Napa Valley Trip

I really am not a "spur of the moment" type person, and as much as I tried to by laid back, I love to plan everything. Trips and vacations are no exception. I like to plan out vacations up to a year in advance which sounds crazy, but the anticipation is part of the fun for me. However, our trip to wine country this year, was very spur of the moment for me. Yes, we still did plan it a couple months before, but it was not something we were planning on doing this year...but I'm so glad we did! We started toying with the idea of going somewhere for Labor Day weekend and came up with the idea. I had been to California once before, and I just fell in love with the land and climate. Tim had never been, and I knew he would love it. We mentioned the idea to his brother and my sister-in-law and and they had been talking about doing soon...we took it as a sign, so off we all went!

I had no idea where to start as far as where to stay, where to eat, and which wineries to visit. So I thought I'd put everything down not only to remember our experience there, but also to help out anyone else who's looking to visit there.

Here we go...

We flew into San Francisco, rented a car, and drove about 50 miles to Napa Valley. We stayed at the Meritage Resort which exceeded all our expectations. I got a great deal from Priceline. I would HIGHLY recommend this place. With the priceline deal it was definitely a great bang for our buck. The rooms were great, there was a winery on site, plenty of outdoor lounge areas, and good on-site restaurants.

That night we ate at Carpe Diem in downtown Napa. HIGHLY recommend. It was a cozy little place with a great atmosphere and tasty California-esque small plate. Delish.

Day one we started off with a guided wine tour given by Platypus Tours. We lucked out with this company for sure. We were thinking about seeking out the wineries on our own, but I'm glad we chose to go with a guided tour. First of all, if you are drinking wine all day, it's nice to not have to worry about driving. Yes, you are doing tastings, not downing a whole bottle, but still, after a day of tasting (even with hydration) you can start to feel it. The other reason I liked this tour specifically was because they took us to "Mom and Pop" wineries which meant they sell low volumes and were not crowded at all. Also, our tour guide rocked! If you ever do one of these, ask for Sam!

Day two was a bit of a disaster (at least for me). For some reason we didn't have that day planned out very well and decided at the last minute to go to Muir Woods Park, the home of the Petrified Redwoods. Well, we got there (keep in mind it was labor day wekeend) and there was absolutely NO WHERE to park. It was a very windy drive up a mountain to the park and I was SO carsick by the time we arrived at the park. When we realized we had no where to park, really the only option was either to drive 4 miles back down the windy road and come up on a shuttle, OR just leave. We chose to leave :( By the time we would have driven down, found a shuttle, and driven back up, the day would have been almost over. I was so carsick I could barely stand it. I think my sister-in-law Kelly was starting to get a tad carsick too, so we decided to head back to Napa. Everyone said the views were still great, but I was too busy clutching my stomach! We also got stuck in the terrible San Francisco traffic (Muir Woods is very close to San Fran) which didn't help matters. Lesson Learned: if you go to Muir Woods, get a shuttle and plan ahead!

Day Three Tim and I had a reservation for a food tour given by Gourmet Walks. Although Napa is known for it's wine (and rightly so!) California also has it's own cuisine. I love all things food, so I thought a food tour would be a great outing not centered around wine. It did not disappoint! We started off with some delicious breakfast tacos. Next we had a sampling of cheeses. Then we ventured off to a local butcher shop where we sampled some freshly cut meats. We also did an olive oil tasting! It was definitely unique! Other foods we tried included: ceviche, a selection of chocolates and brittles, and wine of course. I will say though that although the food was incredible, I could have done without the tour guide's personal belief's about special causes in the Napa area such as the river preservation project. I'm sure they are great causes, but I was there to learn about the food! Other than that, it was awesome. The reservations go quickly, and I can see why. In fact, when I was booking our tour, Kelly and Jeremy tried to book just after us and couldn't get in. I hated that! I didn't feel too bad though because they got to enjoy the ONE place I was dying to go while we were on our food tour (but didn't have the chance to go). It's called V. Sattui. This winery also has an onsite deli and gourmet cheese selection. You can create your own lunch and head out on the grounds and have a picnic. Jeremy and Kelly said they thought it was great, but honestly I think they were under-stating it so I wouldn't feel like I was missing out. I'm sure I did, but at least someone got to enjoy it. We ended up eating at Got Burgers in downtown for an early dinner which several locals recommended. Great burgers.

Later that day, we had decided to try a few wineries on our own that others had recommended. I'd recommend them both to anyone. The first was Gloria Ferrier which is known for its sparkling wine. I'm not a huge sparking wine person, and this place was also swarming with tourist, but it is worth it for the view from the luxurious patio. All of Napa is beautiful, but this place won in my book for most break-taking views.

We wanted to try one more, but had no idea which one. Kelly and I literally got our out smartphones, clicked in "wineries" in our map, and picked the one with the most interesting name. Jacuzzi Winery. I am so glad we did! This place ended up being my very favorite winery. I loved just about everything I tried, and our server for the tasting was outstanding. Nothing she said was scripted, and somehow she was able to quickly assess everyone's various personal tastes. Tim and I even ended up joining their wine club! They also have a cool gift selection inside. That night after a few failed attempts at reservations, we ended up at Zuzus for dinner in downtown Napa which had authentic Spanish tapas (we like small plates, can you tell!?). Everyone really enjoyed Zuzus; we had a one-of-a-kind selection of food including: smoke cauliflower and squash blossoms (they were good I promise!) and so many other plates, I can't even remember. Oh - another great thing about the Meritage was that it had a shuttle that will take you all around Napa including downtown and back which is how we chose to travel a few times.

This trip proves that spontaneity can definitely equal some great experiences! I don't know if we'll always be able to up and do things like this, but thrilled we were able go on this trip. Kelly and I are already trying to figure out how to go again! Thanks to Nana & Papa and Grammy & Pappy for making in possible. I'm not sure if the kids wanted to come home and although it was a nice getaway, I was so glad to see them when we got home.

Here are some photos from the trip. Enjoy!