This event, the third through the Ventura County Winery Association for a weekend of tasting centered around Valentine’s Day, was a first for me.
It began with a one hour drive to Camarillo and Oxnard. Armed only with a map, pen, pad and a blended mocha, I foraged to parts unknown to me…as a wine destination. I only had the Friday of the three-day fest (February 10-12 LINK for website.) so I missed two of the seven locations because of their business hours. (My beloved Four Brix Winery opens at 4pm on Fridays and the Camarillo Custom Crush tasting room is only open weekends.) No worries – as I’ll be back. The one thing I learned was that I needed more time.
Anyway, I thought it was a great idea and so did all of the couples out celebrating not only Valentines Day but also an extension of an anniversary, or in advance of a birthday. The same couples seem to trail me as that Friday morning ebbed into a lazy Friday afternoon, I on a mission to sample from wineries new to me and then drive the hour distance home to the SCV, while they were being romanced by the grape:
