Paso Robles Wine House

Last weekend I tasted my way through Paso Robles with a group of fellow cork dorks from Newport Beach and Laguna. Our social chair made the wise executive decision to rent a giant house with breathtaking views instead of all individually booking hotel rooms. 

http://www.pasoroblesvacationrentals.com/caroMio/

It was genius. And the house was ideal for cooking (only pictures do it justice), lounging (big comfy couches with an entertainment center), swimming (heated salt water pool), and stargazing (chaises and heat lamps). We were a 5 minute drive from town and also close to all of the wineries we visited. Halfway through the trip we even had a masousse come to the house to get our knots out (those barrel tastings are really back breaking...).

The highlight of the house for me was that feeling at the end of our days of going "home" together. I highly recommend this accommodation strategy.

Vacation rentals. So hot right now.

Online Dating (for your house)

My fiancee and I just got back from the South of France. The trip was fantastic. But the way we chose the destination for our vacation deserves somes attention.

We listed our home in Newport Beach, CA on a website called HomeExchange.com, where (as the name suggests) people "exchange homes".  The process of listing our place was actually quite fun. You pay a $99 annual membership fee, and then proceed to upload pics of your house and your neighborhood. It really kinds of feels like you're writing a personals listing for your home! And most people give some info on the owners as well (which is important since most people, rightly so, want to know about the people they are potentially lending their home to).

Here's our listing:

http://homeexchange.com/show.php?id=101355

After we finished and posted the listing, we were blown away by home many inquires or "exchange requests" we received. From all over the world. Major cities in Italy, Spain, and France. London, Aspen, Stockholm - the list goes on! The site allows you to specify where you're looking to go, but we kept ours fairly open since we weren't exactly sure where we wanted to travel (although France and Australia were high on our wish list). Plus, the element of a little serendipity was appealing as well.

After evaluating all of the inquiries, we ultimately chose to exchange with a nice couple from London who own a vacation home in St. Jean Cap Ferrat (an exclusive little enclave in the French Riviera). According to the pictures and description (http://homeexchange.com/show.php?id=89062) it was an adorable two bedroom apartment about a hundred yards from the beach, with views of the Mediterranean.  Upon arriving we were relieved and actually pleasantly surprised that the place felt even better than advertised! 

We had such an amazing vacation. One of the best things about doing a home exchange v. staying in a hotel/resort, besides saving around $10,000+ (14 nights x at least $600/night plus all those annoying taxes, egregious parking fees, restaurant/room service...) is the fact that it forces you to have a different kind of experience.  You're staying in a home, with a kitchen, and end up shopping a the locals markets every morning, and cooking in many nights. For us, we ended up feeling like we really got a much more intimate feel of the town and the people.

I highly recommend Home Exchange for your next vacation.  (And if you happen to have a place in Australia and want to visit Southern California...let me know!)

Larry Hutnick Sr.

This is my dad's dad, the grandfather I refer to in the post below. I want to give some context to his influence on me, so I thought I would share the my eulogy with you (1/31/07):

Larry Hutnick Senior is a legend. Now I’m one of five people who can say Larry Hutnick was my grandfather. It is something I know I’ll be saying for the rest of my life because my grandfather’s life will be remembered by many people for a long time. 

Anyone who’s ever met my grandfather has something wonderful to say about him. I knew his funeral would be a day of stories and attended by as many people who knew him who could be here in person. If you would like to know how touching my grandfather’s life was, this day and this room are a glimpse. 

When I got the call from my dad I was at work and completely lost it. I was in my new home, Las Vegas, working with a bunch of people who had never heard of the famous Hutnick name and had never been to a Saturday morning clinic. Before I left for the day, I was in my office booking my flight home and a girl I work with walked in to say how sorry she was and asked if we were close…I said “yeah, we were close – if my family was Jerry Seinfeld my grandfather was Kramer”

He came over the house all the time. The pool was probably one of his favorite places to be after a day of teaching tennis. He’d change in the dressing room we set up in our garage, soak his feet for a little while, before he entered the water with a whale-like plunge. We’d shuck corn from Adelson’s farm, hit golf balls into the net we’d set up in the back yard, play driveway golf, and of course tennis at Millwoods, the Purtles, Glastonbury raquet club, Elm Ridge, or any other empty court with a net and preferably a fence…and he always made sure I had the best numbers (or the most) in Joey Viggiano’s annual Superbowl pool. 

I would meet people and they would recognize my last name…are you related to Larry Hutnick? Growing up I felt like a little celebrity. Yeah, that’s me, I’m a Hutnick. It’s my name I’m probably most proud of and the one thing I had the least control over. Anyone can make themselves into something. As a Hutnick, I was a born champion.  Hutnicks are born champions.  I learned that at a young age as I watched everyone in my family bring people together, selflessly give to those who were in need, and ALWAYS play for the love of the game. 

Thank you Grandpa for showing us how to live. You will be missed, but you are a legend who’s life didn’t end three days ago.  We will retell your stories, bake your apple pies, and play tennis at your clinics every weekend. It's your turn to "take it easy." Amen.

At Home In The Vines

Born and raised in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, I didn't discover the wine history of my home state until I started studying wine two years ago. When I was back east last fall, my sister and I drove up to Hopkins Vineyard, set on the northern shore or Lake Waramaug, to see just what Litchfield had to offer. Our favorite was Hopkins' sparkling wine made in the methode champenoise. Great acidity, pinpoint bubbles, and mouthwatering granny smith apple and pear notes. Cheers!