Thursday, April 11, 2013

San Francisco: Part 2

I had been looking forward to this day for a long time, wine tasting in Napa! We were able to get a rental car for the day at a reasonable price so that we could drive to Sonoma & Napa. We honestly didn’t have a real plan for the day because the list of wineries is so extensive it makes it hard to select which ones to visit. Everyone will give you a different recommendation of where to visit.

The drive over was beautiful. It was raining and dreary looking when we left SF, but as we got closer to Sonoma the weather started improving. Sonoma and Napa reminded me a lot of Dundee and Yamhill, Oregon. I actually felt like I was in Oregon Wine Country and not Napa Valley. The mountains and scenery were beautiful, I felt like I was in a postcard. Most of the wineries we drove by were absolutely breathtaking. I wanted to take a gazillion pictures!


Our first stop was V. Suttui which was the winery that Kim from Nuun had recommended to us.  Several other people after Kim said that V. Suttui was also a great place to stop.  



We did the "Premium Tasting" and it was only $10 per person. We got to select 5 different wines from that, but we actually got about 7 a piece. I think that they were generous because they knew that we were going to be purchasing wine to have shipped to our home. The interesting thing about V. Suttui is that you can only taste or purchase their wine at their winery. You won't find it at restaurants or the super market. They had an awesome Cabernet Sauvignon, but I really loved their Moscato the best!

Enjoying some awesome wine at V. Suttui

The deli at V. Suttui was incredible! They have a huge assortment of specialty cheeses that I wish we could have bought. We ended up not doing the BBQ that they offered outside because we would need to wait almost 45 minutes. Instead, we got a picnic lunch from the deli and sat outside and ate. It was perfect!

Best picnic lunch ever!

After V. Suttui we went to Duckhorn the one winery that Mr. Healthy Diva wanted to visit because one of his clients had recommended it. I had never heard of them before, but was game to check it out.  We should have known that it was going to be expensive when they asked us if we had tasting reservations. We didn’t have reservations, but they were able to accommodate us. The price for tasting at Duckhorn was $30 a person. Mr. Healthy Diva was not impressed with the price, but agreed to do the tasting. If you can imagine, the wine was also very expensive so we didn't purchase any at Duckhorn. I really liked "The Discussion" which was a red blend offered at $125 a bottle. Probably the best wine taste I have ever experienced!

Duckhorn was beautiful

I could live here.....



We were given 7 wines to taste at Duckhorn


On the way out of Napa we stopped at Del Dotto, but we didn't do any tastings. At this point of the day we were thoroughly exhausted, but Del Dotto had been recommended to us so we figured we would at least check it out. 

It looked bigger online








In my opinion it is best to have a wine country map and maybe 1-3 wineries selected to visit. People in SF had told us that we would be exhausted after going through Napa and they were right! You will be exhausted after just two wineries. I was ready for a nap when we got back to our hotel at the end of the day. 

I am so thankful that I got to experience Napa Valley because it was fun and has been something I have wanted to do for a long time. I was just a little shocked at how much it resembled both Oregon & Washington wine country. My honest opinion of Napa Valley is that it is overrated, but it did make for a fun day. I am so glad that we went. I loved the scenery and seeing the beautiful wineries. It was fun to see familiar names too!

Next post will be all about Lagunitas Brewery!

If you missed San Francisco: Part 1, you can read about it HERE

--Tasha



26 comments:

  1. Love all your photos!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've never been to the wine country, but it's high on my list - simply because it's so beautiful (I don't drink wine). I would think the extensive list of places to visit and taste could be overwhelming...I'd want the cute little quaint places.

    So fun you had a great little adventure :).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Even if you don't drink wine you would still enjoy wine country. You can eat all of the yummy cheese and food instead. The scenery can't be beat. It is worth the trip!

      Delete
  3. I could live in Napa quite easily...so pretty and the wine/food is the best. My favorite restaurant there is Tres Vigne..outrageously good! And the Bouchon bakery isn't too bad, either. ; )

    We did V. Suttai when we were there..beautiful grounds for a picnic!


    Glad you had time to hit wine country!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I could probably live in Napa quite easily too. I noticed that they had a Target and a Trader Joe's. That is all I really need to be happy. Plus the yummy wine!

      Delete
  4. I LOVE wine ... and beer...and food...tasting! Glad you guys were able to get outside and enjoy time with each other too! ... looked bigger online #thatswhatshesaid ;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is so, so gorgeous! We really want to make a trip to that part of the country sometime... Washington, Oregon, northern Ca. So glad you had extra time to take it all in!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is a must trip! Napa or the Willamette Valley in Oregon OR Walla Walla in Washington. Now that I have been to all three I can say that they are all similar. :-)

      Delete
  6. Wow, the scenery is beautiful! Napa valley is something I've always wanted to do. You've inspired me to move it up on my list of things to do before I'm 40!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is breathtaking! I took so many pictures. :-)

      Delete
  7. So fun! I have never done a winery tour, crazy right?! Especially living in WA where there are sooooo many wineries:) It looks beautiful there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How have you not done a wine tour? You need to get on that Rachelle. :-)

      Delete
  8. Love the pictures of you! Love the big smiles, too! I would love to go to Napa Valley sometime...so pretty!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Nikki, it was a fun day trip. So glad that we had time to make the trek. Napa & Sonoma is only about an hour away from SF.

      Delete
  9. I've never paid more than $5 for a tasting, so $10 already seemed pricy. $30 is insane!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was totally insane! Good wine though, but way above my budget. Some places around Spokane don't even charge for tasting. That's what I'm talking about. Love wine, but free wine is fantastic! :-)

      Delete
  10. Moscato is my favorite! I think the first winery sounds right up my alley. I've done a few wine tastings in a variety of places but have never been to Napa Valley. It's on my list of fun things to do some day! Looks like a fun day :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amy you definitely need to visit Napa. So many great wineries it is really hard to pick which ones to visit! I like moscato as a treat, but cabernet is usually my favorite.

      Delete
  11. Your pictures look so beautiful! I'm so glad you had a good time, this day sounds wonderful from start to finish.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was perfect, so glad that we got to go. I didn't realize at first how close SF was to Napa Valley.

      Delete
  12. i love napa and sonoma! i went to duckhorn 2 years ago-it was great, but expensive!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was shocked how expensive Duckhorn was, but the wine was fantastic!

      Delete

I love your comments & inspiration