So sorry for the delay in posting part two of my San Francisco trip. I started in writing the original much too late in the evening and then got to busy to finish it this week. I've been a little under the weather over my weekend and have spent much of it snuggling with Cassidy and watching Netflix. So, without further delay, Part Dos:
When my mom originally told me about coming down to visit, both of us instantly decided we had to go to the SF MOMA to see the How Wine Became Modern exhibit. After all, I gained much of my interest in wine from my mom. I have been to the MOMA a couple of times before so on this trip I only checked out two other exhibits besides the wine exhibit.
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| Total Nerd Alert! |
It was a fun and lighthearted look at how wine as become modern, or popularized over the years, and boy, was I ever geeking out during the exhibit. Several times I had to walk up to my family saying, "watch out, nerd alert!"
There was an installation of soil from different vineyards around the world with placards that gave info on the climate, elevation and composites of soil.
One of my favorite instillation was on the poetry of writers and critics, but was accompanied by a smell instillation. There was a row of glasses attached to a funnel and pump so that you could pump the aromas from the wine and smell them. It was funny because above each glass was an elegant descriptor that a critic, writer or winemaker would say about some intense aromas. For example, there was a NZ Sauvignon Blanc, which I mostly would describe as smelling like cat pee, was so delicately described as grass and gooseberries. The instillation made it a point to laugh at these idiosyncrasies.
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| Smells like cat pee. |
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Another great part of the exhibit was an uprooted 25 yr old vine and rootstock with the grafting of American and European rootstock at eye level. There was a mirror below the root too, which was cool to look down/up at.
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| 25 yr old vine and rootstock from CA. |
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Last, but not least of what I want to post on of the exhibit was a fake of DRC (Domaine de la Romanée-Conti). It was a piece done by Nicolas Boulard, and was presented as a real wine from 1946, however is phony because DRC was not produced that year because of the outbreak of phylloxera.
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| You down with DRC? | | | | |
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After perusing the museum we were feeling pretty hungry and tired so we had lunch in the cafe and headed back to our hotel. Our second night we stayed at The Mark Hopkins hotel in Nob Hill, which is sort of an institution of San Francisco. After a short nap, we made our dinner plans and headed up to the top floor of the hotel, called Top of the Mark, to have a cocktail. The bar upstairs had 360 views of the city and was a great way to start the evening.
On the recommendation of our concierge, we had dinner at a Catalan tapas restaurant called
B44 it's on an alley street, Belden Place, filled with restaurants and wine bars. Unfortunately, I have no photos of dinner since it was so dark in there, but trust me when I tell you it was amazing! We had morcilla sausages, cod cheeks, mussels, tiger shrimp, leg of lamb brochetta and rabbit paella. Everything was so amazing. We had a stainless steel age (unheard of) Priorat and a Catalan red on the recommendation of our server. We had spotted a nearby table drinking Cava from a
porron and asked our server about it. He told us it was a Spanish tradition, mostly practiced in Catalunya. Where families and friends share from this one wine carafe, usually with Cava, but is also served with any wine. Next thing we knew he showed up with our table for one of us to share. On my first try I was reserved, but did not spill a drop, however, the second time around I was a little overzealous trying to tip the porron back further and ended up splashing Cava all over my face! It was a great dinner and highly recommend this cute Tapas restaurant if you're in SF.
The next morning we went to church at the Cathedral of St Mary of the Assumption. The cathedral was beautiful with some amazing architecture. According to my brother, it is the same architect who designed the chapel on the University of Portland campus. Afterward, we met my uncle and his better half after she ran the Emerald Across the Bay 12k run. After having breakfast and doing some shopping on Filmore we headed down the peninsula to see their new home in Half Moon Bay. Along the way we stopped for a happy hour cocktail at an amazing Peruvian restaurant right on the beach.
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| mmmm...Pisco Sour! |
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It was an awesome afternoon and the first time I saw the California sun on my trip! I was happy to be soaking in some of the rays with an incredible view of the beach and a delicious Pisco Sour!
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| First sunny day of the trip, on my last day. |
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It was a great way to end the trip and come back to rainy Oregon. I had a great time with my family and have been resting from all the extravagant food! Cheers!
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