Blog post on day 2 of the best birthday gift ever starts.....NOW!
And don't worry, I didn't take QUITE as many pictures on day 2;-)
We started the day with a rockin-awesome brunch our hotel gave for free! If you have never had balsamic marinated strawberries, do yourself a favor and make some.
After brunch we took a drink to go and relaxed in the room for a bit. It was cool and rainy and oh so quiet (not at all what life is like at home).
In the room after brunch
Front desk called to announce that our driver had arrived, so we headed back and met Frank. I would like to say that if you are ever in the Napa area, call Beau Wine Tours and request Frank. The Benze he pulled up in is worth requesting also. But back to Frank. He's super knowledgeable and has great taste in wine, thus makes great winery suggestions. He's also an all-around cool guy and made the day a lot of fun. On to the fun...
Our first stop was Peju winery. I can not say enough about this place. Just big enough to have something to see on your tour, beautiful grounds, great wine and the greatest gem in Napa - Chef Emily.
I thought a braid would help my hair survive the weather. It didn't stick:(
Patio. That fountain runs around the tower, so pretty.
So we start with a tour. There was another couple there alone, so they asked if we minded being paired. Well, of course not. Best decision of the morning!The husband is a part time sommelier and asked some excellent questions. And our host has started out at the winery as an intern in the field, so she had actually helped make some of the wines we tasted. Win-win!
After the tour and tasting, we had booked the food experience. This was the BEST part. Peju doesn't have a restaurant, but they have a chef for private events. She set a beautiful place for us at the end of her table and served up a delicious 3 course wine paired lunch. It was Ahhhmazing! And the conversation was great! Our hostess stayed with us to refill our glasses and answer questions, another staff member was there helping for an event that night, too. They were so much fun!
Our table setting and cheese plate.
Prelunch pick
Post lunch pic. I love that you can see the dish storage in this one.
After lunch we pried ourselves away and headed to Gamble. Gamble is a true boutique winery. There is nothing to tour, just a small private tasting. But the wine is out of this world! This was the place we let Frank pick. Great job!
Us the famous Frank. That's Gamble's vineyards behind us:)
After Gamble we headed to Schramsberg for some sparkling wine. They have what seems to be the only had riddler (bottle turner) left in the country and the biggest wine cave EVER. It's also kinda famous. The Blanc de Noir is the official toasting wine of the white house and the Blanc de Blanc has been used at international political events. Our host was great and the sparkling was good, but I did get a little chlostrophobic at the end of the tour.
Leaping frog pond
It was just too cute to not take another shot of it;)
The cave. Kinda half expect to see batman pop out...
Our tasting set up, it was pretty elegant!
In between stops Frank drove us through a few bigger properties and gave us a little history behind each. We really learned a lot, especially about pairings and wine flavors.
After we were dropped back, we ordered room service and took a nap. We had dinner reservation at Cole's Chop House in downtown Napa. It was good, but I must say California does not cook a steak like you find in Texas!
In the car after dinner
Well, that was day 2! Not to bore you too much, I'll end it here for now!
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