San Fran and Napa with the girls....

A while back I took a trip to Greece and Rome with two of my favorite girls, TH and LM. We had a BLAST together. We were talking the other day and thought it would be GREAT FUN to repeat that trip, but to a different location. We were trying to decide where to go, and couldn't decide. We waited to make sure schedules were going to pan out and decided a girls weekend to San Francisco and Napa would be PERFECT. So we packed our bags and off we went. 

We arrived early and got to play all over San Fran....we walked, and we walked and we walked. I love these girls as they are just so easy and we can just roam FOREVER...we walked from our hotel to the Ferry Building where I introduced the girls to one of my favorite places in San Fran. Then we roamed over to Fishermans wharf, ghiradelli square, then started roaming back towards the hotel. We realized we were only three blocks from Lombard street - the curviest street ever. So we decided to walk there....too bad it was three blocks UPHILL. And if you have ever seen the hills in San Fran, well you understand what I mean. Let's just say I made it up, I made it down the steps on Lombard street and begged for a cab. And my calves hurt for the next three days!!!

Here is the top of Lombard street with all the people driving down. No, it isn't the steepest hill in San Fran, but it was made into a curve because it was so steep! The next day we went down to Crissy Field and walked with half of  San Francisco along the trail up to the bridge. It was GORGEOUS...the weather, the park and seeing the bridge. (that is where we took the first picture on the blog from). It was a great walk and a great way to spend the morning! I do think that between the two days we probably walked over 10 miles....and no, I am not kidding!

Then we hopped in the car and were off to Napa. We drove over the bridge and it was so great to see from that viewpoint, as you see above. We arrived in Napa and went to visit Oxbow market where we ate, and drank and had a good first day. We ended up laying around that evening - gaining our strength for what was to come! The next day we visited a few wineries --- first was Domaine Chandon - which is known for its sparkling wine (note - it is not called champagne - partly because we signed a treaty in france that we wouldn't call it that - unless the companies were grandfathered in during some year so VERY long ago!). The grounds were gorgeous, and it was great to just look around after we enjoyed our tasting. The next place was Jessup - which was one of our favorite wineries. Through a friend of a friend we got a private tasting and loved our friend from the winery that told us all about their history and the wine. Let's just say we came back with a few bottles of some really great wine! 

Then we were off to Del Dotto. They are known for their wine caves and doing barrel tasting...

Here is the entrance to the caves -- a lot of wineries have them - they stay at 65 degrees year round and it is the perfect temp to keep the wine. These caves were dug at the end of the 1800's by some chinese workers and have been used ever since. The barrels that are laying on their side are the ones that we tasted...they have a bung on the side (the hole in the barrel is called a bung hole....no, I am not kidding!) to be able to get a taste out. They use this contraption you see below....

It was pretty cool to be able to taste the wine straight out of the barrel. And we tasted a LOT out of the barrel. 

One of the other things I loved about being in Napa was you were surrounded by the vineyards...and fields of grapes everywhere. We were there when they are pruning and getting ready for the spring when the plants start to bud. It was cool to see all of the different types of vines - some were thick (and old!) and kinda creepy. Others were young and whispy. Some were close to the ground, some were tall. Some were stretched out perfectly along the vine. And the cool thing was - they were all different and all produced something very different that is all melded together to make some fabulous wines. 

This is one of my favorite statues at Peju -- it was a really cool winery we visited. I found some fabulous Sauvignon Blanc there.....and I don't even like that kind of wine. That was the coolest thing about this whole trip - I went in with "I like this" and came back saying "I like it all!". It was great to have someone teach you about wines, the way they make it and expose you to all sorts of new things!

And one of my other favorite things about Napa - the ability to picnic at various places. Here we were at V. Sattui. They had this great market where you can buy cheese, salami and crackers (among other things) and then crack open a bottle of wine for your own little picnic. It was awesome (as was the weather!)

And the food....just thinking about it again, I start to salivate. The food was absolutely amazing - no matter where we ate. The macaroni and cheese at the oxbow market was the best I have ever had. Then we ate here - the Rutherford grill. 

It reminds me of Houstons - in so many ways. But the food is even better. Someone had said "try the french dip". I doubted but I did anyway....and I was rewarded. OH MY GOODNESS. That is all I can say. It almost melted in your mouth - how I do not know. 

The last day we visited my absolutely favorite winery - Schramsberg. We had the most amazing tour where they told us about how they make their sparkling wine. It was so wonderful. They also have caves where they store their wine -- here is the entrance: 

Yes, those are walls of bottles. LOTS and LOTS of bottles. Here it is up close: 

There is almost something magical and beautiful about it to me. Notice the green dots in the middle - yep, that is another bottle. and don't think it is just one row deep....there are rows and rows deep! Here is LM and I posing in front of the bottles: 

They store all of these bottles while the sparkling wine "makes itself". As they sit the yeast eats the sugar in the wine and that is how the bubbly gets made. We learned one saying "big bubbles mean big trouble". We loved that -- basically, some places inject their bottles with CO2, which makes big bubbles. Proper "sparkling wine" is made with yeast....and is so much better! But as that yeast eats the sugar, the pressure in the bottle grows -- to almost 105 lbs per square inch. So when they want to move the bottles, well, they do so very carefully! See them below? 

They are moving the bottles two by two, wearing protective gear.  And see how far back the cave goes? yep, it used to all be filled with bottles. I mean, this place is really cool. Let's just say I will be buying a LOT of wine from them in the future! 

And we visited so many other wineries -- Sequoia Grove, Plumpjack, ZD,  Robert Sinsky (MY FAVORITE!!!), Rombauer, Frank Family....and I feel like there were so many more, I just can't remember them all! 

And it was just so fabulous - just like this view at Rombaurer....and the people we met, and all the fun we had. 

And what was also awesome? this place. (and the blue sky, and the perfect 65 degree weather) and the picnic tables in the back. And the HUGE chocolate chip cookies and 7 layer bars in side :) they have sandwiches too.....promise! 

All in all, it was a fabulous time. We had a blast....I am so glad I got to spend this time with these girls....and go to a really cool place...and drink a lot of wine....a LOT of wine....that prompted me to act like the statue....

thought you would enjoy that! ha, ha. If you ever go to Napa, I have some great suggestions....as does everyone that goes to Napa...but promise, whatever wineries you visit, whatever restaurants you eat at, whomever you meet -- you will love every single thing about that place. Its almost magical....and no, its not just about the wine!