Killings suspected in Bennett Valley winehiking caper
BENNETT VALLEY, SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA - WH Newswire: The peace of this pastoral ranching and vinicultural community was shattered Saturday when a gang of rowdy winehikers descended upon the area to wrest untold earthly pleasures from its varied “destination” attractions. Though no people were hurt, over a case of wine was seized as evidence - 14 bottles in all - and whisked away in multiple unmarked vehicles to be investigated later.
Upon interviewing the authorities, this reporter learned the nature of the day’s mysterious perpetrations. Apparently a group of 11 suspects had infiltrated Lake Ilsanjo, a 26-acre man-made lake at Annadel State Park, where they shot a number of photographs including innocent birds, trees, Sonoma Mountain landscapes, and bodies of water. They then took their rampage to nearby Matanzas Creek Winery in Bennett Valley, an area just west of Annadel State Park, where the melee continued.
When interrogated about the chain of events that led to the capture of the evidence, one suspect, who asked to remain unidentified for fear of excessive spamming, replied, “We were profoundly enamored of the hike at Annadel and the great feast that followed at Matanzas Creek Winery,* sited so attractively upon a forested knoll above its many acres of beautiful vines and lavender gardens. But then we tasted the superb quality in the wines of Matanzas Creek and were instantly awestruck when we tasted the final pour of Tasting Flight #1, a 2004 Syrah that just kicked our effete and sophisticated asses into the realm of criminal behavior. We couldn’t help but gang up on the cashier and unleash holy havoc with our pledging of pusillanimous plastic.”
The cashier, though shaken, was unharmed in the incident and remained entirely accommodating. This reporter has determined that due to the incident, few bottles of the 2004 Syrah remain. Authorities have not commented on the fate of the 14 bottles that were seized, though it is suspected that at least one bottle has died since Saturday.
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Editor’s note: You, too, can experience a caper just like the one above. Just click here. Or, to save time, click this and enter “CAPER” as your Customer Code. (You’ll also save fifteen bucks.)
*”Matanzas” is Spanish for “killings”.
January 21st, 2007 22:57
I attempted to steer 2 hike-loving, wine-loving club members in your direction earlier this evening…
January 22nd, 2007 09:04
Experienced CSI’s might note that Matanzas Creek Winery was also the scene of the isolation of what later became the first commercialized strain of malolactic bacteria. Today, winemakers throughout California and other regions regularly use “MCW” starter to inoculate wine or musts to induce the secondary or malolactic fermentation, which softens the acids of the finished wine.
January 22nd, 2007 13:59
Who knew that killings could lead to bacteria in so many ways? Grazie, Signore.
Thanks, too, to Farley, whom I’m just going to have to meet so she can pour me a taste of that excellent Fat Buck Ridge Syrah.
January 22nd, 2007 19:53
Killings suspected in Bennett Valley winehiking caper…
The cashier, though shaken, was unharmed in the incident and remained entirely accommodating….
January 23rd, 2007 17:15
Russ,
Funny, John (The Cork Dork) came in Sunday and tasted through everything I had open and went home with a bottle of that [Fat Buck Ridge] Syrah.* But there are only 10 bottles or 9 now (we actually thought it had been sold out but found 1 case), so let me know if I should put one aside.
[Editor's note: Farley responds here to a comment I made yesterday to a post or comment she wrote just prior. I can't remember whether I made that comment on Digg, WineLifeToday, or her own blog - probably because I was killing wine bottles at the time....]
January 23rd, 2007 18:50
Oh yeah. It was my own blog - what a dufus! I’m wastin’ away again in Multibloggoville.
Um, yes please, Ms. Farley, to a Fat Buck before they’re all killed off. Early Sunday afternoon OK for a visit?
January 24th, 2007 08:53
Haha, I find it hard to keep track as well…. Yes to the bottle and yes to the time (best before 2 if you can).
January 24th, 2007 11:10
You got it! One Fat Buck to go.