Wine Time - Napa Valley & San Francisco

Since I LOVE to drink wine, learn about wine, cook, eat, go out to eat, and watch cooking shows - of course Napa Valley was on my list of places to visit. Will has always wanted to see San Francisco as he huge seafood & Chines food fan and he loves to explore any city. So, it wasn't too hard to determine that this was the perfect combination of places for a fall trip.

Day 1 - Wednesday - September 1, 2010
I was already in California for work, so Will flew in and met me on Wednesday night. We rented a car and took off to Napa ASAP! Of course we hit up In-and-Out burger on the way. Those burgers are damn good. We arrived about 7pm to our hotel - the Old World Inn which is a B&B in the city of Napa. http://www.oldworldinn.com/ The hotel is very cute, clean, and accommodating. The stay includes breakfast every morning, as well as chocolates and wine samples every afternoon. They also help set up tours and can get certain discounts at wineries if you haven't already made plans or reservations. Our room was on the top floor of the main building overlooking the street. It had a small bathroom and was a great room for us. Just the right size. We went to bed pretty early as we had 3 wineries scheduled for the next day.



Front of Old World Inn



Old World Inn

Day 2 - Thursday - September 2, 2010

On Thursday we woke up and had the most amazing breakfast! Fresh fruit salad, french press coffee, mushroom and cheese fritattas with a sage and tomato salsa. Mmmmmm. We then took the car over to Whole Foods to buy pre-made sandwiches, chips, bottled water, and other snacks to take in the car for the day. Our private car picked us up at 9:45am. I highly recommend you get a private car (so you can make your own schedule) or at least schedule a tour with a group so you can take advantage of someone else driving you around. You will drink a LOT of wine, and it manages to sneak up on you. (yippee! ). Its not worth the risk to drink & drive, and much more fun to not have to worry about it. http://www.prestigelimousine.com/ 

We had scheduled 3 wineries for Thursday & 3 for Friday. Some say that is a lot, but we started early and gave ourselves plenty of time to spend a couple of hours at each place. Most winery tastings do cost $$ and will run anywhere between $10 and $50 depending on the types of wine you choose. Also, some places only take reservations and the popular wineries fill up fast. Its also best to go during the week as the weekends can get really crowded. So do some research before-hand, find out where you want to go, make some calls, then make your reservations. This also helps in knowing how much you'll be spending at each place. Its also best to budget for buying wine, you will definitely fall in love with some and HAVE to take them home! These are some websites I used, in addition to talking with friends/family, that helped me plan our days in Napa valley. http://napavalley.com/wineries/ , http://napavalley.com/, http://www.napavintages.com/.

our town car

Our first stop was Frog's Leap winery. My cousin Kris is a member here and scored us a free tasting. It was our favorite place out of the 7 we ended up visiting. The wine was excellent, but we fell in love with the atmosphere as well. It felt like tasting wine on someones back porch that overlooked a garden, a farm, and a beautiful vineyard. It was very casual and we had a very nice girl who came to our table, explained the wines, and then we were allowed to walk the grounds AND come back for refills! SCORE. It was savignon blanc crush time so we saw the barrels of grapes being pushed through the crusher, we saw goats, chickens, all sorts of animals and walked through the most amazing herb garden. We joined their wine club and bought 3 bottles. It was a really perfect start to our day. http://www.frogsleap.com/flash/intro.html 



Frog's Leap Winery



Angela in the vineyard @ Frog's Leap



Cabernet grapes



Will 's first tasting @ Frog's Leap!

We then traveled to Franciscan winery. It had a lovely patio and was a very nice place. Lots of gifts, books, and wine stuffs. The wine was really quite nice with many varietals to choose from, but this was more of a formal winery where most of the place was not accessible unless you were on a official tour. We bought their Cuvee Savage and a Cabernet. We didn't spend much time here as it wasn't our favorite place in terms of atmosphere, but again, the wine was excellent. http://www.franciscan.com/

We then traveled to Joseph Phelps which was a deviation in the original plan as we didn't spend much time at Franciscan. This winery was far off the main road but is well worth the stop. It was one of the prettiest places we went on our entire trip. We paid for a more expensive tasting, and ended up with one bottle of wine. We were there for a couple of hours. There isn't much of a tour, but the veranda overlooking the valley made for a very relaxing place to sip the wines and relax. http://www.jpvwines.com/

Joseph Phelps Winery




Joseph Phelps

After Joseph Phelps we had a private tour scheduled at 2:30pm at Robert Mondavi winery. I work for Applebee's and since we purchase a lot of wine from them, we got a private tour and tasting. It was FABULOUS. We drank sooo much wine, it was a bit ridiculous. We walked through the vineyards, tasted grapes, went through the fermenting areas, the cellars, and then had a lengthy tasting in a cellar room. Its amazing how much you learn at these wineries, and the more you know - the more you want to drink wine to understand all the different elements that made the wine what it is. We had the most fun, but I think we were offically 'overserved'. :)

Robert Mondavi cellar



Robert Mondavi front entrance



fountains at Mondavi

We returned to our hotel to nap...but not before attacking the cookies and chocolates left out by our inn keepers. Good people. After waking up pretty late at night, we polished off the rest of the snacks/sandwiches we had from the day, popped in a movie, and passed out!

Day 3 - Friday - September 3, 2010
Friday we had 3 wineries planned: Cakebread Cellars, Peju, and Del Dotto. All very different and we were ready to GO! We ate another wonderful breakfast at our hotel and then headed out. Our car picked us up at 10:30 and we headed to our first tasting and food pairing at Cakebread Cellars. They gave us a tour of the grounds where we then went out back to another facility that is meant for parties and tastings. They taught us about pairing foods and wine, and we ate some yummy appetizers and of course drank delicious wines. The nice thing about samplings is that you can try some wines that are WAY expensive that we wouldn't dream of paying for, but man are they good! http://www.cakebread.com/ We signed up for the wine club and the shipments so far have been sooo great - so glad we joined.



Cakebread cellars main building

Food & Wine pairing

After Cakebread we head over to Peju, http://www.peju.com/, its not known for having any fabulous grounds or anything, but the wines were really yummy and the bartender here was the BEST. We made friends with some Canadian gals and had a par-tay in the bar. It was super fun. Our guy was very knowledgeable, we tasted a lot of stuff, and he gave us the skinny on living in Napa, what the local crowd is like, restaurants to go to and to avoid, etc. Its good to get the local scoop. We buy a couple of bottles of wine and then head out to have lunch at the GREATEST little place. You must go! They had the best food: gourmet sandwiches, salads, deviled eggs, sweets, desserts, wine, soda, and was all very quaint and historic. http://www.oakvillegrocery.com/stores/napa_valley.php 



Us at Peju

Oakville Grocery Store

We then went to our last stop of the day: Del Dottvineyards. There are two locations, and we chose the older one that has the wine cellars in caves. The tour is a little different as you start with aged wines out of the bottle and taste in their room upstairs. You then get a tour guide who takes you into the caves to do barrel tastings so you can see what different levels of fermentation taste like. It was quite the experience; we learned a lot and tasted a lot of really excellent wines. Purple teeth for everyone! http://www.deldottovineyards.com/

Barrel Room at Del Dotto

Del Dotto cave tasting

Del Dotto caves

That night we had reservations at Brix restaurant http://www.brix.com/. It was UNREAL. The food was amazing and we had the best time. We actually ran into my college roommates parents there! Small world. After dinner we took a drive out into the vineyards, parked the car and just laid on the hood to look at the stars. The weather was perfect, and it was a great way to let our food digest before we hit the town! We did some Napa local barhopping and it was pretty evident that we did NOT belong at some of these bars as we were obviously tourists. We didn't care - we saddled up to the bare and ended our night on a great note. Tomorrow we head into Sausalito and San Fran!

Brix - Fish



Brix - Pork chop

Brix - ice box cake

Day 4 - Saturday- September 3, 2010
So today we get up early, ship our wine home (12 bottles) and head for Muir Woods. http://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm This area is a national park that is set up high in the mountains. The only way in and out is a very winding road which is guaranteed to make anyone carsick - especially if you drank  too much the night before. Oops. :( We make the journey and it is well worth the pain of that car ride. The Forest is crisp and cool, with tons of trees, trails, and areas to explore. We spend about 2 hours here and then hit the road and head into Sausalito. We stop at the best restaurant per a recommendation from my friend Karen. Paradise Bay. http://www.paradisebaysausalito.com/ Three words: BEST CRABCAKES EVER. omg. We then head into San Francisco to check into our hotel and get a much needed nap. We are staying in Union Square at the Hilton which is a very popular area of town with lots of shopping, restaurants, is centrally located, etc. http://www.hiltonsanfranciscohotel.com/

Baby deer at Muir Woods

Will in Muir Woods

Sausalito

    

Muir Woods entrance

After our naps we cleaned up and met our friends John Gorrell and his fiance Laurel DiMartino and their friends at a great San Francisco restaurant named Gitane. http://www.gitanerestaurant.com/ The food was delicious and very dif, the drink list was very eclectic and interesting - very prohibition type cocktails with an urban twist. The company was great and we had a wonderful time. That night we crashed HARD. It was a long, but excellent day.

Day 5 - Sunday- September 4, 2010

So today we get up and plan to hit Fisherman's Wharf, Crissy Field & Presidio Park. We catch a cab out of Union Square and head to the wharf where we eat crab salad sandwiches, crab, shrimp, more crab, and with this meal...beer never tasted so good. Do beware of the seagulls as they are SNEAKY and will snatch your food right out of your hands. Damn birds. We then rented bicycles and rode up to the bridge and back. We wandered around town, stopping in shops and stopping for drinks as we felt like it. Then we headed home to get cleaned up for dinner. We found a great listing for a sushi place in the Russian Hill area. http://www.yelp.com/biz/okoze-sushi-san-francisco We had an AMAZING meal, and since the people next to us at the bar needed us to move in the middle of our meal, we scored a free huge bottle of saki that they bought us for our troubles. Of course we chose one of the more expensive bottles since we had to move all of our plates and such - totally worth it. haha!



View from Sausalito onto San Fran

Our fisherman's wharf FEAST!

Fisherman's Wharf - big ship




Ang & Will on their bikes!

Our bikes for the day

Mmmmm sushi

 Day 6- Monday - September 5, 2010

So today we have a full day of nothing but free time, empty tummies, and awesome weather. We loved the bike idea, so we catch a ride to Golden Gate park and rent bikes again. We ride around the park, out to the west coast, and stop for lunch at a restaurant/ brewery located at the west end of the park. The food was great and there were plenty of seats out back for us to sit and enjoy the sunshine. http://www.beachchalet.com/. We headed up into the park to see the views of the bridge from the outer coast. It is definitely a workout - all those darn hills. We rode back through town, DOWNhill, and returned our bikes and caught a cab over to the Coit tower area. We explored Telegraph Hill, Coit tower, and then headed to China town to visit my FAVORITE restaurant! Best sesame chicken EVVVVEEEER. Ask Will, he too was skeptical. http://www.yelp.com/biz/house-of-nanking-san-francisco 

We stopped in an Irish pub (Johnny Foleys) http://johnnyfoleys.com/ on our walk home and had some time to rest our legs and enjoy a couple of pints. We hit our hotel and accidentally napped until about 9:30pm, just long enough to make finding dinner complicated as we were kinda hungry, kinda tired, and neither of us wanted to make a decision. So we ended up with a comfort meal of mac-n-cheese, grilled cheese strips, and tomato soup at our hotel restaurant which was actually really delish. http://www.hiltonsanfranciscohotel.com/urban-tavern/

View over city from Telegraph Hill

CHINA TOWN!

Time for beers




View of the bridge



Favorite Chinese Restaurant. Ever.

 



Day 7- Tuesday - September 6, 2010
So today is our last day, we leave around noon, so we only have time for breakfast. We check out of our hotel and find a little corner spot where the locals enjoy coffee, pastries, and basic breakfast items. We walk around a bit just to get a few last views of the city, and then our car takes us to the airport and we head home.

A Northern California Bachelorette Weekend

Hello fellow travelers,

Once again I find myself headed to wine country, but this time I travel to Sonoma Valley for a bachelorette party. One of my last blogs was to Napa and San Francisco. My love of the west coast is really showing through in my blogging. :) Either way - this experience was just as good as the last, but very different. Enjoy!

Thursday April 19th, 2012
I am staying Thursday night with my pals John & Lauren who live in the Marina area of San Francisco. It's ridiculously close to the waters' edge (1 block to be exact) and has some of the best views of the bay, Alcatraz and Golden Gate. While staying at their place, I could hear the ship horns which is quite an adjustment from living in the middle of the country. The marina neighborhood offers great local shopping and a variety of restaurants. My favorite part of this area is that there is a local feel and a strong sense of community. Many shops are neighborhood hangouts with a regular crowd. I love getting away from the tourist traps and seeing how the 'locals' do it. I highly recommend visiting this area the next time you are in San Fran. Its relaxing and very laid-back. Just up my alley.

San Francisco Marina Neighborhood

We started at The Plant for lunch. A great local spot for organic cuisine. All are welcome: vegan, vegetarian, carnivore, what-have-you. If you like healthy eats with a wheat grass shot on the side, this is your place. John and I had the fish tacos which were pretty fantastic. Fresh ingredients, fresh seafood, and healthy portions - all with a 'no guilt' tag attached. John ventured into the land of juice, and upstaged my 'just the tacos' order with a fresh squeezed glass of beat juice and that wheat grass shot I mentioned earlier. Ick. Lauren ordered the veggie quinoa bowl which looked delicious and guaranteed to keep you regular. Holy fiber!

The Plant - Cafe Organic - interior

After lunch Lauren and I decided to do some serious wedding shoe shopping. We hit Union Square which has a large variety of stores and provides excellent people watching.

Dinner is to be at Hubert Keller's famous restaurant on Sutter Street - Fleur de Lys. I've been wanting to eat here for years. I am beyond excited and Lauren is my date. We start with a glass of champagne, and decide we shall both have the 4 course tasting menu and we don't choose our items, we ask for the chef to surprise us. Best. Decision. Ever. We also ordered a bottle of viognier. Our waiter 'Boris' we believe was the Maitre' D who also provided us with a red wine for our meat course and dessert wines with our dessert course - on the house. He earned his tip that night for sure. He was lovely. 

I wish I had taken better notes, but some of the dishes I more fondly remember:

• Cold gazpacho with cucumber creme
• Variety of fresh baked breads - baguette, brioche, fig and pistachio all with fresh whipped, room temperature butter (very important, I hate cold butter at restaurants)
• Baeckeoffe - duo of fois gras
• Sole topped with sea urchin covered in sea urchin and lobster sauce
• Trio of lamb - roasted loin, sous vide, and meatball
• Grilled filet of beef with lobster tail and lobster mac n' cheese in brioche
• Mushrooms and pesto on Brioche
• Chocolate souffle
• Fleurburger - a fun take on fries, burger and shake - all in an elegant dessert form

Interior of Restaurant

Fleur Burger

Filet with lobster tail and lobster mac & cheese

Baeckoffe and fois gras burger

We ended dinner with a near death experience in a cab right where our driver proceeded to race another cab 'tokyo drift' style through the streets of San Francisco. Luckily, Lauren and I were bubbly, giggly, and full of amazing food - enough to not care that were in serious danger via this idiot cab driver. We retired to the house with a glass of Alamos Malbec in hand...and called in a night. Good first day in Frisco. I enjoyed it immensely. Thank you Hubert and Mrs. Lauren!

Friday April 20th, 2012

Today I wake up slightly hung over from the previous nights festivities, but I am headed to Sonoma so I quickly slam a coconut water and banana, and chat with John and Lauren about where we are headed for breakfast. I like to eat...can you tell? 

We walked down a local food hotspot - The Grove - with amazing coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice, and the biggest breakfast burrito I've ever seen. After walking off breakfast, I went for a run down to Crissy Field near the Golden Gate Bridge, it was an awesome clear day with a low fog on the bay. It was the first warm day of the season. All the locals were out enjoying the day riding bikes, running, jogging, and playing on the beach. 

Soon after, Diana and her bachelorette crew picked me up and we were headed to Sonoma! I met Diana through our fiances. They went to high shcool and college together, so the rest of the weekend will be spent with Diana and her bachelorette crew. Unfortunately the drive wasn't too exciting since traffic was a bitch, but I was able to spend time with Diana's mom and soon-to-be sister in law which was nice. We made it to our weekend home, and were so excited to see Villa Crivelli. 

That night we enjoyed a gourmet meal made by chef Veronica Eicken with her local in-home chef business Gift of Thyme. The menu and pictures will show you that it was UH-mazing. Mmmmmmm. Lots of wine and great food later, we were all snuggled in our beds and ready for wine tasting the next day.

 

  

              

Saturday April 21st
The next day we wake, eat breakfast and the limo picks us up at 10:30am. We are ready for wine! We visited Jacuzzi Family Winery which not only has amazing wines. I picked up a Prosecco, Barbero, Valeriano, and Sagrantino - all very delicious and unique Italian wines. The Jacuzzi Winery also had the Olive Press which is a store specializing in olive oils and olive oil products - soaps, lotions, and even dog treats! 

    

After Jacuzzi we went to Sonoma Square and visited Roche winery. We had a nice picnic lunch after picking up some fresh sandwiches at a local cheese store - the Sonoma Cheese Factory. We had a tasting at the winery and I went home with an award winning Pinot Noir (22 years in a row) and an amazing Chardonnay. 

Last but not least we visited the oldest winery in Sonoma - Buena Vista. The grounds were beautiful with amazing architecture and picnic tables outside for lounging and savoring the wine samples. After our wine tasting we sat outside with a bottle of chardonnay, talked, and enjoyed the last winery of the day. 

That evening we had a lingerie shower for Diana (the soon to be bride) and enjoyed pizza delivery - which after a day full of wine...was VERY much appreciated. 

Diana & me!!

Sunday April 21st
Sunday, while everyone else slept, I snuck out super early to catch my shuttle to the airport and head back to Kansas City. I am exhausted, and ready for a long nap on the plane. Had a great weekend with fun friends, new friends, excellent food and wines. Couldn't be better! Wine country never disappoints.