9/10/2005

Sep 10
It was really fine day in Sierra.

Mr. Michael McCheane, my old friend, welcomed us at Ironstone Vineyards.

He was my colleague at our old company Yamaya. We have been keeping very close relationship for over 10 years. He live in near city of Calgary and be in charge of international sales for Esat Canada and Asia now.
We looked around the big winery like a "Big Thunder Mountain" in Disneyland. All of us were very impressed that there was a very big natural gold stone at the museum of the winery.

After winery tour, we tried to taste Ironstone wines and had lunch.

Ironstone wines were very easy to understand the goodness of them, big, tasty, exciting, wild and traditional like a The Western. I was impressed especially Cabernet Franc. Then Mike and I went back to Sonoma left the tour. We went to Stryker Sonoma in Alexander valley, which is a beautiful boutique winery owned by Mr.Craig McDonald, my old friend.

	We have a long relationship when he was a manager of Gallo Japan 15 years ago. I was amazed that it was really wonderful winery.
Then we went to dinner at Hiro's Japanese Restaurant in Petaluma, which is also owned by my old friend Mr.Yamamoto (Hiro).


Hiro worked for Suntory and was a general manager for Chateau St.Jean in Sonoma. It was the first time we had met for these three years.
His family moved to Sonoma three years ago. The restaurant was really fabulous. It was an outstanding Japanese restaurant. We deeply enjoyed wonderful Sushi and cuisine. All of us were very very impressed. It was outstanding my best sushi I had ever had abroad. I forgot to take pictures because I concentrated to eat them. I have only one picture of dish of "KamoTataki".

Hiro served us his private stock of wines as his compliments.
Chateu Beychevelle 1986 !!!	Charles Krug 1971 !!!!

Thank you very very much for Hiro & Motoko !
After the dinner, we went back Stryker and stayed there. I took a jet bath at the out side drinking Stryker Sonoma Zinfandel and watching a lot of stars. I found the Milky Way above my head very clearly.

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