NAPA INSIDER

Spring is in the air....

2010-03-02T17:50:00.000-08:00

Just spent another wonderful three days in Napa. The weather was gorgeous after the rain, but the spring flowers are starting to bloom and the vines are going to start growing soon. It is a pretty time of the year! The crowds are still minimal and tasting rooms are quiet. Sunday morning the hot air balloons were flying and the view must have been spectacular. Tried a new restaurant in Calistoga called Jole, and it was pretty good for small plates. Would prefer a little bigger menu but there were some nice flavor combinations. Acme bread and Model bakery are my favorite places to buy fresh baked bread and boy, is it worth it. When you combine the warm bread with some creamy burrata from Cowgirl Creamery, and some diced tomatoes, you have a delicious snack anytime. Napa is all about the great food and wine experience. We tasted at Chateau Boswell and Failla both small wineries off the Silverado trail. We like to find smaller boutique wineries and learn about them since we try a new winery every time we go. Acme Fine Wines is a great wine shop if you want to join any of their wine clubs or learn about the world's best wines. Erin or Scott can help you there. Until next time, happy travels!

Rain in Napa....

2010-02-20T09:33:00.000-08:00

There is a lot of rain right now in Napa, but the air is crisp and clean. Tasting rooms are slow and the towns are quiet, but the treasures are many and this is such a good time to sneak away for the weekend. The CIA Greystone just launched an olive oil and chocolate tasting bar, can't wait to try it. Downtown Napa has a special tasting card that works for 14 tasting rooms downtown. Perfect time to check out downtown and have lunch at Oxbow market. Norman Rose Tavern, a gastropub downtown, is getting a lot of buzz as well. A few famous chefs including Chef Morimoto plan to open restaurants downtown this summer. The area is started to feel rejuvenated and if they can just landscape along the river and create a pretty walking path, it will become a wonderful destination. Yountville still offering it's moveable feast with some great deals at their local restaurants as well as some great hotel deals. Farmstead is opening a new restaurant on hwy 29 in St. Helena that will add to the farm to table fresh options in Napa valley. From what I hear, spring flowers are starting to bloom due to some early sun. Heading back next week and I can't wait!

Yountville till Feb. 28th

2010-02-05T10:34:00.000-08:00

The town of Yountville has done a very smart thing. They created something called a moveable feast that lures people to try and visit many of the businesses in their area. As far as accommodations go, the brand new Hotel Luca and the Bardessono are both offering deals to stay there and experience their properties with discounts. Vintage Inn, Villagio, Maison Fleurie,the Bordeaux House, and one of my favorite new finds The Cottages of Napa Valley are all offering great dine and stay packages at nice rates. If you are trying to figure out a good time to get up to Napa valley or have been considering it for awhile, now is the time. My husband loves the wine and I love the food in Napa, specifically Yountville. Bottega, Ad Hoc, Hurley's, Bouchon and Bistro Jeanty, all incredible restaurants are offering great deals on what is usually a very expensive, but worth it meal.
The moveable feast value program in Yountville started Dec. 1st and ends Feb. 28th so you have this month to get up there. Just do it!
I hope some other towns in the Napa/ Sonoma area catch on because it is a great business move to get people to visit certain restaurants and hotels when they have so many choices. Safe travels...

Don't forget about Sonoma!

2010-02-01T17:23:00.000-08:00

I spend most of my time in Napa but every time I go to Sonoma, I find it full of charm. While Sonoma feels a little more rustic, and a little less polished, Sonoma is full of wonderful restaurants and charming hotels.My favorite restaurant in the country, Cyrus is tucked into the Les Mars Hotel in Healdsburg. The Les Mars Hotel is a boutique hotel with high ceilings and beautiful rooms. Hotel Healdsburg is right on the town square and has it's own gourmet restaurant in Dry Creek Kitchen. The feel is modern but comfortable and the location is fantastic. The Farmhouse Inn in Forestville is a fantastic getaway and has a 2 star Michelin restaurant on the property. Some of my favorite restaurants are Willi's seafood in Healdsburg, Bistro Ralph, and K and L Bistro in Sebastopol.
The Sonoma wineries are fun to visit and much less formal than Napa. You often see and are able to meet the owners of many of the wineries which makes the experience memorable. One of the best things about Sonoma is the easy access from the Santa Rosa airport. Rental cars are right outside the door and Healdsburg is a 10 minute drive at most! Can't beat it when you want to spend more of your limited vacation time relaxing, than trying to get from point a to point b.

Fantastic weekend in Napa

2010-01-24T21:20:00.000-08:00

Napa was so quiet after all the rain this week. Hwy 29 was not crowded and it was a pleasure to enjoy the clean air and beautiful scenery that Napa valley has to offer. We had some great meals at Angele, Solbar, Ad Hoc, and Cook. Some of the highlights were the beet salad and burger at Angele, the tuna burger and the donut holes at Solbar, the brunch at Ad Hoc, and the mussels/clams and brussel sprouts at Cook. We also discovered the most delicious breakfast sandwich at Model Bakery in St. helena. Every time we go we try new restaurants, taste at new wineries, and explore new hotels and areas. Napa Valley is not huge but it has so much to offer and it can be such a different experience every time. We love to balance out all the wonderful food and wine with some exercise. Bothe State Park offers great hikes, and the Napa valley health Spa is the gym we like to use for a good workout. It is small but clean and just remodeled and the staff is always so welcoming! They also offer full spa services there. Until next time....

Solbar at Solage Calistoga

2010-01-23T18:22:00.000-08:00

Solage Calistoga reminds me of the Carneros Inn. Cute accomodations, and a nice feel to the resort. I love that they have cruisers for guests to ride around on. They have two bocce courts towards the front of the resort, but what I heard most about this resort was Solbar. Solbar is the restaurant at Solage. They are known for the breakfast and lunch, so we stopped in for lunch after 2 tastings. The room is nice and airy, with a great fireplace in the back. Interesting menu.... Tried a salad with pears and red cabbage that was ok but didn't love it. Then my husband and I split the Tuna burger in a soft steamed bun that was delicious. There was a small tofu salad with edamame and radishes on the side that was also really good. We also split the Po' Boy sandwich with fried shrimp and oysters with an interesting sausage and rice side. I liked what was inside the Po' Boy but it was a little too much bread for me although they did make the bread light and airy just like they do in New Orleans. The highlight of the meal was a fantastic dessert and something we would rarely ever order but it sounded interesting. Donut holes with coffee anglaise!!!! Light and airy donut holes made to perfection that melted in your mouth with a little sauce on it. Fabulous! The tuna burger with the donut holes are both must haves if you decide to try Solbar.

Tastings at Hartwell and Venge vineyards

2010-01-23T18:07:00.001-08:00

Whenever we go to Napa we always try to visit a new winery and they all tend to be smaller wineries that not everyone knows about. We have tasted and read about Hartwell wines before but this time wanted to visit the winery. You must have an appt. but it was fairly easy to get one and we were able to taste 5 wines. They have a small tasting room and the woman is very nice who works there. We enjoyed the Merlot, and the Estate Cab from '99.
Venge is closed to the public but try to get on the mailing list or waiting list if you can. It is a family run vineyard and the wine maker is young, 33, Kirk Venge. He is doing some great things and their production is small so the quality stays pretty high. We left with some Syrah. The tasting room had a nice view over the vineyards with a fire in the fireplace and Lin Forino was very informative about the wines. Overall, two nice new wine experiences!!!!

Angele downtown Napa on the Napa River/Bounty Hunter Wine Bar

2010-01-23T10:04:00.001-08:00

Had a nice quiet lunch at the small and cozy french restaurant, Angele! The beet salad is delicious and the burger is so juicy. A nice place to start your trip in Napa.
We also ventured into the Bounty Hunter wine bar in the downtown area on first street. Read alot about it and needed to see for myself. 40 wines by the glass and lots of different flight pairings to try. It is a casual and fun spot to drink wine with friends. The bbg ribs and pulled pork sandwich were pretty good and the atmosphere was fun with loud music.
Overall, both places were worth a visit if you are in the downtown area of Napa. Also love the Oxbow market for lunch, lots of yummy options!

A Napa Weekend

2010-01-18T22:18:00.000-08:00

So excited to be heading back up to Napa this weekend... The air in Napa always feels clean but after a week of rain, everything will be clean and green! Going to taste at Dana Estates, Venge, Hartwell, Cliff Lede, and try to stop at Chateau Boswell if we have time. Looking forward to trying Angele for the first time for dinner, have some brussel sprouts at Cook, and an amazing brunch Sunday at Ad Hoc. The key to a weekend full of great food and wine is water and exercise. We will either hike at Bothe park or if it is too wet, go to Napa Valley Inn and Spa for a good sweat.

2010-01-12T13:24:00.000-08:00

This time of the year is a slower one in Napa valley, but very romantic. The vines are bare, and the air is crisp but the scenery is still breathtaking all over the valley. New hotels are opening and there are more an more accommodation options. The Avia hotel in downtown Napa is a cute , boutique hotel with some great deals. It is walking distance to the Oxbow Market, the Bounty Hunter Wine bar, and other great downtown locations. Hotel Luca just opened up in Yountville and is small but intimate. Located north of French Laundry on Washington street and right next to Maisonry, its italian style is nice and the size is intimate. In the center of town, the Bardessonno Inn has really taken shape. The landscaping has grown in and it has really become a major resort with smart high tech rooms and beautiful grounds.
If you can get away to Napa, do it. It is quiet, charming and a wonderful place to unwind this time of year!!!! I didn't even mention the amazing food and wine or every corner!!!

Brussel Sprouts in Napa

2010-01-09T09:28:00.000-08:00

Napa valley is known for their wonderful wines and beautiful scenery, but I love their food. The people who work in restaurants all have passion for food and wine and you can taste it everywhere. I decided to try brussel sprouts in as many places as I could after having the best brussel sprouts of my life at Cook Restaurant in St. Helena. Bottega had a nice shredded brussel sprout salad, and the new Cantinetta Piero had some nice sprouts too but Cook's a worth a special visit. Cook is a small neighborhood restaurant that mostly lures locals. The menu is small but everything on it is amazing!

hot air balooning in Napa

2009-11-10T14:52:00.001-08:00

This is a fantastic time of year to go hot air balooning over the Napa Valley. Napa Air Aloft departs from Yountville at 7 am most mornings. It is $225 per person and as high as $299 a person for your own private balloon for two. Great time to fly over the colorful fields of vines...
The smell of grapes is in the air and most wineries are finished or finishing up their harvest. Great time to be in Napa valley.

FALL IN NAPA

2009-11-09T21:52:00.000-08:00

Just returned home from three days in Napa valley and can't wait to go back... The colors of the vines are amazing right now and the smell of grapes permeates the air. We go to Napa all the time and this is the one time of year that you can smell the grapes because alot of the wineries are harvesting. There are so many great hotels and restaurants throughout the valley and I love checking them all out and figuring out the best of the best. I am impressed with the Bardessonno resort in Yountville that has really taken shape and is great. I also love the Avia boutique hotel downtown Napa for the value and the great location, walking distance to the river, great restaurants, lots of tasting rooms and Oxbow Market. I recommend getting up there before all the leaves fall off the vines!!!