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Old Nov 3, 2010 | 9:03 am
  #18  
spartanflyer
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Grand Rapids. Another day, another de-icing.
Programs: Delta Diamond, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 186
Napa Trip Summary - Thanks all! Great vacation!

Had a great time in Napa / Sonoma!
Here is the listing of wineries we visited:
1. Grgich Hills - Wonderful wines. Had a Grgich employee give us a behind the scenes tour (friend of a friend). Everyone treated us great, even those who didn't know we were with an "insider". Have a case heading our way. Very nice mid-size winery. Good people. Made us feel welcome and comfortable. Very interesting Biodynamic approach to growing vines. Joined their wine club.
2. Sebastiani - Tasting room. Very nice wines. Kevin behind the counter was very helpful and friendly. Great experience.
3. Sterling- Disappointed here. Took the tram ride up to the winery for the tasting. No one in our party was enamored with their wines. Only one of two wineries we visited that we didn't purchase anything at. Views were nice, but same scenery can be had without paying the tram/ tasting fee (see Artesa). Afterward I was told by our innkeeper that the Reserve wines were better. Service was poor - no one took an interest in us nor were we offered Reserve tasting.
4. Peju - Great experience. Good wines. Jeff in the upstairs tasting room was entertaining and easy to talk with. Very nice setting. Smaller / Mid size winery. Very enjoyable. Bought a case from them.
5. Girard Tasting Room - Wines good. Service poor. Second of two wineries we didn't buy wines from. Felt like we were an inconvenience to them.
6.Artesa- Wonderful views. Very different and nice setting. "Cool factor" and artwork abound. Service was ok. Not as knowledgeable or interesting as others - tried too hard to be hip. Bought a couple of wines here - enjoyed them a lot. Spent time walking the grounds. Could have spent longer here if we didn't have an appointment later. Was warned that they get very busy on Saturdays - got there as they opened and had no issue. Would come back.
7. Bourassa - Great small winery. Personal tour. Was taken into the back to look at their production by Joe, our tasting guide - very knowledgeable about the wines and all things Napa. Spent a good amount of time here. During our tour we went into the back to check out their production and ran into Vic Bourassa, founder and owner, making Port. He stopped what he was doing and spent time with us. Great experience. Great wines. Cask tasting - a unique experience. This one is a little tricky - they sit in an industrial park, don't let the setting fool you. They were recommended by a few native Napa citizens. Well worth the time to find them. We joined their wine club. Will visit again. Great people.
8. Gundlach Bundschu - Excellent wines. Tito behind the bar made a very pleasurable and enjoyable experience for everyone. Great setting, nice tasting bar. Purchased quite a few of their wines. Good people. Was busy mid afternoon, but worth it.
9. Buena Vista - Nice setting. Smaller vineyard. Service ok. Wines good. Really liked the Port wine. Was here at the close of day and they didn't really go out of their way to help us. Though, I would probably try them again. Quite a walk from the general parking to the tasting room. Unique.
10. Domaine Carneros - Beautiful Setting. Elegant French Chateau. Nice change to the Sparkling wines. Jean Claude was our server and was truly a professional. Wonderful experience. Would visit again. Highly recommended.
11. Folio - A nice tasting experience. Good counter service. A Michael Mondavi winery - he cannot use the family name as it was purchased by the conglomerate who bought the Robert Mondavi brand. Purchased a few good wines here.

Eateries:
1. Bounty Hunter - Wonderful wine selection, great menu choices. Not for the vegetarian minded or faint of heart. We started with the olive appetizer, had the meat platter with cole slaw and were very happy. Ribs are fantastic, beer can chicken was awesome. Casual dining. Staff here knows their wines. A definite recommendation.
2. Oenotri - Southern Italian cuisine, with authentic wood-burning oven from Naples. Casual to business casual. The food is just superb with homemade pastas and salumis.
3. Rutherford Grill - Went here for lunch. Great food. a part of the Houston's chain of restaurants. Killed an hour and a half of our tasting day as there was a significant wait. It was showering outside so we couldn't picnic. Might reconsider this option unless they aren't as busy.
4. Angele- A French bistro on the Napa River. This restaurant is situated in the Napa Mill Station, with a menu featuring traditional recipes enhanced by local produce and French preparation. Food was excellent.
5. Boon Fly Cafe - Roadside restaurant. Great Bacon Bloody Mary's. Had brunch here - great breakfast pizza, Poppa Joe's Eggs in a Hole, good sandwiches and Kobe hamburgers, all around great food.

Lodging:
Inn On First in Napa - Definitely a must stay - we will definitely be returning. Comfortable and quiet. Absolutely wonderful gourmet breakfasts. Felt welcome by the staff. Most of our dealings were with Jamie - he has an easy personality and friendly demeanor. Very knowledgeable and helpful with all things Napa. Great location - easy walk to restaurants in downtown. Fresh cookies and Port out every night. Can't say enough good things about this B&B and the hospitality we received. A high quality stay and worth every penny!

Limo Service:
Beau Tours - Alright experience. Nice to have to not worry about wine tasting and driving. Had most of our tour set up ahead of time on our own.


Last edited by spartanflyer; Nov 3, 2010 at 9:08 am Reason: typo
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