Day 3: NAPA
We packed up our SUV, checked out of our hotel and headed for the "other" valley. After a few wrong turns and more scary mountain driving we got our first glimpse of Napa Valley.
This was definitely the "Big Boy" playground. The valley was spectacular and the wineries were more like estates. Napa is home to the more worldly acclaimed wineries and wines and they have price tags to prove it.
I had one winery on my list, primarily for the grounds and the estate itself. It happened to be one that sells directly to the customer, their wine is only available through the winery or their website.
We LOVED this winery. V Sattui Winery was voted "Best Winery in Western US" and "Winery of the Year". It is family owned since 1885 and is located in St. Helena, CA. It has a gourmet cheese shop and Italian deli. In addition, they have a beautiful outdoor setting in which to enjoy a bottle of wine and a lunch or dinner, complete with picnic tables and fountains and courtyards.
V Sattui Winery, Napa Valley California
Courtyard at V Sattui Winery
The wine tasting was $5.00 or $10.00 per person, depending on how many wines you chose to sample and the fee is deducted from your purchase. If you choose to visit this winery ask for Mark, he was a kick and a pleasure to work with. We joined their wine club, purchased a mixed case and received a 25% discount. In addition we sampled a toasted sandwich and greek salad from their deli. It was well over two hours before we could drag ourselves away.
V Sattui gourmet cheeses
Next up: Beaulieu Vineyards, or BV winery. Pricey wines, but very good. My husband did the tasting here, but we were not persuaded to buy any. There was a tasting fee, but they waved it, which was impressive. Very classy.Beaulieu Vineyard, Napa Valley
Andretti Winery
This winery was our last stop before heading home. We sampled several wines, but this was a stop again for the name. I thought my dad would be impressed, as he used to follow Mario Andretti in his racing days. Nice little winery.
Lessons learned:
1. Russian River Chardonnays are the best.
2. Buy Alexander Valley Zinfandels.
3. Napa is known for it's Cabernets.
4. Do your homework and bring maps!
5. Stick to the main roads on your trip to the valleys, unless you like the slower "scenic" routes.
6. You can stay in a hotel for $80 - $90 and still get comfort and wi-fi! (Quality/Comfort Inns)
7. There are direct flights from Portland to Santa Rosa.
8. You can print out maps and an itenerary at the hotel, but you need to remember to bring a USB cord. Our hotels had a printer in the lobby, but I did not have a cord with me. Best Buy was close by thankfully.
Regrets:
1. Next time we go to San Francisco first and see our nephew. We ran out of time this trip.
2. Sonoma wineries we missed: Bella, Manzanita Creek, Ferrari-Carano, Paradise Ridge and Silver Oak in Sonoma. Jordan is also in Sonoma and you can only tour/taste by appointment. This was one my husband wanted to tour, but we ran out of time.
3. Napa wineries we will visit next time: Beringer and Franciscan.
4. We missed the Olive oil tasting rooms. There are many Olive Oil producers in Northern California. We want to try those next time.
5. We just missed their Harvest Festival. It was nice to not have to deal with crowds, but the Festival might be worth attending.
6. I would love to see a grape crushing/stomping festival. I could not find much on the internet however.
All for now.
What a lovely place to visit! Love the vine covered walls and the courtyards...Kim
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