Horses and wine both carry a tremendously appealing mystique, which stretches back deep into classical mythology. A combination of the two is irresistible. I have just had the pleasure of making another wine tasting tour on horseback. My trip was based at the Cowboy Hideaway, which is dramatically perched near the top of a mountain over a thousand feet above the valley floor, and beautiful Clear Lake. The valley floor is fertile ground for grapes, nut trees, vegetables, lavender and other products which bring fragrances, culinary enjoyment and Bacchanalian delights to mankind. It is a pity that the ancient Greeks did not discover this land. They would have reveled in its bounty!

To begin with, we visited the Benziger Family Winery. To me, the impressive thing about this place was the complete reliance on natural compost and manure to keep the grape vines healthy and provide the nutrients needed for abundant harvests. Grape skins and seeds go back into the soils; no grappa produced here.

The winery behind us, we continued on through vineyards, orchards and oak forests to the Cowboy Hideaway. We left the paved road, entered the ranch gate and drove steeply upward on a sharply winding dirt driveway toward our home for the week. When we reached the top and climbed out the views were stupendous. My first impression on entering the lodge was the spacious dining/kitchen/sitting room. Social activity revolves around this room and all can contribute to the manner of cooking dinner while tasting and sharing the wines found during the day at the wineries visited. Comfortable bedrooms radiate out from this main room. The deck outside was a marvelous spot from which to view the surrounding country. We were lucky enough to have a full moon to bathe mountains, lake and valley in silvery light.

After breakfast, we wound our way back down to the bottom of the ranch where our sturdy, gaited Rocky Mountain horses waited. We spent that first day riding around the ranch on some steep trails and had a picnic with a magnificent view. On the following days, we sometimes rode from the ranch or we went by van to other spots and met the horses, which had been brought by trailer. The most enjoyable of all was the trip to Seabiscuit’s old ranch and retirement home. This beautiful place has been lovingly restored and there are many interesting memorabilia on display. We had a fine ride through the towering redwoods and were able to open the horses up at times in wide clearings.

On the last evening my son, Bayard, came and provided the wine. He also did a terrific job of cooking the lamb, which was delicious, and it was a lovely evening for all of us. The moon was full that night and view of Clear Lake, shimmering like silver, and the valley floor was fabulous. It was a fitting end to a glorious week of horseback riding in California.