Napa 2013

Blaine and I recently did something unheard of in our house...we took a vacation...with NO KIDS! We've been threatening to do this for a while and finally pulled the trigger and went back to Napa.  It had been 5 years since our last vacation (we went to Napa 6 months before getting pregnant with Presley) so we were so ready to have a little time together.  We went with our good friends, Bryce and Ashely, and we all had so much fun.

We love being Mommy and Daddy, but every now and then, it's nice to be just Blaine and Amy again!

 Leaving was definitely the hardest part.  

I cried for days before. I cried all the way to the airport.  I cried at the airport.  I cried when they announced it was time to board.  I cried walking on the plane. I cried as the plane pulled away from the gate.  And I cried (uncontrollably) as I saw Austin, the city were my sweet babies were, disappear through the clouds.  Blaine held my hand the whole time, ordered me a drink, and eventually the crying stopped and was finally replaced with excitement to be going back to our favorite place...Napa!

Our first tasting was at Round Pond for a patio wine and food pairing.

After Round Pond, we drove up Spring Mountain to Terra Valentine for a tour and followed by a wine, cheese, and chocolate pairing.

This is Russ. He made this tour something we will never forget.

When we showed up for our touring/tasting appointment, there were 5 other people already on the patio, Russ and two other couples who he is friends with.  We got a glass of wine and joined them on the patio as our tour guide started to tell us how lucky we were to be here on this day.  Russ, who was one of the sweetest guys you will ever meet, built Terra Valentine.  When I say built, I mean with his bare hands, he laid the stones that made the walls, carved the doors, and installed all the windows...when I say he built this winery, he literally built the winery. And as luck would have it, he was there to tour it with his friends on the same day we were there. The tour guide took a step back and let Russ give us the tour.  To hear him talk about it and to learn the history behind this winery was absolutely amazing!

His father had purchased the land and built the winery (then called Yverdon). Together they built it little by little until it became this magnificent building that looks almost like a castle.  In the 90s, the winery was sold and became Terra Valentine.

The coolest thing he showed us was a peep hole in the room behind where our tasting was.  He, and some of the workers, put it there so they could see when Russ' dad was driving up the road.  If they were taking a break, they could quickly get back to work. You can't get that info on the regular tour!

Even the door is beautiful!

Here are a few bottle from the original winery, back in the 70s.

 Our cheese and chocolate paring.

That first day was a long day, so we went back to our hotel, had dinner, and fell asleep before the sun even went down.  Here are a few pics from our hotel,  The Carneros Inn.

All the rooms are little bungalows .  This was the view from our front porch.

 And here's the view of our private backyard. 

 

 This is probably the most relaxing place on Earth!

  

 We started day 2 with a tour at Frog's Leap.

Frog's Leap was unbelievably beautiful.  It wasn't our favorite, as far as wine goes, but the tour was amazing and the grounds...breath taking!

From there we went to Joseph Phelps

It definitely had some beautiful views from the back terrace.

After lunch at Mustard's Grill, we headed to Chappellet for a tasting in their barrel room.  

 I think, out of all the wines we tasted on our trip, this was our favorite wine.  I'm a big fan of Prichard Hill wines now and I can't wait for our case to come in so we can enjoy a glass at home!

Day 3

We started off with a tour and tasting at Schramsburg.  They produce some of the best sparkling wine in Napa.  If you ever wonder why champagne is so expensive, it's because it's incredibly labor intensive to make.  The process is amazing and I now understand the price.  After learning how much goes into making each bottle, it's worth every penny.  

 The caves at Schramsberg.

I'm so glad we came here and we are a huge fan of sparkling wine now!

After lunch, we drove up Diamond Mountain for a tasting at Von Strasser.  This is not a huge winery, very small in comparison to all those around it.  But the service was so great and the wines were delicious!

I really wish we had taken more pictures here.

For our last tour of the day, we headed back to Del Dotto for a cave and barrel tasting tour.  We did this tour the first time we came to Napa, and it was so cool we couldn't wait to do it again this time!

One of our favorite pictures.  It wasn't until after the picture was taken that we saw they second head growing out of Blaine's neck!

The caves at Del Dotto.

  There is no way to capture the beauty of this in a picture.  You can't smell the wood from the barrels, hear the Andrea Bocelli cd playing in the background, and you definitely can't taste the amazing wine that is Del Dotto.  Oh, Del Dotto, I can't wait to visit you again!!!

Day 4

On our way to the airport we decided to make a few last stops.

Stop #1: Domain Carneros for a little early morning bubbly!

Artesa Winery

Bouchaine Winery

Everyone has that one place that feels just right, that makes them feel happier than they thought possible, that feels like a little piece of Heaven.  For us, that place is Napa.

This was an amazing and long overdue trip.  We 're counting the days until we can go back. 

For anyone planning a trip to Napa,  here is what we would recommend: 

Where to stay: Carneros Inn

Best place to sit, relax, and enjoy the views: Round Pond

Best informational vineyard tour: Frog's Leap

Best sit down tasting: Chappellet

Best sparkling wine tour/tasting: Schramsberg

Best small winery with exceptional service: Von Strasser

Best barrel tasting: Del Dotto

Best place to indulgence and get a little tipsy: Del Dotto 

Best chocolate covered cherries: Bouchaine

If I had to pick my favorite wine, it would be Chappellet.

But as far as my favorite part of this vacation, there are too many to list.

See you soon, Napa!  Thanks for another wonderful vacation!