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I am told that, here in the Napa Valley, all the grapes have been brought in (that’s winery-speak for have been picked).

Once that happens, the vines quickly begin to change color.

For those who don’t think there is much to fall color in California, I say come visit. It is just glorious here right now.

Benessere Vineyards, Saint Helena

Silverado Trail at Deer Park Road

This evening, during my (much-appreciated) 5-minute commute home, I stopped at a vineyard across from Crane Park here in Saint Helena.

Incidently, this park is where we play bocce on Thursday nights and take Samantha to play on the weekends.

Here are the photos:

It seems everyone has their own seasonal favorites that signal the formal beginning of a new time of year.

Maybe it’s the first candy cane of Winter, maybe the first daffodils of Spring, maybe the first tomatoes of Summer…for me, it is now officially Fall as last night we had our first Dungeness Crab of the season.

A west coast specialty, I’d never had fresh Dungeness Crab until I moved to California.

On its own as an appetizer, or as dinner with a green salad and crusty bread, we eat a lot of Dungeness Crab while we can (the season only lasts a precious few months).

We like it prepared simply–just cracked & cleaned, alongside homemade cocktail sauce (see below for recipe) or warm melted butter.

We think Dungeness Crab is best paired with a nice, dry white wine–a selection that’s crisp, yet with some creaminess; perhaps a Robert Sinskey Pinot Blanc.

Homemade Cocktail Sauce

1/3 cup ketchup
1 tsp prepared horseradish
1 tsp capers, chopped

Mix well and serve in a ramekin or other cute small bowl.