to visit a winery.  I don't ever need to go to another one; but, this one was nice!  My friend very much enjoyed the sniffing, sipping and swishing (good thing I was the driver!).