I've been having a good time but I decided that today I wasn't going to do any real estate stuff...just have a fun day. I started out by watching the Italy vs. Romania soccer match in the Euro Cup tournament. Italy finally got a goal (even a blind pig finds an acorn once in a while) but the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Then I headed to Two Fools Tavern, an Irish pub I found last time I was here, and had a Guinness and a Reuben and watched the Netherlands trounce France. Most everyone was pulling for the Dutch so it was a happy crowd. This is a picture I stole from their web page.....I guess there was no game that day.
Then I decided that I wanted to scope out some of the local wineries. There are about 6 or 8 wineries close to Albuquerque. I went to the Casa Rondena winery (with a squiggle over the 'n') in the little village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. Los Ranchos is a little enclave along the Rio Grande...think big money...and it is very rural with a lot of trees and farms. I suspect the movie people will be moving in there if the Tamale-wood movie industry expands. Anyway...the 
the winery is big and sort of pretentious but it is a nice place to spend a few hours. They have a tasting room but they charge you $5.00 for the experience. I went ahead and plunked down my money and I must say that the wines are good. They do several blended wines such as part Merlot and part Cabernet. I liked the "Serenade" which is 80% Riesling and 20% Gewurztraminer -- and I don't usually like sweet white wines. The taster lady kept pushing 
the "Founder's Reserve" which is a special Cabernet and very good but $45 a bottle. The least expensive wine was $14 a bottle. I ended up getting a glass of Viognier, which was a nice crisp and fruity white wine. I had intended to go to two other wineries close by but I ended up sitting in their courtyard enjoying my glass of wine and looking at the scenery.
the winery is big and sort of pretentious but it is a nice place to spend a few hours. They have a tasting room but they charge you $5.00 for the experience. I went ahead and plunked down my money and I must say that the wines are good. They do several blended wines such as part Merlot and part Cabernet. I liked the "Serenade" which is 80% Riesling and 20% Gewurztraminer -- and I don't usually like sweet white wines. The taster lady kept pushing 
the "Founder's Reserve" which is a special Cabernet and very good but $45 a bottle. The least expensive wine was $14 a bottle. I ended up getting a glass of Viognier, which was a nice crisp and fruity white wine. I had intended to go to two other wineries close by but I ended up sitting in their courtyard enjoying my glass of wine and looking at the scenery.I asked the taster lady for directions on how to get to Be
rnalillo without using the interstate. She was helpful and I headed up along the river through the Sandia Indian reservation to Bernalillo. The railroad line takes the same route and I got to see the Rail Runner Express go by. The Rail Runner is the local commuter train that everyone laughed at as "The Guv's Train" until gas prices went sky high...now it is the greatest thing and being extended up to Santa Fe. Maybe Gov. Richardson isn't so dumb after all. Part of the route up to Santa Fe will be in the median of the interstate so all the hummer drivers will see the commuters whizzing by on a $8 round trip ticket.
rnalillo without using the interstate. She was helpful and I headed up along the river through the Sandia Indian reservation to Bernalillo. The railroad line takes the same route and I got to see the Rail Runner Express go by. The Rail Runner is the local commuter train that everyone laughed at as "The Guv's Train" until gas prices went sky high...now it is the greatest thing and being extended up to Santa Fe. Maybe Gov. Richardson isn't so dumb after all. Part of the route up to Santa Fe will be in the median of the interstate so all the hummer drivers will see the commuters whizzing by on a $8 round trip ticket.I got to Bernalillo just as fast on the back roads as when I took the interstate. N
o traffic. I went to a Target store and got a few things and then went to eat supper at Capo's Bottega (no squiggles over anything). I've been doing my own supper cooking so far on this trip so today was a reprieve. Capo's is a nice and casual Italian place with a back yard patio and, I think maybe a micro brewery (note to self...pay more attention next time). I got a Chile & Artichoke cheese Bruchette (like Chile con Queso with artichoke hearts on toasted bread) and a bowl of minestrone. Really good. I drove around Bernalillo a little -- they have a historic district but a lot of the really old stuff is gone. The place started in the 1600s and they have been making wine here, they say, since 1620. The state wine festival is held here on Labor Day weekend. (Note to self...)
That's it for today. Tomorrow I am going to look at the custom home show...all the local builders are opening up some of their houses. I also have to meet with my builder to see what the status is on the lot. She had a bunch of technical questions that needed answers from the developer.
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