After the conference ended we had decided to add a few days to the trip and drive up to Napa. We wanted to rent a fun car to drive up Highway 101 and had booked a red Corvette, but when we arrived and tried to load our bags, there was absolutely no way our luggage would fit. I was a tad disappointed and crossing my fingers that they had another "exotic" vehicle on hand for us to take. When the man came back to the front desk and said that they only had one other vehicle--- a Porsche 911--- which happens to be my husbands dream car, he almost died with excitement! We loaded our bags into the backseat (since they wouldn't fit in the tiny "trunk" under the front hood of the car)...so we looked a little bit like the Clampets driving into Napa, but we didn't care!
We had a terrific time driving across the Golden Gate Bridge and up along the coast.
We were thrilled to be together, in a beautiful location with nothing to do but enjoy the company of each other and the deliciousness of the vine.
I did get in the drivers seat a few times while we were there.
Last time we were in Napa we rented a Porsche Boxster and right off the bat had a teeny tiny fender bender--thankfully this time we didn't have ANY accidents!
We started our first morning with breakfast at Gillwood's Cafe, it was a little hole in the wall place that came highly recommended and it did not disappoint. Situated right in the heart of downtown Calistoga, it was on the route to our first tour and tasting and was delicious.
Our tours began at Chateau Montelana which was a terrific estate tour and tasting. It was peaceful and low key which we both really appreciated. (Due to two very different owners of the vineyard, the family who began it, built it with a French chateau flare but it was eventually purchased by a Chinese couple who put in the pond and Asian styled bridges and gazebo.)
After leaving the chateau we grabbed a quick bite of lunch at a Mexican restaurant then headed to our next appointment at Sterling. It had such amazing and exquisite views as you take a gondola ride up the mountain to their winery. This one was quite a large commercial operation with an average of about 1,000 visitors per day. We did the private Platinum experience, where they paired several courses of food with many different wines and I must say, they were all quite yummy.
When I said private tasting, I mean, we were the only ones in there with the sommelier. It was pretty awesome!
This is their wines that are being aged, it was an enormous room of oak barrels.
WE had been told that Mustards was a must place to eat. We did go there but were disappointed in how loud the restaurant was. We sat a small two person table and yet struggled to hear one another over the volume within the restaurant, so I don't know that I would recommend this for dinner, to me it seemed more of a diner style lunch place.
The tuna appetizer was delicioso! Our first day in Napa was beautiful and slow paced, relaxing and much needed; I truly enjoyed my time with Adam.
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