Saturday we took a
staycation
to
in Calera, Alabama. As we approached the winery, we were very impressed with the beauty of the property. We parked our car, walked up to the porch, and saw Burt (the owner) waiting for us all to arrive. We walked inside, looked around and started chatting with a few of the guests. We met a couple from Tennessee and another couple from Georgia, but the rest of the gang seemed to be from around the Birmingham metro area. Soon everyone took their spots by the counter and Burt began allowing us to sample some fine varieties of his wonderful wine. After that, we went outside on the porch to grab a chair because Burt was handing out the gourmet lunch bags!Wow... there was a croissant sandwich, chips, fresh fruit, and three cookies! No skimping on anything! It was so relaxing sitting there, overlooking the vineyard eating and chatting with everyone. It seems like you can meet the nicest people on wine tours. And the breeze was quite agreeable too.
All along, Burt encouraged us to ask questions about his vineyard and he was so gracious in filling us in on our curiosities. After we all finished eating, we strolled down across his field and got up close and personal with his grape vines. It was educational to learn the growing process and all the work that goes into vineyards. When we arrived at the makeshift platform where the train was to pick us up, Burt explained how he worked out a great plan with the folks at the Railroad Museum to stop by and pick up the wine tour group. He also revealed that the track we were getting on was originally a mineral line for trains, and there was an area called Ozan already there. Burt liked the name and decided to keep it. How clever!
When the train arrived, we were delighted to see the men dressed up in conductor suits and all the paraphernalia, right down to their chain watches. They collected our tickets and we got to choose between the air-conditioned car and the open car. We opted for the air-conditioned car and chose the open car on the return trip. The volunteer conductors were so gracious and took time to give us some history of the area and information about the train. When the train returned to Ozan, we stepped off and Burt was there to greet us. We walked back to the facility with him and had a chance to buy whatever wine we chose and to get our souvenir wine glass. I am really excited about this attraction and hope that you will find time to make it to Ozan and also visit and support the Railroad Museum. I want to try the dinner train next time. It was the perfect place to gather and enjoy a peaceful country setting amidst the Alabama Wine Trail!