This is a follow up to my post, Planning A Trip To Napa Valley. Thanks for stopping by and reading this post! If you have any questions or feedback, please use the Contact Form or email me at anothercalorie@gmail.com.
The first step was choosing dates. We’re meeting another couple in Napa on a Friday, and returning home the following Saturday. We have three full days with our friends and another four days on our own. I know that may sound like an eternity, but when you have a “Wish List” as long as mine, it doesn’t take long to fill up your days!
Once we knew our dates, it was time to look at hotels and flights. This process started in March 2019, so we didn’t encounter any problems finding hotels with availability. For flights, we waited until June/July to book. If you’re booking hotels or flights on points, the earlier you can finalize details, the better your chances at booking exactly what you want!
Then comes the serious part…the wine and the food! The first thing I wanted to settle is where our friends most wanted to visit during our three full days together. We compared our notes, research, and wish lists, and we determined our “desired schedule” from there. This was a draft of what our schedule would look like if we were able to make successful bookings everywhere.
We tackled Saturday first. As you read through this, if you’re familiar with Napa Valley you'll see that this day is a bit of a geographical train wreck – we usually try to schedule things a lot closer together to reduce the time we spend driving.
Anyway.
I read about a “blind tasting” at Elizabeth Spencer in Rutherford. We had all been to Elizabeth Spencer before, but hadn’t heard of an option for a blind tasting. For those wondering, when you participate in a blind tasting, the identity of the wine is hidden. You don't see the bottle, you don't know anything about the grape varietal or where the grapes are from. Sometimes a blind tasting is done in black glasses, so you can't even look at the wine! This type of tasting is new for the four of us. So, our goal for Saturday was to book Elizabeth Spencer and schedule everything around it. This tasting is offered daily at 11:30AM which we were able to book because it was so far in advance.
With Elizabeth Spencer confirmed, we needed somewhere to start our day off.
For anyone reading this that hasn't been on a wine tasting trip, in my world it is completely normal to start tasting wine any time after 9:00AM!!
Next on our list was visiting Farella in Coombsville. We had Farella wine last year at Outland – a tasting room in downtown Napa. We absolutely loved the wine, so when I realized we could visit the winery I jumped at the chance to contact them. They were very accommodating, and once I mentioned our only appointment of the day was at 11:30AM at Elizabeth Spencer, we were able to secure an early morning appointment.
Note: When you are requesting appointments, do not hesitate to communicate your other plans for the day. Everyone realizes you're there to taste wine - not only their wine - and most people like to hear where you are going. Once you've made your appointment, don't hesitate to ask if they have any suggestions for your schedule.
Our normal day of tasting is three appointments and lunch. Do not skip lunch!
Today will be a little different and we're breaking the "do not skip lunch" rule. After Elizabeth Spencer, we're going to drop our car at our hotel, and go to two tastings in downtown Napa. Our first afternoon tasting is scheduled at The Wine Thief. The tasting hosts here really know how to show you a good time. They accept walk ins but you can also make an appointment if you prefer, which we like to do.
After The Wine Thief, we're going to Gabrielle Collection taste+ for a 5+5 tasting, which is five wines paired with five food bites. They also offer popcorn and chocolate pairings! We love food and wine, and we love it paired together, so we're excited about this one!
We're planning to have dinner on Saturday at Gran Electrica, a Mexican restaurant in Napa.
Next up: Sunday. Our friends mentioned a place called Hendry Ranch Wines. I had never heard of this place. I went on their website for a quick read, and I was interested right away! All of their offerings are by appointment only. One of these is a three hour seminar tour with the owner George Hendry, daily at 10:00AM. So, this became our “must do” for Sunday.
With the three hour tasting appointment confirmed, we decided we wanted to spend the afternoon exploring the city of Napa. We are planning to have lunch somewhere, but we don't know where yet! There are plenty of casual options and we'll make a decision closer to our trip.
After lunch, we are going to drop our car at our hotel, and then return to downtown Napa area. Our first stop will be a tasting at Robert Craig Winery. The tasting salon is located north of Oxbow Public Market on the Napa River. We've been to Robert Craig quite a few times and always enjoy their wine.
After Robert Craig, a quick walk will bring us to Ellman Family on First Street. We've never been to the tasting room, but we have enjoyed their wine in restaurants.
For dinner on Sunday, we have a reservation at Miminashi, an Izakaya – a Japanese inspired pub. They post their menu daily, so when you reserve, you won't know exactly what they'll have the night you go. They post their menu early afternoon every day. We're not big fans of fish and shellfish, so I've been looking at their menu regularly (obsessively) for the last few months and have never seen a day where I wouldn't find plenty of items to order.
On Monday, we are starting our day at Paradigm Winery in Oakville. This is a very laid back and casual place to taste excellent wine. In the past we've enjoyed our tasting sitting at a picnic table overlooking one of their vineyards. Heaven!
After our tasting, a quick drive south on Highway 29 will bring us to the town of Yountville, where we'll have lunch at Redd Wood and enjoy two wine tastings at places we've never been.
We're booked at Silver Trident, a tasting room decorated with Ralph Lauren Home floor coverings, furniture and accessories. The wine is my priority, but I am looking forward to sitting in such a gorgeous location while enjoying it!
Our final stop of the day will be Handwritten Wines. Handwritten Wines is a sister property to Jessup Winery, who also has a tasting room located in Yountville.
Dinner on Monday will bring us to Il Posto Trattoria. Recommended to us by locals, it's located off Highway 29 in what looks like a strip mall. It doesn't look "fancy" like some other restaurants, but I always enjoy trying a recommendation from locals!
That covers Part 1 of our trip. Part 2 to follow!
I'll be posting updates on our trip to Napa Valley at the end of September!
Thanks for reading!
