Today is the big day for Napa. We've planned two wine tastings and a Michelin Star restaurant for the evening.
First up is the Sterling vineyard in northern Napa. The tour is $20 each (inc $5 discount) and starts with a cable car ride up to the tasting and wine production area. From there we go on a 2 hour self guided tour with 5 tasting stops along the way. The tour describes the whole wine making process and is a mixture of text boards, videos and actual wine making rooms and equipment. Its a fascinating insight into what goes on behind the scenes.
We get to sample a couple of reds and a couple of whites but the star for me is a 2011 Riesling reserve desert wine. Its sweet and honey flavour is exactly what I like and I buy a bottle from the shop. Izy goes for a $22 Cabernet Sauvignon.
The second vineyard is Mumm about halfway up the Silverado trail (the road that splits the two mountain ridges that form the napa valley and give the wine its world beating properties). Its speciality is sparkling wine so this place is heaven for Izy. We pay $20 for three full glasses of expensive sparkling wine. Two white's (one brut and one Cuvee M) and one Rose. The sweeter Cuvee M is my fav but Izy prefers the Brut (actually made from exactly the same grapes). However we're not blown away and so pick up a little one serving bottle instead of a full 750ml bottle.
Dinner is a pizza back at the B&B followed by a 2h nap to ensure we're able to last for the 9:30 appointment at Bouchon in Yountville. This is Thomas Kellers second restaurant in Napa and he once joked he built it so he'd have somewhere to go after a hard night cooking at the 5 (yes really) Michelin stared French Laundry (so exclusive they apparently once told Julia Roberts she wasn't famous enough and theres typically a month wait). Given theres a 3* restaurant in Napa we looked at which was $1000 a night a shudder to think what it costs at the Laundry.
Bouchon is lovely and we have a wonderful time eating expertly prepared roast chicken and Tuna. We, not very subtly, drop in we're on our honeymoon and are treated to a complementary book with articles about the restaurants and a host of recipes which is great!
Naturally we're shattered afterwards and fall asleep watching Conan. Tomorrow is the final leg of our journey and the last time we'll be in the car. I'm actually a little sad!
Showing posts with label napa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label napa. Show all posts
Thursday, 20 September 2012
Wednesday, 19 September 2012
Napa
*(Bit behind at the moment. Will try to catch up later today)
We leave Monterey early and head up to Napa. The views are once again amazing and Izy takes lots of photos on the camera. It takes us about 2 and bit hours to make it to Napa and we park outside of this typical looking American early 20th century house. It looks better then the other houses on the street and the garden looks especially pretty. So far so good. Inside we're welcomed by Lorri and shown around and to our room. The place is great! (Monterey is now just a memory!) We're in the 'duck nook' extension. We've got a nice big and fancy room and a spacious bathroom with a two person spa bath. Lorri tells us that if we use the whole vial of bubble bath we can play hide and seek later.
Our first afternoon in Napa then consists of us heading to a winery called Luna after a recommendation from the Concierge Bonnie. Its not far and we're the only people there which is great because it means we can ask all the questions we want and take our time. The steward tells us all about how wine gets its flavours and hows its made and why certain wines have certain names and characteristics etc. We try 10 different wines and decide to purchase a bottle of white that we enjoyed. I actually try 6 different red wines but I still struggle to find them enjoyable (too smokey for me).
After luna we head to a place called Oxbow market which is a bit of a mini mall with stalls and stands selling local produce and treats etc. We buy some special cooking oils and a handful of special chocs. Then its back to the B&B for cheese and nibbles and a guide on where we should go while in Napa. At this session we meet 2 other couples around our age and we get talking for so long that its gone dark before we end. We quickly get changed and head out into town for dinner at a nice Fish restaurant called 'Fish Story'. We start with a delicious Tomato and Halloumi salad and then I go for cod and chips (nice and safe) while Izy goes for whole sole. They weren't kidding tho, its huge! Its tail is wrapped round and poked through its mouth to create a kind of ring look. Izy does very well but concedes defeat about 2/3'rds in. Then its back to the B&B for sleep!
We leave Monterey early and head up to Napa. The views are once again amazing and Izy takes lots of photos on the camera. It takes us about 2 and bit hours to make it to Napa and we park outside of this typical looking American early 20th century house. It looks better then the other houses on the street and the garden looks especially pretty. So far so good. Inside we're welcomed by Lorri and shown around and to our room. The place is great! (Monterey is now just a memory!) We're in the 'duck nook' extension. We've got a nice big and fancy room and a spacious bathroom with a two person spa bath. Lorri tells us that if we use the whole vial of bubble bath we can play hide and seek later.
Our first afternoon in Napa then consists of us heading to a winery called Luna after a recommendation from the Concierge Bonnie. Its not far and we're the only people there which is great because it means we can ask all the questions we want and take our time. The steward tells us all about how wine gets its flavours and hows its made and why certain wines have certain names and characteristics etc. We try 10 different wines and decide to purchase a bottle of white that we enjoyed. I actually try 6 different red wines but I still struggle to find them enjoyable (too smokey for me).
After luna we head to a place called Oxbow market which is a bit of a mini mall with stalls and stands selling local produce and treats etc. We buy some special cooking oils and a handful of special chocs. Then its back to the B&B for cheese and nibbles and a guide on where we should go while in Napa. At this session we meet 2 other couples around our age and we get talking for so long that its gone dark before we end. We quickly get changed and head out into town for dinner at a nice Fish restaurant called 'Fish Story'. We start with a delicious Tomato and Halloumi salad and then I go for cod and chips (nice and safe) while Izy goes for whole sole. They weren't kidding tho, its huge! Its tail is wrapped round and poked through its mouth to create a kind of ring look. Izy does very well but concedes defeat about 2/3'rds in. Then its back to the B&B for sleep!
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