While home, we had a few extra hours to see bits beyond Paseo Nuevo - so we headed to the wine country. One of our favorites is Beckmen Vineyards, a small winery and vineyard that gained quite the international attention when President Obama choose it for his inaugural dinner. Far from the glitz like other wineries (ahem, Firestone), Beckmen has but one small outdoor patio that resembles something your friends had in their home growing up, a few simple benches and lots of grassy space. Simplicity at its best.
