After a leisurely drive over the Golden Gate, through Sausalito, lunch in Tiburon, we arrived in Napa for a two day stay. We managed to stretch a two hour drive into six.
After breakfast in the hotel we set out on a bicycle exploration of Napa town and the nearby vineyards. You don't have to go far to be in the country. The Napa Valley is only 5 miles wide and 30 miles long but is home to about 500 wineries.
Jim and Deb joined us in the late morning and the six of us set out to lunch in the picturesque village of Yountville, at the Pacific Blues Cafe.
After a prolonged lunch in the sunshine on the deck we set out for our first winery tasting. We chose a small winery hoping to be the first to discover the next "best find". The Silenus Winery is one of those cooperative places that produces their own wines but also processes grapes from wineries just starting out. The 2010 DANAIS Cabernet Sauvignon was the consensus number one pick. Tasting in the Valley can be expensive. The Silenus only charged $15 per person but we were told the larger ones charged closer to $35. We did buy so the price of the tasting came off the purchase price.
That night we dined at the Ristorante Allegria in downtown Napa. The food was great but few wines were tried. The afternoon tastings, followed by the multiple bottles in the room predinner; most were left sipping waters with their meals.
Day two saw the six of us head out to the Sonoma Valley, a twenty-five minute drive away. We started with a visit to the Cornerstone Sonoma, for the valley tourist information. This place is worth a visit. Apart from getting good information, it has multiple art gardens with displays in both live plantings and man's use of various materials to produce works of art.
After all the information was gathered (probably too much), we headed to lunch in the quaint town of Sonoma. It is worth a visit even if you just wander the square taking a step back in time.
Our only full tasting was at the B.R.Cohn. This winery is owned by the manager of the Doobie Brothers and is host to many music festivals. Chicago, Ringo Starr and Gregg Allman all appear there this year.
We ended the evening dining back in Napa and reminiscing about the wedding and our time together. These valleys will become Jim & Deb's new backyard with a daughter and son-in-law living in San Francisco.
