Yountville Trip Day 2

Today was jammed packed with events that I needed to attend for the San Pelligrino competition, but somehow I found the time to have lunch with Harold Deitrele from Perilla in NYC. Great lunch at the bar, oysters, clams and local crab. Very simple with basic mignonette and cocktail sauce. Then I had the Bouchout Mussels from Maine with saffron and mustard, killer good as were the frittes. As a whole all of us this weekend have drank way too much wine, but when you're here there isn't many other options, such is life! We then had dinner at Francis Ford Coppola's house at the Rubicon Estate. First of all this estate was one of the sickest structures I have ever seen, 15,000 square feet cave that wound its way into the mountain- side and barrel after barrel of some of Americas best wines. The wine maker opened a barrel of 2006 Cask Cabernet and gave us all a glass directly from the barrel, it tasted like the wine could have gone another 10 years but still having the wine directly out of its barrel was intense. We were then escorted upstairs into the area where the wine is produced and treated to a fabulous 5 course meal based around all of the Rubicon Estates wines. Another crazy day tomorow, heading to the Laundry around 7am to chill with those guys in the kitchen for a few hours, and then back to CIA Greystone for the finnaly of the Pelligrino event where we will annonce this years winner.