Folks, I should get a video camera and start v-logging. And yet I’m not convinced I could distinctly stand apart from the legions of YouTubers who have garnered their “fifteen minutes” in the vaporous, shifting online world. After all, one needs to have the kind of chutzpah, that brash combination of Type-A showmanship and spot-on intellect that Gary Vaynerchuk has.

Me? I just want to hike and drink wine in good company.

At any rate, Gary V is about to go mainstream with a guest appearance on Late Night with Conan O’Brien tomorrow night, August 1st. If you have ever heard of Gary or seen one of his Wine Library TV podcasts, or if you’ve had the good fortune to talk with him as I did this past June at Wine 2.0, then you may be a Vayniac, and you probably already know that this dude bears watching. That is, if you can stay up to tune in at 12:35 a.m., Tivo notwithstanding.

With millions tuning in, I think Gary Vaynerchuk will be in good company.

~winehiker

[Editor's note: for a YouTube video of this Late Night segment, please see my follow-up post, For all you Vayniacs who don't stay up late.]

With over thirty years of trail hiking under my (steadily more prodigious) belt, I suppose you could imagine that I’ve experienced a number of close encounters of the critter kind. Given the time and daylight, I will often stop to study those that will stay relatively still long enough for a close examination, whether they be newts on a mating mission, ants on a raid, or a Phoebe on a fencepost.

The hills and dales and trails of the California wine country surely do boast a wide variety of native animal species. And while I’ve seen a lot of the more common ones (or let them crawl upon me), there’s one species of fauna that can be exciting to see, even when most times I’d rather not see it. Or wish that you would.

Because the astrological charts have determined that we today enter the sign of Leo, I thought it a good time to take a tip from Nature and share a few personal stories about lions.

The mountain lion that roams the forests, mountains, and deserts of California is not indigenous merely to California, but actually ranges across the U.S. and from southwestern Canada through Mexico all the way into Argentina. Puma concolor is called a variety of names, including puma, panther, jaguar, and even jaguarondi (a short-legged variety), but here in California we often opt to call this big cat a cougar or, simply, mountain lion.

Solitary, nocturnal, and therefore seldom seen, cougars can grow to be pretty big, as much as five feet long or more, tip to tail. The cougar tracks I spied one day on a trail last Spring in the Livermore hills suggested a full-grown adult; the paw prints were at least three inches wide. I had earlier seen another adult lion in those same hills, thankfully from the comfort of my speeding truck. This lion had been hunkering just off the roadside and staring intently downslope at potential prey, tail switching, while my buddy Adam and I rolled by. Even at 35 miles per hour, our view of this great cat had been unmistakable.

About six years ago, on a red-letter July 4th day, I had been vacationing at our rural family property near Clear Lake and preparing for an afternoon picnic with friends on the shores of the Lake about two miles away. My property existed in a fairly populated area, yet while I was walking my cooler out to the truck, I chanced to sight down my easement across the road toward an open creekside hill.

Sure enough, there was a cat. Not a full-grown one, mind you - its coat was still mottled black and tan, and it wasn’t quite twice the size of a housecat. It was therefore surely an adolescent. But that long, low-slung crouch, that arrogant, slinking way of walking, and that black bulb on the tail - a clear giveaway - coupled with the realization that there was nothing more than 75 yards of air between me and that - that lion! - suggested I pack the cooler quickly but keep both eyes fastened. Fortunately the cat vanished, slowly, uphill and into the tall grass, away from my side of civilization. My friends and I, though intrigued by the cat’s presence, chose not to follow it, instead keeping our plans at the Lake where the sighting later of a Bald Eagle on the wing really made our Independence Day.

The best view I ever had of a cougar, though, was early in my experience and late in the school year, on a hike in the local Saratoga hills. Though I hadn’t yet considered hiking as a lifelong pastime, I had experienced a handful of backpacking trips to the high country, and I had quickly become hooked on being outdoors. So here I was, exploring a trail to Goat Rock off Skyline Boulevard with a high school friend, just for the view.

I was a kid of 17, and not a very tall kid. Yet. In retrospect, I am glad I had not been hiking alone! My buddy Phil and I had been walking and talking, not paying much attention to anything but our own banter, when we trudged up a low knoll to suddenly freeze in our tracks. There, not more than 20 feet away over the knoll, was an adult mountain lion!

I’ll never forget the steady gaze with which our eyes locked onto each other, the black-tipped ears, the pure rippling sinew heaving beneath that beautiful pelt, the fraction of an instant in which that memory seared into my brain forever.

Fortunately for Phil and me, we were, together, bigger than the cougar and, fear being more attributable to most fauna than it is to us silly humans, the cougar immediately turned tail and vanished down the far side of the hill. Phil and I, blinking briefly at each other, chose to follow the cat, but by the time we gained the hill, the cat had disappeared into the trees far below.

Even now, when thinking about that moment, my heart still skips a beat. At the time, I truly did not yet know how to react in the face of a lion attack. If I had been alone - small as I was - I might have become kitty food that day.

They say things come in threes. I don’t know if that’s worth believing, or even if predictions based on star patterns can have an impact on our lives. But I do think that, with the frequency of my wanderings, I’ll see another mountain lion again, somewhere out there, someday. And if I do, and you’re with me, then take heart, my friend, for we’re both a lot taller now.

~winehiker

If you haven’t yet entered my July contest to win a bottle of 2004 Dominus Estate from Napa Valley, there are only seven days remaining!

Entering is easy - all you have to do is subscribe! You have your choice, too: receive my latest Winehiker Witiculture posts via email or via RSS feed.

Unlike the Publishers Clearinghouse contests where you are competing with millions of other people, your chances of winning this lovely wine are relatively good exceptional extraordinarily phenomenal.

So, at the risk of staring into the gaping maw of shameless hucksterism, I hereby doth proclaim, Subscribe Today!

Want to know more about the wine and this contest? See Win a bottle of 2004 Dominus Estate from The Winehiker and my follow-up post, Dominus Estate contest update.

~winehiker

[Editor's note: Since I wrote this post, I interviewed the proprietors of Clif Bar Family Winery, Kit Crawford and Gary Erickson. See my follow-up post of April, 2008 titled Chewing the fat with Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford of Clif Bar Family Winery, which includes reviews of four Clif Bar wines.]

When I’m out on a hike, I tend to reach for a Clif Bar when I sense the need for a little energy. These snacks are packed with carbohydrates, protein, and fiber to increase blood sugar levels and boost energy, but unlike other brands of snack bars in the active lifestyle market, Clif Bars seem to me to blend just the right amount of taste, texture, and moistness. At least they don’t cause me to drink large volumes of water just to get them down my throat.

I even have my favorite Clif Bars, which are the Carrot Cake and Blueberry Crisp; I buy them by the case when I’m shopping at REI or Trader Joe’s.

This morning I learned that the folks who make Clif Bars, Gary Erickson & Kit Crawford, practice sustainable and organic farming methods that transcend through all aspects of life on the Farm. They run all of their vehicles on biodiesel and grow 100% organic fruits and vegetables, and they’re really into the slow food movement.

I didn’t know those things! But it makes me glad I buy Clif Bars. And now I have a reason to buy Clif Bar wines.

Yep, Gary and Kit have joined forces with winemaker and triathlete Sarah Gott to produce a selection of handcrafted Napa Valley and North Coast wines, under the guidance of sustainable methodology. So far, Clif Bar Family Wines has produced just four bottlings:

The Climber, 2004 North Coast Red Wine
Kit’s killer cab, 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Gary’s Improv, 2003 Napa Valley Meritage
Syrah, 2004 Napa Valley

Here are notes from the website’s store about The Climber:

The lots for this wine were sourced throughout the North Coast. We searched for wines of exceptional varietal flavor and intensity and found hidden treasures in Mendocino County, Russian River Valley and Napa Valley. The Climber is ruby red in color with bright aromas of strawberry, raspberry jam, nutmeg and hints of cedar. The wine is soft and balanced on the palate with a delicate raspberry candy finish.

Blend:
59% Zinfandel
20% Syrah
9% Cabernet Sauvignon
6% Merlot
6% Petite Sirah

Bottle prices range from $15 to $35; the wines can be purchased at the Clif Bar Family Wines website.

Thanks to Gadling for the news.

~winehiker

• Off to the high country
  Tomorrow morning four of us will be tooling up Highway 88 into the Sierra Nevada mountains for two days of camping and hiking bliss in the California Alps.
  (tags: hiking camping wine altitude attitude high country sierra round top winehiker http://www.californiawinehikes.com)
• You can be healthwise AND decadent in the California wine country
  There’s such good clean joyous fun - as well as a healthy decadence - to be experienced in so many California locales. And I can take you there.
  (tags: wine hiking winehiking health decadence fun friends winehiker http://www.californiawinehikes.com)
• Dominus Estate contest update
  I felt it important to communicate a little further about how to become eligible to win a bottle of Dominus Estate red blend from Napa Valley, valued at $115.00.
  (tags: dominus contest wine red win subscribe bloglines feedblitz free enter entry winehiker http://www.californiawinehikes.com)
• Mark Twain was right
  I can’t keep my mouth shut if I’m stupidly pouring wine into it, so I let my keyboard do the talking and thusly I write this blog.
  (tags: writing mark twain weather san francisco bay area california winehiker http://www.californiawinehikes.com)

There’s almost nothing I like better than a good hike and wine tasting with friends. Except for when I’m doing both above 8000 feet.

Tomorrow morning four of us will be tooling up Highway 88 into the Sierra Nevada mountains for two days of camping and hiking bliss in an area south of Lake Tahoe that the locals affectionately call The California Alps. In July, under sun-kissed, wind-washed skies, and with little groundsnow remaining, we’ll amble through high-mountain wildflowers to a summit of the tallest peak in the Mokelumne Wilderness (Round Top, at 10,381 feet), then return to camp where I’ll place a Dutch oven on the coals that’ll have us eating marinated skirt steak stuffed with basil, red bell pepper, onion and gorgonzola. Oh yes!

That stuffed skirt steak will go well with a Bordeaux-style red blend from Ridge Winery. And that lovely wine will go really well with all that fresh ozone-charged air. And all of it will go really well with four happy hikers. I can’t wait to see their faces when, after a bit of huffing and puffing, they reach the top of ol’ Round Top and take in that 200-mile view.

~winehiker

From cartoonist Steve Greenburg comes this gem that once appeared in an issue of the Ventura County Star. Click to enlarge for easier reading.

‘Nuff said.

Source: cagle.com

~winehiker

From this morning’s Bay Area Living section of InsideBayArea.com comes an article from Mary Babbitt, host of NBC-TV’s syndicated Sunday evening show, In Wine Country. Mary’s column today discusses outdoor alternatives to the decadence that is often associated with wine country travel. In essence, when you visit the wine country, you don’t have to escape a regular diet and exercise routine. In fact, your desire for a healthy lifestyle can mesh quite well with your wine country plans. After all, there’s a lot of beautiful country surrounding all that wonderful wine.

Writes Mary:

We recently joined California Wine Hikes for a hike along the Zinfandel Trail at Picchetti Winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The hike is one of several offered by the company, which is led by local naturalist and wine lover, Russ Beebe. The hikes vary in difficulty but they have a common theme of camaraderie and exercise. Our hike was an easy four-miler that wound us through sunny chaparral and cool woodlands. The hike ended with a delicious picnic lunch and fabulous Picchetti zinfandel, which, as Russ says, helps wash down the trail dust.

Indeed, winehiking with Mary and her film crew was a delight. It sounds like the crew enjoyed a fun day, too, which is naturally what a wine and hiking experience here in the California wine country is all about. It’s good clean joyous fun, a healthy decadence that’s there to be experienced in so many California locales. And I can take you there.

I’ve written about my experience with Mary and the In Wine Country crew - including how the TV shoot came about - in these previous posts:

The Five S’s of wine tasting
It feels like Spring for this Winehiker
You’ll know it’s true when you see it on TV
In winehiking country: the NBC-TV interview

I’m looking forward to this coming Fall, when NBC airs the segment that Mary describes above. We’ll all get to see how that day at Picchetti Winery turned out, and when I learn more, I’ll be sure to let you know when it’s going to be live on your TV. You’ll also be able to view it here on Winehiker Witiculture.

~winehiker

Welcome new subscribers! Since the first day of July when I launched my Win a bottle of Dominus Estate contest, I’ve been delighted to see a number of new Winehiker Witiculture readers. Apparently the temptation of a bottle of Dominus Estate 2004 Napa Valley really appeals to a great many of you. (I know it does to me!)

To be sure, I am grateful that you chose to subscribe and are reading this blog.

Indeed, my subscriber base has grown on FeedBlitz and on Bloglines. I am compelled to point out, however, that if you are subscribing via either of these services and your information is currently set as private or anonymous, then I actually have no way of knowing how to follow up with you to send that terrific bottle if you win.

If you subscribed via FeedBlitz
Fortunately, I am able to contact all but two of you who have signed up via FeedBlitz. That is, I can’t see your email address, and instead see only anonymous. Oh, but that won’t allow you to win! Therefore, if you have subscribed to Winehiker Witiculture via FeedBlitz but you have done so anonymously and you want to win that bottle, here’s what to do to be eligible to win:

1. Reread my original contest rules.
2. Log on to FeedBlitz.com.
3. Click the My Account button and select My Profile from the drop-down menu.
4. If the Private checkbox is checked, uncheck it.
5. Click the Update button.
6. Next, contact me to let me know that you modified your profile from private to public on FeedBlitz; use the same email address that you subscribe with so that I can verify your entry. If I have any concerns, I’ll let you know, but I will follow up with you after you contact me.

If you subscribed via Bloglines
I have 51 Bloglines subscribers as of today, but I currently see only 8 public subscribers on Bloglines. If you have subscribed to Winehiker Witiculture via Bloglines but you have let your profile remain at its default setting of Private (and you want to win that fabulous bottle), here’s what to do to be eligible to win:

1. Reread my original contest rules.
2. Log on to your Bloglines account.
3. Click the Account link in the upper right corner.
4. Click the Blog Settings link.
5. Where you see Show My Blog, click the radio button that says Yes, publish my Blog*.
6. Where you see Show My Blogroll, click the radio button that says Yes, publish my Blogroll*.
7. Click the Save Changes button.
8. Next, contact me to let me know that you modified your profile from private to public on Bloglines; use the same username that you subscribe with so that I can verify your entry. Again, if I have any concerns, I’ll let you know, but I will follow up with you after you contact me.

That’s all there is to it! And it’s just about as easy as drinking a fine Napa Valley blend like the ‘04 Dominus Estate.

Of course, if you have not yet subscribed to this blog but would like a chance to win, here’s the rules for how to enter, including a way to really stack the odds of winning in your favor. Good luck!

~winehiker

*If you’re concerned about other people seeing your private information, please don’t worry - I wouldn’t ask you to do that. Only your username and the playlist of blogs you read in Bloglines can be seen by anyone. In fact, you want people to see what you’re reading, especially if they’re other bloggers - they’ll expand their own horizons by discovering what you like to read, plus they’ll be better able to tailor their blog posts to you as a result. Please feel free to check out my blogroll anytime.

• Drought a drain in wine country
  From USATODAY.com: parts of the California wine country are in a drought, or near-drought, and face the prospect of mandatory restrictions. What will it mean for grape growers this year?
  (tags: drought dry rain weather grape crop harvest 2007 conservation)