Welcome to Joe goes everywhere a big blend radio food wine and travel podcast Featuring award-winning photographer and travel writer Joe Clark.Let's find out where she's taking us today Welcome everyone.Jo goes everywhere.
And this time she went in a sidecar, not any sidecar, a wild sidecar.She went riding on the wild sidecar throughout Sonoma's wine country up in Northern California.So she went, you know, beyond the golden, golden bridge.You know what?
And San Francisco is beautiful, but she decided she's going north and had a good time riding around going wine tasting, picnicking, tasting cider, and just had a beautiful time, didn't you?Welcome back.Yeah.Yeah.
Had fun.Had a great time.Hope you've been having a good fall.It's been beautiful here.Yeah.Yeah.And South Carolina is beautiful right now.It was.And it was beautiful in California.Yeah.It was 101 the day we landed.
And that was, I don't know, like October Okay.And then it went down a little bit or no?Yeah, it went down into the mid eighties, nineties, which was perfect because I had checked my weather report.Always check your weather report before you travel.
And so I had packed sundresses just like I would have been wearing at home and it was perfect.You wore a sundress on a sidecar?Well, no.Now I have a sundress type top. that goes with pants.
And so I did wear pants on the sidecar because getting in and out would, I would have been okay, but half the time, you know, I traveled with my friend Audrey.
So half the time when I was not in the sidecar and she was, then I was behind Jerome on the motorcycle.So we both had to dress in pants and be prepared to ride behind him.
So this sounds like fun though.Like, Oh, you know, it was, it was a blast different way of seeing it.So you each had to have helmets so he could talk to you as you're driving.Yeah.He's got state-of-the-art.
Uh, voice, um, sound system and, and the, you don't have like, you've got a little microphone and then you've got him right in your ear, but you can hear the other, the other rider too.So we had three-way conversations going and.
You could hear everything that was happening.That's awesome.So you can tell you where you're going, what you're going to experience.So it's like a tour guide.And what you're passing by, you know?Okay, cool.
So he was telling like the history of the area or which winery we were going to.And one of them was the oldest winery in the area.And don't ask me to pronounce that.We're calling it GB.Okay. Don't don't even go there.But was it good.
We slaughtered other words we would really slaughter this one.
Well, you know, you got to go, but he okay let's just start with this so this is like a cool.
company like you know because normally you're in a bus or something but this is a big fat motorcycle like it's it's thick it's a thick bike a real motorcycle with a sidecar i felt like you're feeling the wind in your wings you know and you go on this you remember in mash they had the sidecar in in korea um in the movies
Exactly.You know, but it's interesting.You just went gliding and now you're riding, you know, that's it.
So that that's another way.
Yeah, really.But you're able to kind of get that vibe of the area.So I just think this is a cool concept.But I also saw I was on his website.And I was seeing you know, and everyone you could go to rides by me.com.
And also Joe's got a great article about her experience up on blend radio and tv.com.So It's linked in the episode notes as always, but it seems like he does groups too.So he has other, you know, people riding some other drivers.
Wow.Wow.And he does other areas.He does tours of San Francisco.He does foodie tours.So if you're not into wine drinking and don't want to spend an entire day going from winery to winery, he'll take you from restaurant to restaurant.Yeah.
Hey, you know, It seems like he has a good time.Like he's having fun.Yes, he is.
As I said in, in my article that, um, you know, you say, if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life.This boy loves what he does.You can tell he is not working.He is having a blast.That's awesome.That's awesome.And he's funny.
He's he's fun.He's charismatic. He's a chef, so when you stop halfway through your day and have your picnic lunch, he prepared it all and it's fresh and handmade and yummy.Did I see that you had macarons again?I did.
He made French macarons that we had.
He is French, so he spoiled us.We had French macarons for dessert. And I told him about the article I did on the wine tasting, wine pairings with French macarons in the Finger Lakes.
that we talked about last month so um it was a lot of fun it was a lot of fun so he makes a picnic for you which is cool and you're having this picnic at a winery and so i love in your so i i think i can pronounce this winery that you're in um you went to landmark winery i can pronounce that but the other one is good luck a bunchu
Oh, now you're just showing off.Did I do it?
That sounds good to me.Is it German?Yeah.Yeah, because I spoke German and Dutch.
My Dutch won over the- I didn't know about the German side of you.
No, well, I am with that German blood, but I took German and Dutch at the same time, and that was not a good idea.But I do kind of understand sometimes.If it's French, I'm out.
There's no, there's no hope for me in the, in the language of French, but I'll eat the macarons though, which I was calling macaroons last time.And yet, yeah, they're a whole different animal.
But, um, that the, so he makes us, and so you get to be outside and then did you, you, this is the greatest thing.You have a personal driver taking you around in a cool way and you get to have wine and not worry about driving or anything like that.
You're not driving, you're riding with him and, and he knows everybody.So they're expecting you.He already has it scheduled.Uh, they, both places, both wineries and the cider, um, bar.
The guys met us at the door and escorted us in and they were ready and waiting for us when we arrived.So we just had a great day and he has pre-checked everywhere you go.So he knew which ones were going to be closed.
We went on a Wednesday and some of them were closed on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off, you know, kind of off season. And so he knew which ones were closed and which ones weren't.
So he dealt with all that and had the day completely planned and picked out his favorites and the ones that he thought would be of the most interest to me as a travel writer and a wine and food writer.And he did a great job.He certainly has
He knew the right people to ask.One of the wineries was actually closed that day, and they opened the tasting room for us.Oh, that's sweet.Yeah, it was.
That was really nice of them to do that.
And so this is an area that's so famous for wine.It is.And Sonoma, like Healdsburg, Russian River, all of those areas just make produce some of the best wine on the planet.They do.They do.They do.Did you have any favorites?
I had a lot of really good wine.I know you're going to be talking more about Sonoma County over the next few months, but did you have any favorite wine or should we not go there?She's like all of them.
Yeah, really all of them.It's like asking what you should, I don't have to worry about answering that question, but Other people, when you ask them that, they say, what day is it?It's whoever I'm not mad at today.
I had a pinot noir that was divine, and that was at Landmark.I said it put a smile on my face that lasted all week.It was a 2017 estate pinot noir, so it came from their grapes.
Landmark has several different vineyards, three I think, maybe more, so they have Hop Kiln is one of the labels that they produce and use.They have a vineyard in Santa Rosa or Santa Rita Hills, so that
that those grapes have that it's different terroir so then that's the different dirt so they're picking up different minerals and different tastes from where they grow and when you taste one from Ray Hill and one from Hopkins Hill and one from Santa Rita and you compare the three they're different and you know they're different
but they're the exact same grape and they were perhaps even pressed and stored the same way.
So the difference is only where they grew and perhaps the year and the weather, but if they're the same year, it boils down to dirt, like any farmer can tell you.
Yeah no but this is I mean how beautiful the background too like seeing the fall colors come to the vineyards that's magic.Isn't that pretty?
It was just changing and it was just beautiful.We went to so many gorgeous vineyards all throughout the Sonoma County but on this particular day we were staying very close to the town of Sonoma.I think we probably were not more than
20 minutes outside of town in either direction.So you went and you stayed at El Pueblo Inn?We did.El Pueblo is walking distance to most of the things in Sonoma proper.They have a historic center of town.
They have an old mission there and lots of interesting shops and restaurants.A lot of the wineries have tasting rooms in town.
I didn't go to any of those because I'd rather go to the winery if I can, and so that's what we were doing is going to actual wineries the week that we were there.We did have some good food.We had some Mexican food.We had French food. Yeah.
A lot of it, the farm to table out there too.You know, it is a lot of them own the land, enough land that they're growing, uh, vegetables too, that then they can serve in their restaurants.
You know, I find it cool that you went to a cider bar.So this is where he had different ciders come in.And so, yeah, yeah.
He has, um, like more than 150 ciders that yeah yeah he has over 150 different ciders and the shop is and this is kind of cool too it's pomade cider shop and tap room and pomade is french for apple so
I think there's, I think there's a French connection going on.
I do with Mr. Jerome.Yeah.So did you, did you get to taste any food with the cider or is it pure just cider tastings?Or are you just buying a glass?
They, they had, they had by the glass, they had tastings, they have one wine on tap where you can do tastings.They do have some food.They have local bites that have, that they put together.They don't,
make them, I don't think, but they get things locally, cheeses and meats and things like that.And they make plates, but we had had a late picnic lunch right before we went here.So we weren't really hungry and we were headed to dinner afterwards.
So we didn't partake of the food.
But what was your picnic like?What was the food like in the picnic?I know the macarons, but what did you make?
Yeah, the macarons.We had We had a huge, thick sandwich with meats and cheeses.We had some Mediterranean foods and salads.We had- Oh, wow.He's making this for two people.
Yeah, you'd have thought there were 10 coming to that picnic when you saw the food come out.
So I think he likes food.He's a chef, so that helps.
And actually, I think there is an art to good sandwiches.There really is an art to them.
There definitely is.There definitely is.And putting the right cheeses with meats, you know, anybody can slap a piece of meat and a piece of cheese on white bread, but this was, this was definitely scaled up.
And, um, yeah, we had tabbouleh, we had, um, Yum.Fresh fruit in a salad.Um, wow.So you look at my pictures to know everything I ate.
You had a good time.Basically this was, this was, so you, you was making sure you could drink enough wine.That was it.That was, did you feel safe in this?I mean, it looks like fun to me.It looks like that is such a cool way to see things too.
Just because everybody waves and. He has an ooga horn, you know, the ooga.I can do that if you want.He said, whenever I blow the ooga horn, you have to wave like a queen.So we had to practice our wave.So we waved.
When he blew the horn, we would wave and the children loved it.Kids that were walking down the sidewalks and things, we would see them and he would blow the horn at them and they'd turn and look and we'd wave.
Well, the whole sidecar thing is so European to me, you know, because like the little Vespas and stuff.Right, because where else do you see them? Yeah, I mean, I know they were over here, too.And I think Indian Motorcycles might have done them.
I'm not sure.I'm going to get myself into the woods there.But I know that, well, you know.But it was like, yeah, like you were saying, just when you were talking about that, about MASH, now my mind is like, that's very European to do it.
And it's just a cool way to get around.And especially, I know that he's based in San Francisco. Man.
And he does lots of tours out of San Francisco.
That would be such a cool way to see that city because there's so many different hills and all those winding road and all of that with the little road.And I was on his website.He's got an amazing video showing drone footage of where he takes you.
And it's like, that is a cool way to see an area and then to go through the vineyards.And now you kind of feel like you're in Europe.
Right through a vineyard.I mean, he has permission because he's built a reputation with the people.But yeah, we went right through the vineyard and that was that was really neat.
Man, this is cool.This is cool.I just like that because it does feel like you're You know, it does.And San Francisco, to me, is a very European city.And then going over to Sonoma, I mean, it is amazing to me once you get over the Golden Gate Bridge.
I keep calling it the Golden Bridge.It's the Golden Red Bridge.The Red Golden Gate.I know, the Golden Gate Bridge.
once you get over that bridge it's like the whole nature changes you know it is amazing to me how things change with the setting and then the vineyards come and the coast I know we're going to talk about Point Reyes down the road I mean Bodega Bay in that whole area is one of my favorite places in the world and if you can get the cheese
That cheese needs to be on it.
And he does, he does a cheese tour.You can do one of the two.He does a tour that is all cheese.He got takes you and from San Francisco.It's all cheese.He's tour way.He does a nighttime.Did you say way while we're talking about cheese?You did.
And I said, well, we're not talking about curds and way, but we're almost there. But this is cool.But this is like, oh my gosh.Now, do you want to go back and do that one with the cheese?Oh, yeah.
I would go back and do every tour he does.He does Napa.He does the tours in San Francisco.He does one of all the area's monuments.And he does one of all the views of San Francisco from the tops of all the hills, 12 different hills.
I would love to do the night time one.
Yeah.I mean, it's just because there's so much history in San Francisco.I mean, It is layers after layers.I love all the different neighborhoods.
And because they've kept the integrity of the history, like also like hate Ashbury and all of that, you know, but you've got to go to Sonoma too.And that's the thing I think people sometimes go Napa or San Francisco.
And I think places like Sonoma, sometimes we wanna really bang the pots and pans on Sonoma is magical.Or maybe we should be quiet.
You know, that way it doesn't get any more crowded than it already is.
Really?Is it getting crowded there?Because I always thought it was pretty like a hush-hush secret.Not?
Well, it's, I think, I think word has leaped out.There were, there were a lot of people there. Like I said, we were off season as far as I'm concerned.Now they call it the season because it was the harvest.
So we saw lots of harvesting going on or finishing up.Most of the places, some of the bigger places, when we went they had
reservations only and that it was like if you come if you don't if you're not here at 1 30 if you're five minutes late you need to let us know because you're throwing off the next group. and so that's important.
It was a lot busier than I thought it would be.Yeah you know living in Myrtle Beach you're used to the season and after Labor Day it starts dying down and by October you know there's no wait at any of the restaurants down here.
Then it's perfect time and I just thought oh we're going at the perfect time.There won't be lines, there won't be tourists.
You know I know Sonoma for over 25, six years I've been going there.And that area, you know, and, but I haven't, you know, done much over.Well, no, we were just
Yeah, we keep going through and it is busy because it's, you know, above San Francisco and but it was a more like when I first, you know, started going there was still more farming and but like real farm to table as it still is now and growing, you know, everybody's like, oh, you're going to Napa and I'm like, no, I'm going to Santa Rosa or I'm going to Hillsburg and Hillsburg is a very special place.
I know we're going to talk about that in the future on the show. Definitely, you know, and I love Santa Rosa dearly and Russian River and all the Redwoods I'd hope you saw some Redwoods while you were out there.Yes.
And Marin County is nearby but Sonoma. It, it was more, I don't know, I'm not going to say it wasn't bedroom, but there's so many historic neighborhoods too, but just kind of this very laid back feeling.Yes.
You could have traffic on the one-on-one and stuff, but it's.I don't know.It's always been chilled out to me.Yeah.
Once you get, once you get off the main highway and get into Sonoma, it was, it was pretty, pretty quiet and pretty walkable.Um, it was nice. I like it.
I like it.You're right.It's laid back.Yeah, I like laid back places.You know, California is kind of like that, you know, that's some laid back time, you know, but I but hey, busy, busy means they're doing something right.
You know, so well, hey, I love that you went right in. She went on a wild ride because Joe goes everywhere.And she's starting to prove that Joe goes everywhere, anywhere.Everywhere and anyhow.And anyhow.That's it.Anyway, anyhow.Yeah, she'll do it.
As long as there's wine on the other side and you've got wine.That's for sure.
That's right.You have to tempt me.You have to bribe me with wine.
Now, you were talking about the Grand Strand, Southern Carolina. I got my California mindset going here.
Okay, there it is, we got it.You're going to talk about Christmas in your backyard in the next show.Jo goes everywhere but she's staying home for Christmas and going to give us an update.
I'll be home for Christmas.
All right, and you're going to tell us about twinkly lights, gardens, some events, celebrations, some parades.
nice all kinds of things going on in the south it's a good place to spend christmas i know you guys do love christmas don't you any excuse for a party you know that name yeah yeah lisa i almost called you nancy it's all right you can well we're looking forward to that so thanks so much as always fun to keep up with your adventures around the world and across the country and we'll talk christmas next so happy thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving to you and keep writing.Yeah, you too, everyone.Happy Thanksgiving to you too.Cheers.Cheers.Thanks for joining us.Keep up with Big Blend Radio's Joe Goes Everywhere podcast on BigBlendRadio.com.Keep up with Joe's adventures.
Go to HaveGlassWillTravel.com and RecipesTravelCulture.com.
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