With my drive from the berry farm to my next location only expected to be a few hours, I took the opportunity to sleep in a bit, and have a nice slow morning. I had picked some raspberries and blueberries the night before, and had them for breakfast with some granola and coconut creamer.
While I was eating breakfast, the woman who owns the farm came out to greet us. When we had arrived the evening before she was not around, rather we were settled in by her daughter. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, we asked why she would not allow us to purchase any of the berries, and she explained to us that it was part of her Hawaiian heritage to share her beautiful space and the bounty of her crops.
I leisurely finished up breakfast while overlooking the mountains, stowed on my gear, and set out for my next destination, a winery less than an hour from Thadeus.
When I arrived at the winery I was greeted by one of the owners and directed to a wonderful flat spot up near their house so I could take advantage of the shade. Not being a “normal” rig means I lack some creature comforts like air conditioning. This location also gave me an amazing view of Mt. St. Helen, Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood, and Mt. Ranier all at once!
I was told to settle in and that we would be treated to a wine tasting at 7:00. This gave me plenty of time to eat some dinner, tidy up the van, and grab a short nap.
I walked down to the event space to find tables set with charcuterie platters and wine glasses. Over the next two hours we learned about how they grow their grapes, their distribution through local chefs as well as their plans in Florida. We also learned about their lavender crops and got to experience a bit of their chocolatier magic!
The last wine of the evening was a dessert pinot served with a belgian dark chocolate spread made with hazelnuts grown less than 10 miles away (think Nutella but waaay better). I made sure to pick up a couple jars of this chocolate hazelnut delight, and if you are nice enough, I just might be willing to share a spoonful with you!
7/9/2021
Artistic Diversions 
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