I promised y’all it wouldn’t be another 18 months before I posted about Napa again. It took me waaay too long to recap our last trip, so here this one is just a month or so later.
As background, this was my fourth trip to Napa (I obviously love it!). I went with my Dad way back in 2009 for my first time and for a bachelorette party in 2017, although we focused more on Sonoma for that trip. As you know, I went with girlfriends in 2020 (which I finally just shared a month ago) after winning a package at a local charity auction. I love wine country and am definitely planning to take more trips in the future!
This latest trip was for a friend’s 40th birthday. Her uncle (my mom’s boyfriend-isn’t that fun?!) is a SOMM , and she’s been planning this trip with him for years. Who wouldn’t want their own personal expert to guide you through wine country? Between COVID-19, hurricanes, and fires, I don’t think any of us got our hopes up. Unfortunately, some people did have to bow out and others had to cut the trip short, but the rest of us were really glad it all worked out! We had so much fun. Another fun fact in this small world: Birthday girl’s “aunt”/mom’s best friend and Napa roommate is a friend from college’s mom! Her son and Bryan are fraternity brothers. It made for such a great group.
Here was our itinerary:
We landed in San Jose around 5:00 on Wednesday. Our driver, Willie, was celebrating his birthday with us, and we were very thankful to have such a nice escort and ride into Napa. He was kind enough to stop at In-And-Out Burger as a couple of us have never been. It was SO good. We also had to stop at the grocery store to pick up provisions. We were thirsty after a long day of traveling!
This time, we stayed in downtown Napa at the Napa River Inn. It was a great location, because we were able to walk to a lot of shops, bars, and restaurants. After Villagio, I really wanted another tub. That request put me in this “historical” red room! How hilarious is this room?
Kickoff Dinner was at Allegria, an Italian restaurant down the street from our hotel. As always, we didn’t have a bad meal! We tried to stay out a little later than we wanted due to the time change. Everyone was full and tired though, so we headed straight back to the hotel to get a good night’s sleep.
For those of you that follow on Insta, you probably noticed I was flying solo. The upside is that I slept all alone for four whole nights in a room by myself, and I slept for TEN uninterrupted hours that first night. This is not something us Mamas get every day :)!
Nathaniel Beckum was such a great guide last time, we called him again. Unfortunately, our group was too big, but he made a great match when he set us up with Ryan McGorry. Ryan picked us up Thursday morning, and we headed out for a day of public room tastings. (Of course, everything requires a reservation right now.) Our first stop was a place you may have heard of… Caymus! Tracy was a great host, and we loved learning about the Wagner family and how the brand has evolved. Not surprising but everyone’s favorite was the Special Selection.
Lunch was at the famous Rutherford Grill. If you go there, you have to start with the smoked salmon. It was to die for! Of course, everything we ate was yummy.
Next up was Silver Oak. It was beautiful! We enjoyed comparing Napa Valley to Alexander Valley and seeing the barrel room. Don’t I sound like a Somm myself?!
From there, we headed back to the hotel. Some went shopping while the rest of us headed to the new sparkling wine bar, Be Bubbly, followed by Cadet. Bryan and Erin arrived and were able to join the Happy Hour festivities. Although I love our family trips, there is something to be said for being able to spend quality time with your mom, brother, and sister-in-law without the distraction of kids!
Impromptu dinner was at Cole’s Chop House. We grabbed seats at the bar and had a great time catching up and eating random things like a side of sauteed mushrooms and lobster bisque. It had been a long day!
Friday was another early start with pickup time at 9:15. I should mention that Napa River Inn partners with its neighbor, Sweetie Pies, to provide breakfast. You can’t go wrong with the breakfast sandwich!
Our first stop was Behrens Family Winery with our hostess, Robin Cooper. Admittedly, I get a little queasy when we go up Spring Mountain, but it’s always worth it! Behrens has such a great story, and we loved looking at the artwork as much as drinking the wine (almost). Unfortunately, there had been some small fires in neighboring Sonoma County the day before, so it was a little hazy and smokey. It’s heartbreaking to hear about what the wine community goes through each year during fire season. Of course, we can relate as a hurricane was heading towards home…
Next up was PRIDE. I was excited to go here as my mom and Bill (affectionately known as UB) have been members for years. We stopped here in February 2020 but didn’t do a tasting or tour. If you ever have the chance to go, you must request Paul Smith! He is HILARIOUS. He kept us laughing the whole time. We also got to meet Sally Johnson, their winemaker. This was a special treat for the birthday girl who actually reads the mailers!
We were having so much fun at PRIDE that time got away from us. Thank goodness Ryan was there to keep us on track. We enjoyed a quick picnic on the property (sandwiches from Soda Canyon Store) before being whisked away to James Cole Winery.
Another great experience with another great host. Fun fact: Dustin is a professionally trained singer and was kind enough to sing us an Irish blessing! The boys loved seeing James’ toys, too.
At Caymus, we had bought wine to enjoy back on the hotel patio and decided to open it up when we got back home. The “adults” headed off for quiet dinners and early bedtimes while the “kids” headed off in search of more wine for the girls and beer for the guys. That’s the funny thing about traveling with your parents-you feel like a kid again! We enjoyed an amazing dinner at the famous Morimoto. Bryan’s birthday is just a few days later, so we celebrated him, too!
As much fun as we had been having, we were in for a special treat on Saturday. Matt and Yvette Buoncristiani are amazing humans and hosts. Matt and his brothers make the most fabulous wines. Go check them out. You will not be disappointed! I cannot say enough about what a memorable day it was for all of us. We loved drinking great wine, eating pizza from Foodshed Pizza, and playing Bocce Ball. To Do List: Get a dual-tap kegerator for the porch!
Must all good things come to an end? Yes, but not yet! Finale Dinner at the celebrated Mustards Grill. No matter how dressed up we get, some of us love a good grilled cheese! Also, I have come home with recipes for the watercress sauce and ketchup. I will let you know how they turn out. I could drink the stuff!
Alas, it was time to go home. We really didn’t think we would make it with Hurricane Ida bearing down on Louisiana and Mississippi, but we arrived on time and without a hitch. We will keep praying for our neighbors to the west and now those to the northeast.
Y’all know I love keeping these travel blogs. They bring back so many great memories and remind me to make sure to keep a trip on the books. For our next wine trip, we are thinking of doing more exploring in Calistoga or heading south to Santa Barbara. Of course, reliving some of our favorite places in Napa would be fun, too. Cheers until next time!
