A Tale of Two Wineries

IT WAS the best of times at Monte Verde Vineyards. It was the worst of times at Winery X that was just a few miles away.

It was the age of wisdom at Monte Verde, with reasonably priced wine, tasty hors d'oeuvres, a band, a floppy yellow dog, and a friendly staff at a wine estate tucked up against the side of a valley in Morgan Hill.

It was the age of foolishness at Winery X, where they charged $20 for undrinkable wine, forced you to stand in long lines to redeem tickets for drinks, and served food exclusively from Costco (at least put away the Costco brand packaging!) prepared by their disinterested nephews Larry, Moe and Curley.

In one afternoon, I experienced both the epoch of belief over the Monte Verde Tres Amigos blend, and the epoch of incredulity over the Winery X estate Pinot Noir that was sour and spicy with a hint of raisin and roadkill. [Yes, the Band was great at Winery X, but no music was loud enough to drown out the wailing of my taste buds.]

If received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only, Monte Verde was Heaven and Winery X was….

Best, Joe Plonk

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