The day before Thanksgiving 2003, turned out to be a wonderful day to visit the Napa Valley wine country. The weather was beautiful, and the crowds were minimal. We chose that day to go and visit our favorite vineyard and winery, the Robert Mondavi Winery, long our favorite for the excellent wine served, and the enjoyable and educational tour.

The winery itself is located in Oakville, north of Napa and south of St. Helena, on well-traveled Highway 29.

We arrived just after eleven in the morning, a bit early for our tour, scheduled for noon, so we had some time to spend enjoying the grounds and the lovely day.

We took some time in the gift shop, and also looked at the vines on the grounds, still covered with a profusion of leaves and, on occasion, some residual grapes. The fall harvest, of course, was long over, and the fermentation that marks the beginning of the wine's life as wine was concluded. The harvest of 2003 was all sleeping quietly in oak barrels.

At noon, our tour began.