Size Matters

Many of the wineries in Napa Valley are all about shock and awe.  Take the Robert Mondavi Winery, for example.  The grounds and buildings are spectacular with detail in the well-worn tile, strategically placed painted furniture in south of the border colors, the fountains with massive sculptures, and expansive views of the vineyards and mountains.  But the place was CROWDED and people are rounded up in cattle-style to be herded through the wine tasting (costing $20 apiece, mind you), pushed through the winery tour and ending up in the gift shop.  (Note:  Do not be misled by the picture to the left—Robert Mondavi Winery tapes off this area so no one is on the grass—if you were to look behind me there are literally hundreds of people milling around.)  This is not our idea of a leisurely and enjoyable day visiting a winery.   In fact, Mike’s words were, “I am not happy here”.  So, we made a quick retreat.

Mike and I grew up in the wine country of Washington State.  Most people don’t know that south-central Washington State is desert (no green trees grow naturally and temperatures in the summer exceed 100 degrees more often than not) and grapes like it there.  The number of wineries are fewer and the grandeur of the wineries are not on the scale of Napa Valley and Napa Valley hills are by far more picturesque than the burnt sagebrush hills in that part of Washington State, but you know, I like the wineries there.  They are intimate, no charge for tasting, the biggest crowd may be a dozen at a time (unless it is a special event) and your server can have a one-on-one conversation with you.  And frankly, many of the wines rival Napa.

Now, having said all that…we found a winery today that reminded us of the wine tasting pace we enjoy.  PlumpJack Winery was busy by our Washington standards (maybe two dozen there), but you felt the experience was much more relaxed than the mega-wineries.  Nice little pocket patios with a farm-rustic feel.  They still charge $10 for tasting, but with the number of people visiting I am sure they would go out of business if it were free.  We are getting happier.

And I admit the shock and awe is what we came to Napa Valley to see.  Domaine Carneros fits the bill for a grand entrance.  It is a replica of the French Taittinger family’s 17th-century stone chateau in Champagne, and it is a WOW.  The sparkling wine was fun to drink and the pinot noir was a nice red wine  along with a cheese, fruit and nuts appetizer plate.   With a table view of the  expansive vineyards and the formal landscaping of the winery, we were quite happy. 

Tomorrow, we ride our bikes over the Golden Gate Bridge.  Wish us luck.

Sonoma is My Kind of Place

Sonoma, California is what we had in mind when we thought of wine country in northern California.  The town is small, a little over 9,000 population, and definitely laid back.  We could easily live here (without the tourists).  We purposely “got lost” in the town to take a look at the homes and businesses away from the main plaza.  Adorable.  I could totally decorate this little Spanish-style bungalow (picture to the left) in terra-cotta tile through-out, rust-red/sage-green upholstered furniture with dark wood accents, a bed with a massive headboard intricately carved—you get the picture.    So California, yes?

The town of Sonoma has the traditional Mexican/Spanish plaza.  This one was established by General Vallejo, way back when.  Every town should have a plaza with a large fountain, large cypress trees, and a little pond with ducks quacking loudly to be fed.   This plaza was surrounded by little shops selling unique clothing, kitchen must-haves, and restaurants.  I found the perfect multi-colored dress that goes everywhere (stretchy fabric is my best friend).   I can wear it to a few more winery visits and maybe a wedding in the future—great with flip-flops or high heels.

Before we left Napa/Sonoma, we wanted some extra wine glasses with a winery logo.  We found them at our wine tasting and afternoon patio drink establishment at Roche Winery.  Great wine and great new glasses.  I wanted substantial stems with a wide base to avoid tipping and a tasteful logo on the side—it is like they read my mind. 

Their picnic area had the most colorful, outdoor artwork.  They are waterproof!  If I had a house, I would have one.  

Bottle Shock

Have you watched the movie, “Bottle Shock”?  Napa Valley’s Chateau Montelena’s 1973 Chardonnay won a blind wine tasting in Paris, France in 1976.  The revelation rocked the wine world.  Highly recommend the movie—very entertaining.  We visited Chateau Montelena today, and it was elegant.  Just like “in the movies”.     Look at the wood doors; they are stunning.  Normally, we do not like the sweetness of a reisling, but after enjoying their wine tasting, we purchased a bottle that was light, refreshing and just a touch of sweet.  Nice.

Can the oak trees get any bigger than here in Napa Valley?  They are enormous and provide welcome shade.  The V. Sattui Winery has a deli, cheese, and wine to buy at the winery and eat outdoors in their beautiful gardens surrounded by aged stone buildings under the shade of twisting, towering oaks.  Yummy panini sandwiches.  Spicy Thai noodle salad.  Tasty red wine.  We did not want to leave; in fact, we lingered there for two hours.


Another lovely day in Napa Valley, but buying all this wine is getting expensive!   We. Must. Stop.

Be Thirsty, My Friend

After Mike got a great haircut at Bloom Salon in downtown Napa this afternoon (thank you, Maria!), we walked over t0 the Napa Blues, Brews & BBQ.   There were three musical stages, but our favorite was the one playing good, ‘ole Stevie Ray Vaughn (man, I miss that guy).  We picked up  a couple of glasses of wine from The Bounty Hunter winery booth and enjoyed the afternoon.

I have no idea how we lucked out, but we ended up sitting in the rib-eating contest area right behind the contestants.  Ten Napa Valley winemakers sat down elbow to elbow and devoured as many ribs as they could in a limited time.  Not your conventional way to watch a contest, but it was a fun, different perspective.  The girls are holding up signs indicating how many ribs have been eaten by each contestant.
 
Forget all the fancy micro-brews, Mike’s favorite is Coors Light.  Of course, there were two Coors Light girls and Mike jumped in for his picture.  Knowing this is Smitty’s favorite brew, this one is for you buddy!  Wish you and Judy were here!  (Have you noticed how all the poses these days have the Paris Hilton stance?  Interesting.  Maybe I will try it for my next few pictures…will it make me look slimmer?)

Tapping Into Napa Valley

Looking for a rustic dining table on wheels made with Napa winery markings? How about unusual flavored meat rubs like Fennel Spice? We found these and more at Napastyle in Yountville, California (that’s me in the picture “going in”).  In a vine-covered brick building with wood-beamed ceilings, former Food Network chef Michael Chiarello offers his idea of Napa style.  And I am a fan.  Although Napa Valley and Yountville, in particular, are the epitome of yuppie-ville and mucho dinero, I still love the flavors and decor that says Napa casual. 

Restaurants are everywhere in this small town from the medium priced to the wildly expensive.  The famous French Laundry restaurant is located in Yountville—eating here would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience—just can’t bring myself to spend $500 on dinner for two.  I did not take picture of the restaurant for fear they would charge for the image (just kidding, I was just too lazy to pull out the camera).  We chose “instead” to eat at Pacific Blues which is a happening little place positioned for great people watching from their deck.   (Picture of Pacific Blues on right, the two-story building in the distance is the old rail station.)

By the way, I splurged on a tin of coarse salt, “Jurassic Salt” for $12.50.   I am walking away with my idea of Napa style (and a price tag I can afford).

Napa Valley Wine Train

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To get a better feel for Napa Valley and enjoy dinner and wine at the same time, we took advantage of the Napa Valley Wine Train.  The train depot is located only three short blocks from our home base at the Napa Valley Expo RV Park.  We hopped aboard an air-conditioned restored vintage train taking us on a three-hour journey through some of the most beautiful vineyards and small towns.  Towns known for great restaurants and wine such as St. Helena, Calistoga, and Yountville. 

We arrived at the train depot at 10:30 a.m. for registration.  As we waited for our train departure, we were served some local wine with a short seminar given by their vintner.  The train left the station promptly at 11:30 a.m.  As the train left Napa, we ordered our meal (yellow fin tuna—excellent) with a David Mondavi chardonnay.  After dinner was finished, we were invited to another rail car set-up in lounge fashion.  Our comfy swivel chair faced the window and we were served dessert and coffee.  There is also a wine tasting bar, but we took our time with the sweet Tiramisu (heaven in your mouth) and perfectly brewed coffee. 

Our trip accomplished exactly what we wanted.  A relaxing day after yesterday’s whirlwind of activities, an escape from the heat; and most importantly, getting an idea how we will plan our outings during the remainder of our stay in Napa.

I am trying to talk Mike into a mud bath at a spa in Calistoga.  Do you think he will go for it?  No, I do not think he will do it, either.