Jim & Jamie’s Adventures In Napa

Get out of the car and onto the bike.  It is a lovely way to see the Napa Valley, and all within reach of The Inn On First.  Napa Valley Adventure Tours rents bicycles out of the Oxbow Market, a 15-20 minute walk from the inn.  While at the Oxbow Market you can pick up sandwiches from The Fatted Calf (love the pulled pork), or go next door to The Model Bakery for a loaf of bread (a huge selection) and head up to the Cheese Merchant in the main building for some olives, cheeses, or other snacks.  While there, visit the wine shop where you can pick up half-bottles of wine for lunch, or walk through the open market and purchase fresh fruit, vegetables, or go to Pica-Pica for some gluten-free items.  Then go to the bike shop, pick up your bike and head right back down First Street, past the inn, over Highway 29 until First Street becomes Browns Valley Road.  Stay on that street until you see the animal farm on the left (about 1/4 mile from Highway 29) and turn left on Thompson Road.  Follow Thompson Avenue to Congress Valley Road (right) and continue to Buhman Road (left) which takes you into the heart of the Carneros Region.  Best place to lunch and wine taste will be Folio Winemaker’s Studio, where you can sit at the picnic table out near the vineyards, or go onto the back porch and enjoy your lunch overlooking the vineyards.  This is the 6-mile marker from the inn.  If you are feeling hearty, head up the hill toward Artesa Winery for a great view (7-mile marker) and then make a decision: more cycling, more wine tasting, or return to the inn.  If you are ready to return, head for Old Sonoma Road, turn left, and follow the directions below for Getting Home.

If you are ready to keep going then head back down the hill away from Artesa Winery toward Domain Carneros Winery (9-mile marker), where you can spend some time enjoying a purchase of their cheese plate with a glass of sparkling wine on their terrace.  Want to go further?  Follow Duhig Road toward Acacia Winery (11.5 mile marker), and then to Cuttings Wharf Road/Carneros Ave to Saintsbury winery (16-mile marker) and then back toward Madonna Estate and Old Sonoma Road (17-mile marker).

Getting Home: Stay on Old Sonoma Road until it crosses back over Highway 29 and you come to Jefferson Avenue.  Turn left on Jefferson and ride down to First Street and turn left. At this point you will have completed a 22-mile loop.  You want a bigger ride than that?  I’ll have to save that info for another blog: think Lake Hennessey and Chiles Valley.

Don’t worry about directions: we’ll have maps for you as well as the bike shop.  There are only a few slight inclines, except for the climb up to Artesa; it is generally a really flat ride with great views of the wineries, vineyard, and the Carneros Region.  And except for a very short (maybe 50 yards) ride along the highway, you are on side streets that keep you away from the hustle and bustle of traffic.

For those who want to see my map, copy and paste the link to a new window:  http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=118210235070811742809.0004863229d0d1cb14f19&z=13&lci=bike

We had been to a hospitality event in the Napa Valley and met Julie Johnson, owner of the Tres Sabores winery.  There was an invitation to visit and we finally made it.  Tres Sabores is a small, family-owned ranch and is located on the western Rutherford Benchland of California’s Napa Valley, where they grow organically certified Zinfandel, Cabernet, Petite Syrah and Petit Verdot grapes, olives, Meyer lemons and exotic pomegranate cultivars.  Their single-vineyard wines include Tres Sabores estate Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc from the Farina Vineyard of Sonoma Mountain.

Tres Sabores means “Three Flavors” in Spanish, and in each of their wines, you’ll find three equally savory, yet distinct  tastes: the Terroir, or flavor embodied by the unique location of our ranch; the Vine, or distinct character of the grape variety; and the Artisan, or winemaker’s personal contribution of style and intuition. When appropriately balanced, these flavors result in wines with intense, yet delicate aromas and a structure that supports both long-term aging and immediate enjoyment.  As a small winery they provide a very personal tour of the operation and explain how the organic farming works for their vineyards.  You will definitely meet the dogs and, if you’re lucky, the sheep as well!  If you’re smart you’ll bring a sandwich and enjoy a lovely picnic out the back of the barrel room overlooking the vineyards and the Napa Valley all around you.  Their zinfandel was by far our favorite (we enjoyed all their wines), but we also found a playful wine called “Porque No?” (meaning “Why not?”) that was inexpensive and pretty much goes with anything.  For Zin-lovers, we think you’ll appreciate what they have to offer; and for those who love good wine, this is a great, small-production place to add to your list.

I often refer to wine in 3 categories: the rock concert (huge reds), the jazz concert (full fruit, playful on the palate), and ballet (soft, elegant, balanced).  Regusci, for me, falls into the jazz category.  Nice flavor, playful and fun to drink, not too complex, and easy on the tongue.  On an historical note, Regusci is a “Ghost Winery”- “Ghost Winery” is the name given to the few remaining early Napa Valley wineries that were in existence between 1860 and 1900. Very few of these Ghost Wineries remain as the vineyards of most Napa Valley wineries were decimated by the phylloxera infestation of the 1890′s. The economic depression of that decade was the final blow for many others. As a result, most of these wineries were abandoned or forced into bankruptcy and then laid dormant through prohibition.   As a Stag’s Leap District winery, it is surprising to find wine that is not huge with lots of tannins (they do have one Reserve that will need some aging before drinkability); but rather a nice touch to discover wines that are drinkable but also will age nicely over time.  Currently they have a number of wines for you to try: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay, and all of this overlooking a beautiful estate.  For people looking for wine not too complex and easy on the palate, Regusci is the place to visit.

It’s a $15 tasting fee that includes a one-hour tour of the property, and includes a sampling of 4 of their wines.  Just walking around the grounds makes for a nice visit as the setting is stunningly beautiful.  There is the red barn that is part of the old ghost wineries of Napa Valley, and lots of information about organic farming and winemaking and how they utilize these processes.  Most impressive, though, are the wines themselves.  I’m not a huge Sauvignon Blanc fan, but I enjoyed theirs.  Their Zinfandel, though a bit peppery for me, had a nice round fruit flavor I enjoyed.  The Merlot was delicious, and the Cabernet was just beautiful.  The day we visited we were treated to a food and wine pairing experience, and that can make all the difference.  It is amazing how you can taste the wine, then take a bite of food, and then taste the wine while your chewing/swallowing, and presto! the wine is so much better.  The flavors either pop out, or they mellow, or it just becomes a smooth finish with the meal.  Unfortunately they don’t provide food and wine pairings so you’ll have to use your imagination when you ask what they would “pair” this with during a meal.

I have to admit my reluctance to hit some of the more well-known wineries that are part of what we call the Rodeo Drive of Napa Valley.  Paraduxx is one of those, as is Cakebread, Duckhorn, Rubicon, Opus One, Silver Oak, etc.  All big names with big marketing budgets.  Our philosophy is typically: if you can get it at home, then don’t drink it here.  Find what you cannot find at home and introduce your family and friends to something unique and different.  Still, we had been invited and we accepted the invitation to do some wine tasting.  First, Paraduxx produces blends- an important distinction for some wine drinkers, but not so much for Jamie and me.  As long as it tastes good, I’ll buy it and drink it.  Driving into Paraduxx you are unable to see the real magic, which is the tasting room, outdoor garden area, and production area.  It is a lovely space where there are tables and chairs outdoors underneath a canopy of oak trees, you are surrounded by the vineyards, and they bring you the wine with a pairing of cheeses to the table.  You sit casually, nibble, sip, and read about the wines. If you have questions, they are available to answer; but mostly it is an experience of enjoying the sights, sounds, and tastes of Napa.  As for their wines, I really enjoyed them.  I’m not a Zinfandel fan per se, but their wines are all Zinfandel blends, so they play with the flavors which is always fun.  I have to admit- I liked it.  Lastly, they provide a winemaker’s course for those who would like to learn how to blend themselves.  A fun event for you to sit with your friends in the barrel room, blend wines, and to take some of it home with you.  Tours run around $30 to $40 dollars per person, depending on what experience you want, and how many wines you want to try.  Well worth a visit here in Napa Valley.

If I only had one day and night to spend in Napa, what would I do?   Day 1: Arrive in Napa by 10:00 a.m.  Buy coffee from the Napa Valley Roasting Company at First and Main Street.  Be on the road by 10:00 a.m. either for a winery tour at Mondavi (many public tours all day) or Beringer (fewer tour times but an excellent tour of the cave, winery, etc.).   If I was smart I made a reservation at Schramsberg for the best cave tour of all in the Valley.  Then I make decisions based upon my preferences: broad selection of whites/reds (Jessup, Goosecross, Peju, Arger-Martucci, Flora Springs, Cosentino, Mondavi’s Folio), varietal selection (a TINY few of my faves- Baldacci Brenda’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Sinskey Carneros Pinot, St. Clement Cabernet Sauvignon, Peju Cab Franc, Arroyo Petite Syrah, August Briggs Zinfandel, Rombauer Chardonnay), unique tasting experiences with food and wine pairing (Swanson, Sinskey, Paraduxx, Quintessa, Peju), cave experiences (Schramsberg, Beringer, Vine Cliff, Jarvis), high-end wines (Opus One, Quintessa, Revanna, Phelps, Sherwin), hillside wineries that take you out of the Valley (Kuleto, Nichellini, Pride, Artesa, Reverie, Hess, Long Meadow Ranch), popular wineries (Nickel and Nickel, Silver Oak, Stag’s Leap, Duckhorn, Cakebread, Paraduxx, Quintessa, Rubicon, Frank Family, Miner Family, Phelps), unique wines (Prager/Port, Peju/Provence),  unique architecture (Artesa, Darioush, Rubicon, Beringer, Quixote), unique tours (by horseback or covered wagon: Larsen, by all road vehicle: Long Meadow Ranch, Olive Oil mill: Round Pond).  If time allowed, I would consider cycling in St. Helena or Yountville, doing a volcanic ash bath in Calistoga at the Lavender Hill Spa or soaking in the mud bath/mineral pools at Indian Springs, hiking at the Bale Grist Mill or up to Mt. Helena. Back at The Inn On First I would consider an in-room massage, a power nap, and then an 8:00 p.m. dinner reservation. Hmm.  One day?  I think more like a few days, if not a week…and that is when I would call the innkeepers and ask for an extension of more time at the inn!

We were fortunate to be invited to join Justin from Elegant Tours limousine service to taste wine at the home of  Wayne and Gabrielle in Napa to experience wine tasting that was intimate, unique, and fun.  This is not a “public” winery but appointments can still be made; with the understanding that wine will be purchased before you leave.  There is a tasting fee of $35/pp to cover the costs of food and wine, but it is worth the experience.  As you pull into their driveway, hidden behind acres of vineyards, you notice the large, expansive lawn that sits around a private pond filled with frogs, lilies, and grasses.  The house sits back behind oak trees that are well over 300 hundred years old, and there are gardens to be discovered as you are taken on a tour of the property.  And that is just the introduction!

You are then invited to sit under one of the trees in this beautiful setting and are treated to a platter of cheeses, salami, sausage, crackers, honey, olive oil, chocolate, and homemade salts as part of the pairing with the wines.  Wayne has his own collection, named after his grandfather, Pietro, and Gabrielle has various blends available that will tantalize your palate.  We enjoyed everything we tasted.  For those who love blends, this is a perfect match for you!

For 90 minutes or more you are part of the family, welcome to be a part of their home and their history, and soon you will feel that you are speaking with old friends you haven’t seen in awhile.  There is a grace and sophistication to everything they do: the ambience, the food, the wine, the company.  The wines are delicious and they range from very affordable to the more elite status.  This is one of those unique and intimate experiences in Napa that is hidden from the public eye, but available to our guests.  Yes, they will allow us to make reservations for you.

It would start with arrival at the Inn at 5:00 p.m.  Enjoy the sparkling wine in the room, some snacks, and sit out in the garden to enjoy the evening.  I would make a 7:30 p.m. dinner reservation in Napa with a casual walk back to the Inn planned for afterward.  In the morning enjoy a hearty breakfast either in the dining room or out in the garden followed by a couple’s massage in the room at 10:30.  Two weeks prior to your stay I would have scheduled you an appointment at Pride Mountain Vineyards for around 1:00 p.m. and would have ordered lunch for you to pick-up from Oakville Grocery around noon.  At Pride Mountain you would enjoy the great wines as well as the spectacular views of the surrounding valleys.  You would know to go either to the mountain-top picnic table with a view, or to a more secluded spot in the glen to sit down and enjoy your lunch.  Once a bottle of wine has been enjoyed with some food you would talk about your lives and how wonderful it is to be on vacation together in such a beautiful part of the world.  ”Speaking of beauty,” you would say….and eventually that would get you to the proposal.  Enjoy the grounds and the aftermath of joy in the “yes” that was given and later drive down to Yountville for a small sweet snack at Bouchon Bakery with a single shot espresso.  Sit outside at the cafe table, hold hands, and enjoy the bliss of new beginnings.  You return to the inn and take a nap, enjoying an afternoon snooze, and then plan on dinner around 6:30 along Main Street in Napa.  After dinner (Friday and Saturday nights only) I would have ordered you tickets for the Jazz/Cabaret club, Silo’s, where you could enjoy Michael Greensill and Wesla Whitfield serenade you magically with love songs from the decades, both playful and sentimental.  At the end of the show I would return to the inn.  Of course, two weeks prior to your arrival, I would have scheduled to have the Lover’s Package set up in the room, with a bottle of sparkling wine on ice waiting for you to open, a bowl of homemade truffles/chocolates, and rose petals in the shape of a heart on the bed, with soft music playing in the room when you return from your day trip.  Draw the jacuzzi bath and luxuriate in the perfect romantic day you have just had in the Napa Valley. The next day the ring should be prominently held out for all to see as you are greeted by innkeepers and guests alike.  You will receive lots of congratulations and one word of advice: choose a response to the question “When’s the wedding?”  That is the first question everyone will ask.  Even an answer such as “Sometime next year” is sufficient.  After that…well, that’s up to you!

Hope and Grace is one of those little gems you stumble upon and think to yourself: what a delightful place to go.  It is a tasting room in Yountville that is but a few blocks from Jessup Cellars and Girard, so that you could easily spend the day walking from wine tasting room to wine tasting room, and never get into your car except to drive up in the morning and drive back in the afternoon; and that being all of 15 minutes away from the Inn.  It is nestled in a small boutique mall, and they have a small art gallery that showcases a single artist, changing it out periodically.  Their wines are lovely  and they have a nice selection to choose from for your tasting.  I limited myself to 2 as I knew I had to return to work: the Russian River Pinot (a very good wine indeed, especially since I’m not a Pinot fan), and the Hendrick’s Reserve Cabernet (whoa!  this is great winemaking).  Charles Hendricks, the winemaker, has consulted for many prestigious labels such as Barnett Vineyards, Regusci Winery, Bacio Divino, Viader, along with several others during the last twenty years, and is now producing wine under his own label.  Well worth the visit while in Yountville for the day.

After visiting Jessup Cellars, Grant Long, Sr., encouraged us to try Girard wines at a tasting room right down the street.  It was already recommended by a guest, so we were glad to oblige Grant’s request.  We were pleasantly surprised to find they stayed open later than most tasting rooms in Yountville; but even more surprised by the nice wines we were privileged to enjoy.  I especially enjoyed the Chardonnay (crisp and light fruit) and the Petite Syrah (not too big, and plenty of bite).  The Zinfandel was also a nice surprise as it wasn’t overly spicy or jammy as some Zins are made in the Valley.  The staff is very helpful and enjoyable, and they even have small tables set up for those who don’t want to stand at the bar.  Along the one wall are overview maps of Yountville so that you can see the whole village in its four mile entirety.  In the back there is a small room where they can manage small groups of up to 10 people with advance reservations.  Considering that it is only steps away from Jessup Cellars, and a few blocks away from Hope and Grace, this could be part of a wonderful day spent in Yountville, strolling down the street and enjoying fine wines.