pretty by the bay

So this is what summer looks like outside of San Francisco! Plants are blooming. The sun is shining. Bees are buzzing around, doing what they do best.

And to think, this beauty exists right across the Golden Gate Bridge in that magical land known as Wine Country. Santa Rosa, to be exact. Corey and I were invited to the Matanzas Creek Days of Wine and Lavender event. I visited Matanzas Creek once before, but during the winter when the grounds were a little less vibrant. This weekend showed why Matanzas Creek is equally known for its scenic beauty and its Bennett Valley wines.

(Gratuitous baby bump shot – now scented with lavender!)

The lavender garden almost made me forget the fact that I’m not currently able to drink the beverage that attracts most people to Wine Country. Fortunately, my partner was more than willing to taste on my behalf and describe each wine in great detail. And even more fortunately, Days of Wine and Lavender included a delicious array of foods infused with the fragrant purple herb. The spread was beautifully displayed in a shady area below the Matanzas Creek tasting room.

We started with some redefined picnic fare: Creamy Coleslaw, Rancho Gordo Three Bean Salad with Sundried Tomato Dressing and Fresh Basil, and Lavender Roasted Chicken. The chicken was perfectly moist and juicy, and the lavender essence was subtle and lovely. The two salads provided a cool complement to the roasted meat.

Plate number two, a.k.a. Pregnant Beth’s Perfect Meal. Matanzas Creek Spice-Rubbed Hangar Steak with Frites, Sausalito Farms Watercress and Cabernet Ketchup. The steak was tender and the lavender spice was more pronounced in this dish; I thought the bold flavor was a good pairing for the hearty meat. And while they contained no lavender, the fries were the standout of this dish. I don’t know how the winery culinary team managed to fry such perfect fries with an outdoor deep fryer, but oh my word. I could have eaten a vat of these smothered in the delectable wine-infused ketchup.

Paired with the steak: a light Butter Lettuce Salad with Horseradish and Fine Herb & Lavender Vinaigrette.

And while I didn’t indulge in this particular dish, I’m told the Lavender and Coconut Rock Shrimp Ceviche was pretty spectacular, especially when paired with Matanzas Creek’s 2008 Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc.

My bun in the oven can’t have wine or ceviche, but she loves dessert – so we sampled two. This Chocolate and Lavender-Infused Pot De Creme with Summer Berry Salad was refreshing and decadent; the mousse melted in my mouth.

The second dessert came from an unexpected source.

Goat’s milk ice cream from Laloo’s, a local company that completely blew me away with its rich chocolate and strawberry concoctions. Made entirely from goat’s milk and deemed “lactose friendly,” this ice cream had the flavor and consistency of gelato for a fraction of the fat and calories. Trust me when I say goat’s milk ice cream is a far cry from goat’s cheese (i.e., there’s no distinct goaty aroma or flavor – just pure deliciousness!).

We let our food digest as we strolled around the Matanzas Creek grounds to take in the rest of the festival. The lavender barn was open, and various products were on display for smelling…

…and tasting.

I could have stayed in the fragrant barn all afternoon, but Corey was pulled toward a more manly activity. Bocce ball! In this scaled-down version of the game, the goal was simple: get one of two balls to land between a set of purple ribbons. Corey surveyed the landscape and took aim…

…but the first attempt was too far from the mark.

I stepped in to show him how it’s done. Maybe Corey was ashamed of how close my ball came to the goal, because he failed to record that moment.

Time for round two…followed by an equally unsuccessful round three.

But finally, success!

Fourth time’s a charm. My man won me a beautiful bag of lavender potpourri. Thanks, honey.

To cool off, we headed back toward the wine tasting area so Corey could enjoy a few more Matanzas Creek wines. Among his favorites: the 2007 Sonoma Valley Chardonnay and the 2008 Bennett Valley Pinot Noir.

The most interesting tasting opportunity allowed him to sample the 2009 Jackson Park Merlot straight from the barrel, followed by the 2006 and 2002 vintages for comparison. There was a definite difference among the three – how fun to be able to taste a wine and see how it’s developed over time.

Many thanks to the folks at Matanzas Creek (especially Chris and Michaela) for inviting us to this event. It was a class act from start to finish! I hated to leave this scenery behind…

…especially as we headed down 101 South and saw what lay ahead of us.

Yeah. Welcome home to San Francisco.