The Letter W

W is for winery

And wine

Sunday was a hot, blue sky kind of day without a trace of a breeze; I had the urge to get out there in the afternoon with my camera to soak up some sun and beauty.   Ramon Rios Vineyard and Winery, here in Tracy, California, is just down the road apiece from where I live. What better place to spend the afternoon.

Ramon Rios was in the tasting room when I arrived, and after a brief introduction and why I wanted to take photos, he opened up the place to me as if I were family.

For me, a winery is about the feeling of the property, the winery itself, and this winery has that warm feeling; I have a hard time putting my finger on the word that best describes it, but maybe the feeling of the vintner’s passion is what it’s about.  There’s an old world charm here.

From the big dog sleeping on the cool cement at the entrance of the winery

To the little pockets of serendipity found here and there

A little more time inside the winery itself to cool off a bit, and chat with Ramon’s brother, and a guest who was tasting wines, made for a delightful Sunday afternoon

I said my goodbyes, and then did my usual stopping a hundred more times on my way out, to take more photos

The Rios family planted their first vines in the year 2000, and the signature Port and Tempranillo were first bottled in 2003.  I chose a bottle of Tempranillo to bring home, and it is delicious.

For more W’s, you can visit Frizztext’s blog here