Napa (again)

My husband would not want me to tell you this. But he doesn’t read my blog, so I’m going to say it. He’s a two-time Grammy winner. He won once with BB King. More recently, he won with Pacific Mambo Orchestra (PMO) in the Latin Jazz category. This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending a PMO show at a winery in Napa.

First of all, Live Music Is Back! Yay! It’s been 16 months since PMO had a gig. And about that long since I’ve seen any band play live. Full disclosure: I don’t like salsa or Latin jazz. But last Friday night, it was my favorite.  

They played two shows at the historic and beautiful Charles Krug Winery. If you’ve ever been on the Wine Train, you’ve passed it. (By the way, I don’t recommend the Wine Train. Sure, the scenery is gorgeous, but when I ordered a Riesling, the waitress said, “How do you make that?” Enough said.) Charles Krug, a Prussian immigrant, was a pioneer in California’s wine industry. He opened the winery in 1861, making it Napa’s oldest winery in operation.  

The winery was sold in 1943 to another immigrant: Cesare Mondavi. Perhaps you’ve heard of the Mondavi’s? Cesare, along with his sons Peter and Robert, ran the winery together. Today, it’s owned and operated by the third generation of the family. They specialize in making “premium Bordeaux-style wine.” Whatever that means? But, I tried a few of their wines, and it turns out that I’m a fan of premium Bordeaux-style wine.  

Incidentally, in case you’re interested, Krug Winery is hosting a summer series of outdoor concerts. Upcoming shows include artists like Kenny G, Chris Botti, Brian McKnight. There’s even a weekend of comedy with Fortune Feimster. I feel I must warn you: t’s not an inexpensive date. But hey, it has been 16 months!