Land of the Giants

Just wound up a tour of wine and trees along the northern California and Oregon Pinot Noir redwood route. The trees, frankly, were more mind-blowing than the wine. As I didn't have my laptop along you've all avoided my effusive descriptions of swirling glasses of grape juice lovely on the nose, bouquets redolent of honeysuckle rose, firm finishes with notes of tobacco, nice legs, hints of manure, and all the rest of that clobber. Spare me. The idea of a wine-tasting in Napa seems to be to pour a glass and then explain to the drinker at length what one is likely to find in it should one prove sufficiently sophisticated. Best wine-pourers quote of the trip, at a winery named Envy: "This one is like sticking your whole face in a puddle of jam." Delicious. Oops, I seem to have gotten some stuck in my beard. Do I get a wet-nap with that? More on the trees later.