Vines of Napa Valley

What a way to begin the summer, sipping wine and enjoying some much needed fun and relaxation. Couples was the theme this trip. We left the sweltering heat of a record breaking June in Minnesota and headed to cool off in California, yes, ironic. Per our usual, we flew into San Francisco Airport and rented a vehicle to make our way North. This trip we decided to stay in the town of St. Helena. We chose the Southbridge Napa Valley Hotel as our base camp, easy walk to the downtown area, restaurants and town wine tasting. The neat part about staying here is the use of all amenities at the Health Spa Napa Valley next door and the Tra Vigne Pizzeria right below.

For our winery excursions we used Executive Car Service Napa Valley. This was an easy choice for us, we had a dedicated driver and Cadillac Escalade each day. With just a text, the car was waiting at the front door for us and off we went! We had the owner, Andre, and one of his drivers, Larry, for our trip. Great guys with great knowledge of the area and what it has to offer. I will definitely use them again in the future. Although we rented our own vehicle at the airport, Andre does offer his clients pick up and drop off from the airport.

This trip we chose a variety of wine tasting experiences in the area. Listed below are just a few of the notable wineries we visited. Opus One was a tasting experience with pride and respect given to the Rothschild and Mondavi families. Their indoor/outdoor seating areas and balconies are beautifully appointed with equally as beautiful views.

A little splash of sparkle made Mumm Winery a must do, first stop on one of our days. What a great way to start the day with some sparkles paired with a tasting tray of nuts, meats and cheeses.

Hall Winery, a place our friends had visited years prior to this trip. Their modern building was a fun place for a tasting with individual seating rooms and fun decor throughout. The art appreciation by the owners really shines through in this building. If outside is more your style, there are plenty of seating nooks staged around the rear courtyard where you can enjoy the ambiance of the vineyard. The vineyard is easy to find, just look for the big silver rabbit at the entrance.

It was a fun and energetic atmosphere at the Cakebread Winery FriYAY celebration. Great food and wine stations set up around the beautiful courtyard with live music to enjoy. Smiles all around for a little weekending party!

Blankiet Estate is set on a beautiful hillside with a majestic castle appearing over the treetops. The tasting room, set within the owners residence, was beautifully decorated with European antique furnishings. You really do feel like old world royalty as you sip wine made only from grapes harvested from the property.

B Cellars Winery was an excellent choice with their covered outdoor tasting patio, elegant interior tasting cellar and beautifully manicured grounds. Freshly grown food for the pairing menu is grown and prepared by their three full time chefs.

For one of our lunches, we opted for an outdoor picnic with a bottle of sparkling Rose’ at Chandon Winery. The great array of sandwiches, veges and awesome hummus topped off with Strawberries was more than enough for a lunch.

Have I talked about the food yet? Wow! California farm to table does not disappoint. During our first night we found a cool basement bar to grab appetizers and drinks. The bar is in the basement of the Goose & Gander Restaurant, located in St. Helena. This restaurant ended up being our go-to for late night drinks and a dinner. Very fun atmosphere and bartenders! For those of us that need a break from the wine from time to time, they have a full list of beers and cocktails. They even had several bottles of bourbon on the shelf from the “hard to find” lists. We also headed back to our favorite, The Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch, located on the edge of St. Helena. Enjoying and sharing the Baked Mac & Cheese and St. Louis Ribs, the Arborio Rice and the Cheddar Biscuits was an easy task with a bottle of their estate wine sitting under the stars of a lovely California evening. Brix Napa Valley is also a wonderful choice, for us appetizers was the theme on that day. Dungeness Crab Fondue, Tempura Green Beans and Wood Grilled Artichoke. Oh My! Last but certainly not least, a parting brunch at the Sunflower Caffe’ in Sonoma Square. No reservations here, come when you want and enjoy their flower filled outdoor seating. Keep your appetite open for a piece of their Avocado toast and a monster mimosa.

What about some extra fun?? How about drifting over the valley in a hot air balloon. Yes we did! The day started at 4:00 am and off we went. The guys at Napa Valley Balloons were in action upon arrival. We got to watch them set up the basket and inflate our balloon. What a cool experience! Our pilot took us for a magical sunrise flight over the valley. Unbelievable views from the mountains to San Francisco, what a sight….A special moment of our flight was when the pilot precisely maneuvered and hovered our basket just feet over the valley floor of vineyard vines….