Napa Valley, CA.

Day 12

Once more, we had another long car ride ahead of us. Driving down the 101 from Patrick’s Point all the way to Vallejo, the city just south of Napa Valley, takes about five hours. But of course, we had to take a few stops along the way. About half way down, we stopped on the side of the road in the middle of almost nowhere, because we were enticed by the “Paco’s Tacos” sign. We were in dire need of some food, and Mexican has very quickly become one of my all-time favourites. 

Since I’ve been spending so much time in California these last few years. Jon gets a Torta which is a Mexican sandwich. He chooses carne asada and it comes with guacamole, onions, cilantro, and salsa on a roll, declaring it: “The best torta he’s ever had!” Graham tried out a vegetarian burrito stuffed with grilled vegetables, beans, cheese, guacamole and salsa. I chose a variety of three tacos: the carne asada, al pastor and pollo with a side of Mexican rice. Whereas, Doreen ordered the Super Taco filled with beans, rice salsa, sour cream, guacamole and cheese. The sun was beating down on us, so we took refuge at a foldout table under a sunbrella, while enjoying our delicious meal.

The GPS took us through Santa Rosa and then into Sonoma to reach our destination. I could’ve driven down that road 100 times because it was so beautiful. Rolling hills covered in vineyards for miles, maybe I’ve found my own little paradise? Once we get to our Airbnb, we organize all of our things and get ready to head into town for dinner. It’s a very quaint, polished and clean strip, which really gives you an idea of who frequents these establishments, (news flash the wealthy) and who is not welcome in the area. 

We settled on the Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin’ BBQ due to its extensive wine list and cellar, plus its great looking menu. It gave us an opportunity to truly experience what wine country has to offer. I get the chef’s cheese plate with the suggested pairing “The Great White Flight,” which includes sample sizes of a 2017 Laird “Cold Creek Ranch” pinot grigio from Napa; an Emmolo sauvignon blanc 2017 from Napa; and a 2018 Scarpetta “Frico” friulano from Friuli-Venezia Giulia in Italy. 

Jon and Doreen enjoying a glass of wine

The Great White Flight amongst their other wine selections

Graham gets a whisky from their large selection as well as the Grilled Veggie Sandwich that had layers of grilled eggplant, portobello mushrooms, squash and roasted red peppers on a bun smeared with chimichurri aioli. 

Jon and Doreen go for the romantic choice and decide to share a Smoked Beef Brisket sandwich with a side of mac and cheese, and a starter chef’s cheese plate. Doreen also got the Great White Flight to go with it, as Jon snuck in a couple sips since he had to drive. Before heading back to our Airbnb, we stop at a liquor store by the restaurant and grab a bottle of the 2017 Laird “Cold Creek Ranch” pinot grigio we had earlier. As we guzzled wine and snacked on sour candies, we played a card game Jon taught us called “Blob” until late. Finally, we could enjoy a real roof on our heads instead of a tent. 

Day 13

Butter Cream Bakery and Diner set up

We wake up mid-morning and get ready for a day of drinking. Graham volunteers to drive since sacrificial lamb, Jon has had to most of the way down by not being able to drink as much for the benefit of the group. Doreen and I both select cute summer dresses, knowing very well there will be a lot of photos taken today. Once everyone is ready, we drive to the cutest diner called, Butter Cream Bakery. As soon as you walk through the doors, the atmosphere emulates a classic old school feel, where we order the works. Buttermilk pancakes, sausage and eggs, tuna melt, with their homemade biscuits and fresh pot of coffee, which is sure to sustain us throughout the rest of the day.

Our first stop is Artesa, a winery shown in the Netflix movie Wine Country that came out earlier this year starring Amy Poeler and Maya Rudolph. The view was beautiful from a bunker-like building that morphs perfectly into the hill of the valley, to the stunning architecture and stark white walls which gives off a bourgeois feel. I infer that probably the rest of regular winetasters here probably own several millions of dollars. We all get their basic white wine tasting for about $45 each. We savour the floral notes along with citrus until every crisp drop is gone and it is time for us to move onto the next, seeing as most of the wineries close at 5 p.m.

Artesa’s bunker-like entrance

The view from Artesa’s fountain

Next stop: Sterling Vineyards! A winery suggested by my friend’s father who was in the wine business. Here, you park your car at the bottom of the hill and ride their private gondola all the way to the top where you arrive in style. This was one of my favourite spots. The tasting included a tour of the estate, and each station walked through how to properly taste the wine, as well as learn about the wine making process. Certainly, it’s worth a visit if you ever make it down to Napa, not to mention the beautiful view at the end of the tour. 

From their terrace balcony, we could see another winery, Castello di Amorosa, modeled heavily after Italian architecture, and decide to head there after before they closed. Jon and Graham decided to forgo the tasting. So, Doreen and I indulged in some girl bonding time complete with a plethora of picture taking. The wine tasting takes place in the cellar modeled after the undergrounds of an italian castle. Doreen picks up a bottle to gift Jon’s father once we get home to Westlake Village, and we head to the gardens to finish our tour. 

View from their terrace balcony

Gondola ride up to Sterling Vineyards

Sterling Vineyards wine barrels

Graham and I, looking classy

Castello di Amorosa wine cave tasting room

Castello di Amorosa vineyard

Castello di Amorosa courtyard

Tagliarini tossed with arugula, parmesan, wild mushrooms, artichokes and a cream sauce at Il Posto Trattoria

We joined the boys who had luckily found a supercharger in the parking lot and decided to continue the Italian theme, with an Italian restaurant for dinner not too far away and on the road back to our Airbnb. Il Posto Trattoria, hugs the side of the Napa Valley Vine Trail and offers freshly made in-house pasta and a large selection of wine from the valley. 

Graham and Jon both get the ricotta gnocchi stuffed with pork belly, wild mushrooms and corn in a decadent cream sauce, while Doreen and I get the tagliarini, a ribbon-styled pasta, tossed with arugula, parmesan, wild mushrooms, artichokes and a cream sauce. Ah! The noodles complement my pinot noir perfectly. On our drive back to the Airbnb we witness a beautiful sunset dropping down behind the hilled landscape, as we stop to buy, yes you guessed it, yet another bottle of wine to accompany our competitive card game night. Napa Valley will definitely be one of my highlights of the trip and I can't wait to see what San Francisco has to offer!

A beautiful sunset to end our beautiful day