Month: April 2016

Yes, I’m talking about Napa and Sonoma.  When it comes to the U.S., there is no wine country more famous than this part of Northern California.  And it’s one of the most beautiful areas of the country in my opinion.  (But I may be a tad biased as I am originally from the San Francisco Bay Area.)

Full disclosure here – I have not biked the Napa/Sonoma area.  But one of my good friends has done the bike/wine tour and it didn’t end well.  There might have been blood.  There were definitely some bruises.  Which just proves my theory in my previous post that the two activities should remain close, but separate…always separate. 🙂

There are too many wineries to list, so I will just name a few that I hit on my last visit.  Also, the food in the Napa/Sonoma area is amazing.  Bring your wallet, as it isn’t inexpensive.  But the dining experiences are well worth it, in my opinion.

Champagne at 10am?  I see nothing wrong with that.  And at Domaine Chandon, the champagne is so delicious that I don’t even think about how good it would taste with orange juice.  This winery is so gorgeous that I am fantasizing about getting a divorce so I can have my wedding here someday.  Maybe I should just renew my vows.  Seems like a more appropriate fantasy.

We try a Brut, a Rosé and a few others…all yummy.  The Brut Classic is my favorite.  The tasting fee is a little high, but it’s Napa.  Keep telling yourself that…it’s a recurring theme.  All in all, a great way to start the day.

I should mention that we are responsible drinkers, and you would not want to visit more than one or two wineries without a designated driver.  Instead of hiring a limo service, we contacted a company that drives your own car (at a fraction of the price!).  It was very convenient as our driver knew some shortcuts as the afternoon traffic got heavy.

Our next stop is the Napa Cellars tasting room where you can sample Ménage à Trois wines as well as Folie à Deux.  I love the Ménage à Trois red blend – it’s a staple in my wine rack.  We taste the Pinot Grigio, a Cabernet Sauvignon, some Prosecco and a Moscato.

The grounds here are very pretty and inviting.  They have a big grassy area with picnic tables.  I have stopped here before with the whole family to enjoy a picnic and some wine.

By now, we are getting hungry (and need some food in our stomachs) so our driver stops at Dean and Deluca so we can pick up some sandwiches and snacks.

 

We head to Rombauer Vineyards.  Again, another beautiful location.  It’s hard to go wrong in Napa/Sonoma wine country.

(…must stop planning own future wedding…must start saving for daughter’s future wedding…)

My girlfriend is in love with their Chardonnay.  We do a quick tasting (including a Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon, buy a bottle of the Chardonnay and head onto the grounds with our picnic lunch.  The bees wanted to join us which was a little problematic, but we coped.

Our last stop for the day is the Image Estate Winery.  I have to be honest.  I don’t remember much about the wine we taste, but I am absolutely in love with their wine labels.  I go a little crazy snapping photos of all the labels.  I will have to try this winery earlier in the day next time.  It is definitely time to head back to the hotel!

We return to the Embassy Suites Hotel in Napa, have a few snacks at their happy hour, walk around the beautiful grounds and sit in the courtyard by our room before changing and heading out to dinner at Bistro Don Giovanni.  We have a great dinner and then crash.

The next morning, we enjoy the hotel’s complimentary breakfast, and before heading home, we go to family owned Benziger Winery.  I love how it looks like an old farmhouse, and the views from here are amazing.

We take a guided tour of the grounds (highly recommended if you would like a behind-the-scenes view of winemaking) and start out in the vineyards with a chilled Sauvignon Blanc.  We then head down to the wine caves, and end up in a beautiful private tasting room where we sample the Signaterra wines.  Then we go back up to the main building and sample a port paired with chocolate.  Delicious!

Sadly, it is time to head back to the Oakland Airport to catch a flight back to Salt Lake City. My girlfriend drops us off and we head back to reality.  A great trip and I can’t wait to come back and do it again!

Where we ate:  Bistro Don Giovanni.  We ordered a Sangiovese from Silverado Vineyards which was fabulous.  I would recommend the spinach ravioli with lemon cream sauce.  Their salads and pizzas are quite good.  My girlfriend raved about the beet salad.

Where we stayed:  Embassy Suites Hotel Napa Valley – beautiful grounds, nice room, good breakfast.  I would stay here again.  If you want to stay at a particular hotel, book early.  Hotels book up fast around here, and they are pricey (it’s Napa!).  ; )

 

 

I love to go wine tasting.  I love to bike ride/hike.  I don’t necessarily like to do both at the same time.  : )    Your opinion may differ but I don’t think wine and exercise belong in the same sentence.  ; )

First of all, please don’t get the impression that I am some kind of wine snob with all kinds of expertise in tannins, vintages, body and bouquet.  I’m not.  I just like wine.  Red wine, white wine, rosé wine, sparkling wine, unusual wine, cheap wine, expensive wine.  I really like drinking wine with good friends.  And I especially enjoy tasting wines in the beautiful locations where they are produced.

Secondly, please do not get the idea that I’m some kind of athlete who bikes competitively or does 50 miles every morning before breakfast.   I’m not.  So NOT.  (shakes head ruefully.)  But, I love bike riding.  I love riding along a greenbelt or a river or on an old train track route that’s been converted to a bike path.  And if the bike path is relatively easy, I can bike for hours.  Till my bottom is sore (I’ll be doing an article later about how to help alleviate that issue.  Hehehe.)  I’ve biked in the rain, the snow, and in winds that made me feel like I was literally pedaling backwards.  But I’ve found that if you are visiting an area that has committed to creating a bike friendly environment for its residents, chances are that you will see some beautiful scenery and find some fun places to stop along the way.

My ideal vacation would include a day or two of wine tasting followed up with a delicious meal (that hopefully incorporates one of those wines I was introduced to earlier).  And another day or two to bike ride or hike and enjoy the beauty of the location I’m visiting while also getting some exercise.  (I wouldn’t mind a spa day at the end as well, but that’s another story!)

I hope to introduce you to some new places and remind you about some old familiar favorites.  Living in the western United States, I am so fortunate to have so many places of beauty within a day’s drive or a short plane ride away.  But it’s a big world we live in, and while I’ve only touched a few corners, I look forward to writing about those as well.

Cheers!

Friendship’s the wine of life.  Let’s drink of it and to it.