Throwback Thursday: Napa
Enjoying a glass of Chardonnay at Saintsbury Winery in Napa
Napa Valley and a fabulous girl’s weekend is where my nefarious plan to start an Airbnb in Colorado wine country got its start. My husband and I had briefly visited Sonoma while on a business trip to San Francisco in 2014. Upon our return, I was telling my best friend Laurie about it, and she suggested checking out Napa as that was one of her favorite places in California to go for wine. we continued talking and in 2017 she and I planned a Girl’s weekend to Napa Valley and the rest is history as they say!
The wineries of course were great. Our flight was delayed so the first day was short, but we began our adventures at Saintsbury winery located in Carneros Napa Valley (Saintsbury.com) where they had a lovely oaky chardonnay and a delightful medium bodied, dry Pinot Noir! Two other favorites from this trip were Ehlers Estate (www.ehlersestate.com) which offered some of the best, big, and bold California Cabernet Sauvignons that I’ve ever had! Their tastings are top notch (albeit they come at a price) and the overall experience was awesome! We picnicked there after the tasting and enjoyed a game of Bocce ball.
The other memorable winery was Mumm (www.mummnapa.com), they had the most amazing sparkling wines both white and blush. So, if you are in California’s Napa Valley wine country and you are looking for a good oaky chardonnay or Pinot Noir, I highly recommend Saintsbury, for a bold Cabernet and an informative tasting Ehlers is the place to be and then finally if you are into a refreshing sparkling wine the Mumm is the place to go!
Even though this trip started out being about wine and tasting California’s best, the most enjoyable part of the day was when we headed back to the Airbnb to wind down and recap the day. Unfortunately, the name of the place escapes me, however it was magical all the same. It was a small one bedroom, ground floor cottage that was a converted garage. Laurie found it on www.airbnb.com.
The walkway to the front door which was located at the back of the house, was surrounded by a stone structure that eventually turned into a half stone wall. This wall surrounded the property which included a beautifully curated garden filled will greenery, flowers and even a wall fountain that was not operational at the time. You entered the cottage through a double screen door that opened onto the patio that faced the garden and a vineyard beyond. Inside it had an eat in kitchen with bar countertop and full appliance set up complete with a gas stove. I took advantage of the stove one night and made us a savory pasta dish of gnocchi, with arugula and prosciutto with a rich brie cream sauce. It was an open concept home, so the indoor sitting area was directly off the kitchen and the bedroom was separated by a half wall which was a little weird, but it worked, and the full bath was beyond the bedroom. The bathroom had a beautiful and inviting stand-alone tub – sadly neither of us enjoyed that spa like luxury.
The best part though was its outdoor patio. Complete with two wicker like chairs, foot stools and a little side table between, it had a beautiful garden with a small lawn and various flowers including the most colorful orangish Dahlias, Erin Benzakein from Floret Farms would have approved!
The garden was surrounded by a low stone wall, beyond it were vineyards and evergreen trees as far as the eye could see with mountains looming over them in the far distance.
It was a stunning view and where we had dinner and breakfast each day, as we were out and about visiting wineries and vineyards during the lunch hour. We ended the day(s) with a relaxing glass of Pinot Noir again taking in that view. It was truly enchanting and one I’m convinced I can recreate in Palisade, Colorado only here our views include our vineyards, orchards, Grand Mesas, the Book cliffs, and Colorado National monument! Look out Napa Valley… Palisade Colorado wine country is on your heels!
Laurie and Morning Coffee on the Patio
