Visiting The BONNY DOON Vineyard Way back When It Was Just getting Really Started With So Much Done Already But So Much Promise And Great Things To Come Back In The Early 1990's I Believe?

One of those really special visits that I had to California where I could spend time with my father and take him to visit local wineries in California, he being the designated driver of his baby-blue sky-colored SAAB was back in the late eighties I believe, or was it the mid nineties? I think it was the mid nineties but I may be wrong. Anyway, we went to visit the BONNY DOON Winery and unfortunately Randal Grahm was sick the the flu at the time but this young lady that worked at the winery at the time gave 120% of her efforts and took us around and tasted us on what they were working on at the time, and introduced us to whoever was working that day. very warm, very personal, very professional and direct and no bullshit, just telling us the fun and the adventure and the experimentation of it all. The winery and tasting room and all were simple and work-oriented and functional and relaxed and pleasing , and we smiled and enjoyed ourselves as we listened to the distant gobble-gobble of the turnkeys on the property next to theirs up in the hills south of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Thanks for such a great trip. It was a beautiful day, could not have asked for anything more. I liked the frontier/ rugged, hard-working ambiance of it all, made me feel quite at home, and I was with my father that was in itself very special. Cheers, TONY  12/ 7 / 2014

@ PARDUCCI Winery / Also Called Parducci Wine Cellars Years Ago With My Father And They Came Through For Us In A Big Way : Thanks To The Winemakers And Everyone Else! Did Not Meet John Parducci Unfortunately, But Have 1 1986 Magnum Of Red Still To Enjoy That Was A Gift To My Daughter Of Cabernet Sauvignon!

     These are the pictures that I took or that someone else took when I was in them during my father and my visit to the PARDUCCI Winery way back in the mid nineties and we were going to meet the current winemaker back then that is pictured here with his wife that also worked at the winery at the time. Cheers, enjoy, they tell pictures all in themselves, love it!   TONY  12/ 5 / 2014

     There are more photos and text to follow soon. I have only the fondest memories of this visit. It ranks as one of my favorites : and as much for the care and the time and the warmth and attention to my father and me during this trip to PARDUCCI. Winery. I will include names and everything, I just have to find my notes here somewhere and when I do they will be included.

     You all did a top-flight tour and tasting for me when I worked at Forman Brothers Distributing Company back in the mif nineties. On top of that it was with my father, and for that I will alwaysbe eternally grateful. Hopefully this blog of mine will bring more people your way and excite them to visit and try more of your excellent wines across the board. Cheers and Happy Holidays this 2014 to you all. Thanks once again for giving 120% in time and effort and expertise, too.


Being an artist I hope I captured some of the soul and the spirit and the true flavor and character that is PARDUCCI Winery!   TONY

My Father Harry Alan Quinn Visits Me At Randolph-Macon College in Ashland Virginia Back Around 1973-1976?

Visiting my father in San Leandfro, California the week of July 18th, 1995 and visiting wineries like RUTHERFORD HILL, STAGS LEAP, GROTH, VILLA MOUNT EDEN, PARDUCCI, ROEDERER ESTATE,BONNY DOON, CONGRESS SPRINGS, RIDGE, SILVER OAK, and making these series of eight watercolors each day at the end of such wonderful experiences we shared together, thanks Dad! You were our chaufeur extraordinaire, vraiment mon pere a moi ...

I did these  eight small deep blue watercolors when visiting Dad in San Leandro, California on April 18th, 1995. hat was a great time for me to spend with him and also visit with him the local wineries like SILVER OAK, RUTHERFORD HILL, VILLA MOUNT EDEN, STAGS LEAP Winery and many more, like GROTH, and JOSEPH PHELPS ... RIDGE AND BONNY DOON CONGRESS SPRINGS, PARDUCCI and also ROEDERER ESTATE, SIMI, GEYSER PEAK, SOUVERAIN ... wow, we visited quite a few over the visits I made, and at the end of each day I would draw some to my heart's content in San Leandro with perhaps a glass of wine after dinner in my hands, sharing some with Dad . Fine memories, enjoy! These maybe inspired by the wineries mentioned above that we visited, I am sure to some extent ...   TONY 9/24/2014

I forgot to mention that we visited the BV Winery here pictured above on my first visit out there even earlier that 1995 as I was just about to start working for Forman Brothers Distributing company ...

Flying In 1990's From Ellen Avenue Falls Church, Virginia To See Harry Alan Quinn In San Leandro , CA. & To Make Day-Trips To The Napa Valley, Sonoma County & Mendocino County : BV Vineyards & PARDUCCI Vineyards : What A Grand Time With You Dad! Thanks, You Were The Chauffeur The Whole Trip In Your Saab!

This was a grand moment to spend with my father in the mid to late 1990's, the visit California's wine country, doing two visits a day, one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and also to show my father that I knew something about wine, though I bet he already knew that, right Dad?!? Thanks for driving us everywhere and letting me focus completely on this trip and making the very most of it for the two of us.

We had great receptions, everywhere was stellar except for JOSEPH PHELPS Vineyard where Less Sunderland of DOPS Imports way back when dropped the ball completely and so my father and I went on the wine tour that everyone goes on, which was fine, except that I am in the business and sell daily these wines like PHELPS and so, perhaps a bit more attention to us would have gone a very long way.


 Oh well, the wines of JOSEPH PHELPS are indeed excellent and I have sold them for years, off-and-on, depending on what was offered to me ... cheers, Happy Sunday, August 24th, 2014 ... and enjoy these pictures, some of them, that I took. Seems like a lifetime ago ...  Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn

Thinking Of My Father Harry Alan Quinn Over The Last Two Days On Sunday June 15th, 2015 and Monday June 16th, 2014 While Enjoying The CHATEAU De GUEYZE 1986 Dry French Red Buzet Wine With Dinner , My Wife & Daughter, & Later With Matt & Katarina! Cheers Dad, Love You!

Celebrating all our fathers , inspirations to us all in their own individual ways, I loved when my father used to call to chat with me. Never any stress, just care and love and wanting to hear from me, to stay in touch and to chat, and I loved those calls and I miss him still and the memories and things we did together grow ever stronger. Happy Tuesday Sequana, Jandir e Vinicius ... cheers to you all ... and I'm enjoying the World Soccer Cup. When I went over to Matt's house to offer him a glass of the CHATEAU De GUEYZE Buzet red 1986 he was watching the match between the United States and Ghana and he still came upstairs to chat quickly, have a glass of the GUEYZE 1986 with me, pose for these pics that Katarina took and then take his glass of it down to continue watching. And three days earlier I believe the three of us enjoyed, it was on Wednesday June 11th actually a glass of the 2009 SALTON ' Volpi ' Cabernet Sauvignon from Brazil's Serra Gaucha that was so tasty and a great way to launch Brazil's Soccer World Cup events there with the next day's match that Brazil won! Vais Brazil, Allons La France! ... and Go USA!! We won the game against Ghana yesterday, quite the feat ... TONY 6/17/2014

Response To A Friend About Our Parents When She Wrote Me : Missed U Yesterday Sunday, April 13th, 2014 On A Full Moon's Day!

I am feeling your pain with your mother and that it is so hard for you and that it is also the first year anniversary of your father's death. I wish I could be there for you, I am here for you, that much I can say. It was so hard when my father Harry Alan Quinn passed away in 1997 : my whole world crumbled in parts and I unraveled and was a mess and at a loss and in such pieces for so long. It was so hard and yet I remember so many of the great times we had visiting the wineries in California together and I have the pictures and it all really helps me even now. He would just call me and say " hello " and chat and ask me how I was, no judging, no expectations, just care and concern - and I loved and appreciated that more than anything else, and , of course miss it today so much. I will call my mother and check in with her after I take Louie outside again for another ' Zen ' moment in our yard, as I have just finished weeding and more bagging of leaves that started yesterday and will continue into today my Monday day-off as I reflect and absorb what we said and that was so special to me and that has filled me today with such exuberance and unbridled joy and contentment and warmth and joy and completeness as our chat went on under a full moon and I felt a bit like I was on a stage bathed so brilliantly in the moon's soulfulness that reminded me so of it's same impact with the bright stars at the beach last year in such a tranquil and loving and peaceful setting with a constant surf breaking and the sun's warmth from earlier still warming our soles as the beady-eyed crabs stared defiantly up at us with what must have been a simple question : " What are you doing here on our turf? ", and the insistent demand : " Get off our beach now! "