Napa Valley Tasting Round-Up

February 2013 “Best of the Best” Wineries

With our first Napa Valley visit of the year now in the books, I wanted to share a quick recap on just some of the incredible wine, food and Living Napa Cabulousexperiences. We were thrilled to benefit from sunny, 70-degree temperatures, which are pretty unusual for wine country during this time of year. The stunning, mustard yellow vineyards were even more beautiful than I remember.

We stayed at the lovely Solage Calistoga resort, which allowed for much-needed relaxation. I was even able to keep up with my Spinning classes at their indoor/outdoor fitness facility and will likely never get enough of their one-of-a-kind pool area or Solbar restaurant.

During the daytime, we filled our itinerary with a great mix of new and favorite wineries.

By the Numbers

Days in Napa Valley: 6

Miles driven in the Valley: 309

Wineries visited: 22

Wines tried during tastings: 125 (not including wine ordered at dinner)

Oysters ordered: 48

Orders of bread pudding for dessert: 3

Pounds gained: TBD

Best of the Best: Wineries

We had so many great tastings, but five wineries jumped out as the “Best of the Best” this visit for their overall experience and top-to-bottom offering of solid, high-quality wine. For those considering a trip to Napa Valley, I would certainly recommend these stops:

Continue reading Napa Valley Tasting Round-Up

Wine Country Travel Tip: What to Do In Napa Valley

Activities to Make the Most of Your Next Getaway

Wine tasting and fabulous dinners are the essential elements of any wine country vacation; however there are other activities that can help to round out your experience. Below, I’ve listed my top 10 answers for “What to do in Napa Valley,” in no particular order. Though we try to shake things up each trip, several of these items always make their way onto the itinerary:

  1. Comfort yourself in a “fried chicken night” at Ad Hoc. Every Monday night, diners roll up their sleeves at this trendy Yountville staple and get a little Southern with hearty servings of fried chicken. I also loved the biscuits and out-of-this-world banana split that came with our meal. Continue reading Wine Country Travel Tip: What to Do In Napa Valley