I have a dream. To buy a tiny house, out in the middle of Napa somewhere. And live there.
I didn’t know this was a dream of mine until I spent a day there with dear friends this summer. Places that are this beautiful is a sign of divine existence. That such good wine be amongst us? That’s also a sign of said divine existence.
My friends and I planned to leave San Francisco (the Financial District to be specific) at 10am. The drive to Sausalito is about an hour and twenty minutes. We decided to get there by Uber as it was three of us and we could split the bill. The drive can cost anywhere from $90 – $120.
I had told the friends that I wanted a BIG brunch before we hit the vineyards. And when in America, of COURSE we’d go to an old-school ‘Merican diner. These diners have plates that are SO big with bottomless brewed coffee and usually, the friendliest servers. I don’t know about you but this girl LOVES a good diner.
Black Bear is a diner located heavily across the West Coast (with a few more across the country). It was the perfect choice because talk about padding the tummy before all the wine. I went for the Scrambowl – a hearty all-in-one bowl of hickory smoked ham and bacon, link sausage, eggs, bell peppers, onion and pickled jalapeño, scrambled over country red potatoes, and topped with cheddar cheese & country gravy. Wait, I’m not done. It’s also served with a homemade biscuit. Whew! Realising they had coconut cream pie was the icing on the cake! It’s my most favourite kinda pie and I never seem to find it in Dubai. So DUH we ordered one.
Bellies full and heart so happy, we then discussed our plan of action for the vineyards. We picked three wineries (given we only had half a day) and were going to Uber our way through.
Stop 1: Artesa
This place has a beautiful estate and lovely wine. I would recommend the Pinot Noir and the Cabernet Sauvingnon.
Stop 2: Calmere Estate Winery
They have a gorgeous outdoor space complete with a bocce ball court. What more could you want? Wild flowers? Check. Delicious Wine? Check. A competitive game of bocce ball with friends? Check! Try the Chardonnay and Vintner’s Red.
Stop 3: Peju
They had the most entertaining wine connoisseur I’ve ever met. The building also looks like a gorgeous old church and they have a red and white blend (NOT to be confused with a rosé ) that is so delicious – you will want to bring back a bottle or two .
Napa was everything I hoped it would be. I can’t wait to go back and next time, spend the night there so I can slow down my time in each place and try more of their stunning wines.
Have you been to Napa Valley?