4 days in Napa Valley...Wine & Adventure

Day 1:

Muir Woods National Monument:

We stopped here on the way from San Francisco to Napa. The Redwoods are an amazing sight and a must-see!

Ghost Block Estate Winery, Oakville, Ca:

This was our first wine tasting and it did not dissapoint! A small boutique winery with a very homey feel. Great attention & even better wines! I enjoyed the 2020 Ghost Block Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

Day 2:

Schramsberg, Calistoga, Ca:

If you love sparkling wine, you will love it here! This was our 1st wine tasting appointment of the day and we did the cave tour with custom tasting. A beautiful winery with a great history, a highly recommended stop. My favorite was the Blanc de Blancs and the Brut Rose.

Pride Mountain Vineyards:

Helena, Ca: This Vineyard was one of my favorites (top 3) and the wine was delicious....a must stop!! Something about being in the mountains with the crisp air, the views and a great glass of wine cannot be beat. A very cool detail about this winery is that half of it is in Sonoma County and half is in Napa Valley. We were treated with the best care even though it was busy that day. Very beautiful tasting rooms. Again, the Cabernet was amazing and we ordered some bottles for home delivery.

Day 3:

Bodega Bay, Ca:

We did a beautiful bike tour through "Ace It" Bike Tours and the scenery could not be beat. The bike portion took us along the Bodega Harbor to Bodega Head. We hiked from there and took in the amazing sights of the Bay from the cliffs. We then resumed our bike tour and stopped for some delicious clam chowder on the way back. The tour is 3.5 to 4 hours long.

Auteur Wines, Sonoma, Ca:

Another botique winery in the very heart of Sonoma. Chardonnay is my favorite white and this was a five-star Chard! We had our tasting out on the patio (since we just finished a bike ride) and it was perfect and pretty. After, we walked around the quaint town and enjoyed the shops and scenery.

Day 4:

O'Shaughnessy Estate Winery, Angwin, Ca:

Everyone told us that we would join a few wine clubs, and this was one of them! This winery is located in Howell Mountain and had my heart immediately. A very lux experience that we will never forget. The wine caves were exquisite and the tasting room even more so. The Mt. Veeder Cabernet and the Howell Mountain Cabernet are some of the best.

Cimarossa, Angwin, Ca:

When I was making wine tour appointments, I looked for a 2nd one to stop at in Howell Mountain and I'm so glad I found Cimarossa. It is right next door to O'Shaugnessy and we loved it just as much and joined that wine club too!! I can't say enough about the attention we received and how beautiful the vineyards and tasting room were. They also make olive oil, so we were able to taste it as well as the wine. My favorites are The Rian Cabernet and the Rive di Cimarossa Cabernet (and of course the olive oil)!

Lunch:

Gott's Roadside (a must for burgers & fries when in Napa) Rutherford Grill: Casual atmosphere with comforting cuisine.

Dinner:

• Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch: Owned by the Hall family (magnificent wines). Farm-to-table, so everything is fresh & delicious.

• Bottega: Italian comfort food at its best! Calamari, Raviolo & Tiramisu....simple & perfect.

• Bistro Jeanty: French Bistro. A treat from beginning to end and one of my favorite meals in Napa. I started with Creme de Tomate en Croute (tomato soup in puff pastry). For my main dish I had Coq au Vin (delicious), and dessert was my all-time favorite Crème brûlée (I had the chocolate version).

• Ad Hoc: Comfortable & delicious; their menu changes daily.