Yesterday’s agenda was wine tasting, and we, well Jen, did a superb and enviable job of it 🙂. I was designated driver.
After a wonderful breakfast at our new favorite place, “Pacific Blues Café” we had our first tour and appointment at “Cakebread” at 10.45am… yes, we meant business and business meant wine tasting. Cakebread was a fabulous tour. I am a huge fan of their Chardonnay.
Barbara was our phenomenal tour guide. If you ever go for a tour, ask for Barbara. We tasted about five wines and I bought four of them… bottles in multiples that is. The start of a downhill day on buying wine… and, I wasn’t even drinking! I was sipping and throwing most of my tastings away, much to Jennifer’s and mine, I might add, amazement! I am very sensible sometimes. Cakebread was very cool and Barbara was incredibly informative about the winery.
Next on the list and walking distance from Cakebread was a boutique little winery called Sequoia. We met Bob, a dear older guy and Janie, a fabulous, sharp-mouthed Brit. Tasting was so fun, the winery had surprisngly excellent wines, and I could tell Jen was having a fabulous time, and she deserved it. Again, I bought a couple of bottles. Thank goodness, I had a New Hampshire address. For those of you that don’t know, you cannot ship wines to MA from outside of the State. It is apparently illegal and really not to my liking at all. Check out “Freethegrapes.com” – I have already done it and you should to, especially if you live in MA!
Next, we went to Rutherford Grill for lunch, a much recommended restaurant. Apart from our order not being put in and then my order being wrong, we had a fantastic time, we truly did. Review to follow.
Throughout this trip we have met the most wonderful characters. Firstly, Scott from “Miner Winery.” Scott Dale that is… we call him Scottsdale! At the Rutherford we Met Russell from South Africa, who now lives in Napa doing consulting of some sort. Russell recommended another little boutique winery called “Elisabeth Spencer.” The place was tiny, friendly and welcoming. They have a lovely story behind them. Perhaps one or two wines purchased at this location. I think? My friend’s mum in New Hampshire is going to think I am some sort of wine lush. I am not 🙂.
The final winery on our agenda for the day was “Miner” where our new friend, Scott worked. Jen was having a fabulous time, we were meeting great people from all walks of life and I was happily along for the ride. Great wines purchased at Miner. I was seriously thinking at some point, American Express was going to ask them to hand the phone over to me so they could ask “err, Miss, what are you doing?” We bought this amazing, stupidly expensive wine called “Oracle” which was like drinking cherry and chocolate – amazing!
Back at the hotel and some sleepsville before dinner. Here is my impression of trying to get Jen up for dinner… “Jen, Jen, Jen, Jennifer, Jennifer, JENNIFER, JEEEEENNNNNNIIIIIIIFFFFFFEEEEEERRR…. WAKE UP.” To which, she turned over and slept J
We did end up walking down our cutest street in all of Cali to go to “Redd,” a highly recommended restaurant on Washington Street. Again, review to follow, but let me just say Steamed Pork Buns, or in other words, and I quote from Scottsdale “Pork on a Cloud.”
Today… and you will be proud, I ran the Napa Trail 10K on the biggest downpour of rain in years (so we were told). We ran the race through incredibly high hills, like cliff face, rocky, slippery, skiddy, scary hills; mud, like a mud bath mud; through puddles the size of rivers, that we were running knee deep in water, and downhill slippy slides. It was fun – seriously no sarcasm here at all… honestly. More to follow on this one. Let me just say we were almost last which is hysterical or not – but I think yes.
Episode 3 tomorrow.
