The Crab is Back!

That is the new name of the former "Crab and Fennel Festival" and it summed up the evening pretty succinctly. The day began with a local seafood wholesaler stopping by the winery with a giant cooler full of steamed crab that had been caught that morning. This guy loves our wine and wanted to trade wine for crab. Shit yeah!!! How much crab? Rick takes a look (and a sniff) in the cooler and says "I'll take it all." 13 crabs for six bottles of wine. Every member of our staff working that day got to take home a fresh crab for dinner.
THIS IS WHY WE LIVE HERE.
Later that night we are at a winery-related business function with neighbors and fellow winemakers and growers. Beautiful wines abound to taste: William Selyem, Rafanelli, J Winery, Joeseph Swan, LaFollette, George Wine Co., Ramey ... too many to mention. Locally made St. George cheese is sitting nearby in a huge wheel for nibbles plus other goodies.
After the meeting, we invited one of our friends to join us for a crab feed at the house. Lots of chardonnay, some fresh bread from our local wood-fired bakery and a lovely salad. As we're cracking, peeling, sipping and and exclaiming .. somebody has to mention, "those folks sitting in Ohio or wherever haven't got anything on us - if they were here eating freshly caught crab and wild mushrooms ..."
"... and great wine!" I have to add.
I've recently heard about what some people think of California - and thier opinion is rather disparaging. But the locals, the folks that actually live here have a different view - or at least the ones in Northern California do. (Coming from Southern Cal. I don't remember anyone ever showing up with fresh crab, abalone or porcinins and chantrelles and saying "hey guys! Let's feast!) Anyway, the consensus at our table while we were eating some of the sweetest dungeness and washing it down with premium Chardonnay, is that we are pretty friggin' lucky and we know it. December 1st and the "Crab is Back!"