Bellied Up at Ste. Chapelle.
Back on November 7th, I had nine lovely ladies come from Baker City for a tour. It all started back about three months when I wasn contacted by Nicole. She and her buddies were looking for something to do on their ladies weekend. Apparently she had done some research on the web, and decided to choose Idaho Winery Tours for Saturday’s activities. She warned me that they were a rowdy bunch, and she wasn’t kidding.
I picked them up at 11:30 at Hotel 43 in downtown Boise, and off we went to the Sunny Slope. After a short ride we hit the tasting room at Ste. Chapelle Winery. We were a little off schedule, and some folks were waiting for us to take the tour of the facilities. A few of our crew decided to stay in the tasting room and get right to the tasting while the others went on to check out the facility. They couldn’t go in the main room because the carbon dioxide levels were extremely high, and as you know that’s not a good environment for humans. They soon returned and bellied up to the tasting bar. Ste Chapelle has a wide variety of wines to choose from so we were there for a bit. The sipped, shopped, and purchased some of the specialty items the winery offers, and then it was on to lunch at the Orchard House Restaurant.
Kris Thompson, and Sheri McCoy make a great lunch. The ladies have an excellent selection to choose from. I think the French dip and Fish and Chips were big hits. I had the Portobello Mushroom sandwich, and it was phenominal. It was like the most tender filet mignon you’ve ever had, and I savored every bite.
Then it was on to Bitner Vineyards. This was new to me. The Bitners have a lovely tasting room, and a spectacular view from their deck. I had driven past and accidently missed it on past tours, but now that I know exactly where it is, Bitner will remain a mainstay of the touring trail.
The next stop was Koening Winery and Distillery. Up to this point the ladies hadn’t been too rowdy. They said they had been up late catching up and partying in the hotel, so that was understandable. But that was quickly changed. As we were leaving the orchard house they bought several bags of flavored caramel popcorn. One of the flavors was huckleberry. As you may know Koenig makes a Huckleberry vodka. They sipped a few of the varietals, including the port, which I hear is really good, and then bought a bottle of the Huckleberry Vodka. I sensed the rowdiness was about to kick in.
Then the music started. They brought their own music on an iPod and speakers. I’m a bit out of touch on the music scene, but I would probably put parental warnings on some of it.
Late season sunset at Sawtooth
Our next stop was Davis Creek Cellars. Gina makes a great wine, and my guests said so. They may have frightend Gina when they told her they had me tied up in the back of the van. Unfortunately, we had to make this stop quick as we were pushing 4:15, and wanted to make the tasting room at Sawtooth Winery. There the ladies tasted the line, as the sun began to set. If you haven’t been out to the Sunny Slope for the wine, that’s okay but you should at least come out for the beautiful sunsets. They really are spectacular.
I know I’ve said they were rowdy, but what happens on the tour stays on the tour. I will tell you this: there was a lot of screams of celebration when it was found out that the Oregon Ducks had lost to Stanford. I was told the wager on the game involved naked pictures.
You know you’ve had a good tour when you hear empty bottles rolling around on the floor. My lovely ladies piled back out of the bus back at Hotel 43. I got a nice hug from everyone. Its always nice to get a hug from nine hot ladies in a row on a cold November evening. My Baker City Ladies will always hold a special place in the history of Idaho Winery Tours, and my heart as well.
Thanks Nicole, Darilynn, Marilyn, Jamie, Emma, Kathy, Shannon, Leslie, and Linda. I can’t wait to have you back next year. We’ll have to turn it up a notch next time, if that’s possible.
Cheers and Good Cheer
George
