The Big Easy Made Easy

I normally write about a specific trip rather than encapsulating multiple visits into one post but if you've ever been to New Orleans, you know that just isn't possible!  New Orleans is quite simply a “must do” for anyone who loves travel, food and music.  Since my first trip in 1993 to watch UNC win the NCAA basketball championship to finally attending my very first Mardi Gras last year, I’ve been to NOLA at least twenty times and always find something new and different.  It’s a city that appeals to any age (and my visits have definitely changed over the years!).

When to Go
There is always something to do in this city.  It just depends on who else you want to do it with.  It's a huge convention city as well as the host to major events like Mardi Gras, music festivals like Jazzfest and the Voodoo Music and Arts Experience and football classics like the Bayou Classic and Sugar Bowl.  It's always a good idea to check New Orleans Online before you find yourself in the middle of something you might not want to be in the middle of!

Safety, especially during high traffic times is an increasing concern for visitors to New Orleans.  The Quarter does have it's share of crime so don't carry big purses, flash fancy jewelry or wander down dark streets (alone or otherwise).  You know, just use the common sense that has kept you from getting killed so far.

Places to Stay

No trip is complete without crawfish!

Deciding where to stay can be a bit overwhelming.  If you like being in the middle of everything and don’t mind loud noises while you are trying to sleep, the French Quarter may be right for you.   The Central Business District is a quick walk to the Quarter and is a little quieter. 

Thoughts on places I’ve stayed: 

J.W. Marriott –  The rooms are nice and updated but it was definitely no fun being on the 23^rd floor when some jackass pulled the fire alarm at 3:30am.  It's located across Canal Street from the Quarter.  We stayed during Mardi Gras and it was a good location for the parades, etc.  

Royal

Bourbon Orleans –located on Bourbon Street in the Quarter a couple of blocks from Jackson Square.  The main entrance is on St. Louis so you don’t have to step over drunks and trash (I mean walk down Bourbon) to get in and out.  The rooms were very charming (i.e. clean but old) and the service was great.  We faced the pool which meant we had little to no noise at night which was a bonus.  

Omni Royal Orleans - just down the street, it's the Bourbon Orleans slightly classier neighbor.  If you are lucky you'll get a room with a balcony.  The downside however is that my balcony was shared with three other rooms.  I was traveling by myself for business and it was a bit disconcerting thinking that someone could easily access my door and window abutting the balcony.  I mean….a cute girl like me, who knows what could happen?

Impromptu Parade

Hilton Riverside – this hotel is located at the end of Canal near the convention center.  It’s a quick walk to the Quarter, the shopping mall (i.e. Saks) and is on the waterfront.  It is a high rise hotel so depending on what type of events are there it can be a bitch trying to get an elevator or a cab. 

Sheraton – this is a typical convention hotel located on Canal.  Standard rooms, standard service and Starbucks in the lobby.  What more can you ask for?  However, it does have a great lobby bar if you want to watch business people trying to pick up one another versus college kids drinking till they puke on Bourbon Street. 

Windsor Court – located across from Harrah’s Casino and just off of Canal this is a little bit of luxury located in the middle of everything (think the Four Seasons in Las Vegas and you get the drift). 

Where to Eat

Breakfast at Stanley  is a must.  The Old Coffee Pot is also a great choice in the Quarter for soaking up last nights drink specials.  Camellia Grill now has a location in the quarter in addition to their original on Carrollton and is great for breakfast or lunch.

Reservations are a good idea for Mr. B’s Bistro at lunch because they have $1.50 Bloody Mary’s.  Does it even matter what the food is like?  Pier 424 has some of the best etouffee we’ve found in NOLA.  They also have a great upstairs patio space you can rent which gives you great views of Bourbon Street craziness.  Mothers is a must if you like po' boys.


Port of Call is one of my favorites for lunch.  Located on Esplanade at the far end of the Quarter, you can't go wrong with a place that serves tropical drinks and some of the best burgers around.  It's a true dive and doesn't take reservations so be prepared to wait at times.

Any place with John Besh’s name attached to it is a winner in my book.  Restaurant August is his fanciest restaurant and has great signature cocktails.  It’s in an old house and can be a bit stuffy.  However, the food is amazing.  The Blue Crab and Burrata cornbread tart and Scallop and Pork belly were ridiculous. Domenica is great Italian.  The Roasted Cauliflower is required.  You don't like Cauliflower?  Tough.  Order it anyway because you will be a convert after having theirs.  American Sector is his restaurant at the WWII Museum so it's worth visiting if you go to the museum.     

Dinner at Peche

Restaurant Revolution, Peche, La Petit Grocery and Doris Metropolitan are all great choices for dinner.  Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse and Muriels are also old standby's that never disappoint.  Honestly, I've never had a bad meal in New Orleans.  That being said, I did not love Cochon or Bayona as much as I wanted to.

Where to Drink

Anywhere!  One thing that you will not find in NOLA is a lack of alcohol.

Pat O's

You have to do the requisite visit to Pat O'Briens.  Check out both the courtyard and the piano bar.  Cat's Meow is another tourist haven that must be checked out at least once.  They typically have 3 for 1 drink specials which significantly

increases the number of people willing to sing karaoke on their stage.

Carousel Bar

Saints and Sinners is Channing Tatum's place and believe me it's named appropriately.  There is red velvet, black lights and even a stripper pole.  Let's just say that I can't un-see the things I saw when I was there over over Mardi Gras.

If hanging out in karaoke bars and watching college kids grope one another isn't your thing, check out Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone.  I love this place.  It's round and the bar actually spins around the bartenders in the center.  If you have enough to drink, everything actually evens out in the end.

What to Do

Eat.  Drink.  Shop.  It's all at your fingertips.

Go to the National WWII Museum.  Even if you aren't a history buff, you need to check this out.

Spotted Cat

Spend an afternoon strolling down Magazine Street.  Sure, you can shop in the Quarter but if you are looking for something other than beads, masks and tacky t-shirts Magazine Street is the place to go.  There are tons of cute boutiques and art galleries plus lots of opportunities for drinks and snacks along the way.

Check out the clubs on Frenchmen Street for live music.  Snug Harbor, the Spotted Cat and Apple Barrel are some of our favorites.  Vaughan's Lounge on Dauphine is a bit further but it is true NOLA at it's best.

The Boss

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is one of our favorite things to do.  The music starts at 11am and goes until around 7pm every day.  There are shuttles from downtown but it can take forever to catch the bus back so we've typically taken a cab in recent years.

Endymion Parade

Mardi Gras is one of the truest celebrations of life I've ever seen.  There are parades throughout the city and the entire town is decorated.  You can go to Bourbon Street with several hundred thousand of your closest friends or you can enjoy the parades from Uptown with the locals.  Either way, you can make Mardi Gras as crazy or as calm as you want.

Bourbon Street during
Mardi Gras

There are so many fun things to do in NOLA that I can't possibly list them all but this should be a good start!

Jazzfest

PDX and Willamette…..Dammit! - Part Two

Willamette Valley

While Portland was great and we could have spent a lot more time exploring the city, let's be realistic.  We were in Oregon for the wine so off to the Willamette Valley we went!

Dundee Bistro

We headed out of the city around 10 am and were in the wine country in no time.  The drive was easy but not as pretty as I thought it might be.  This is mainly because our route was basically a four lane road with chains and strip malls.  However, we were amused by the number of independent coffee shops we saw with names like Brewed Awakenings and the Human Bean.

We didn't really have an agenda so we stopped at the Dundee Bistro for some lunch and a very important strategy session!  The restaurant was exactly the type of place you would expect in a wine region.  Lots of great soups, salads, pasta, etc. 

Where We Stayed

Entryway

Outdoor Lounge at Allison Inn

The Allison Inn and Spa is one of the best resorts I've ever been to.    It's located about a  mile from downtown Newberg and is tucked into a small hill with a walking path around the entire property, numerous art exhibits and meditation area.

Just for you!

In addition to a complimentary shuttle to take you into town, they also have several cars you can borrow to explore the expanded area on your own.

Our room had a fireplace, jacuzzi tub and shower, a large patio and a large sitting area.  I could have stayed a week just in the room!  The also have complimentary snacks in the room as well as a complimentary coffee service in the lobby every morning.  

Day One - On our own

Woolly Mammoth

Our first stop was Domaine Serene.  Once you enter the gate, the driveway winds up the hill to a
beautifully landscaped winery.  The  tasting room was downstairs and while not hard to find, it was kind of pain to get to since it was raining while we were there.  The wines were very good but the thing that stood out the most to me was the Woolly Mammoth.  Really, they have a 15 foot tall sculpture of a Woolly Mammoth.  According to the lady at the tasting room, some remains of a woolly mammoth were found years ago on the property but who knows….

Domaine Drouhin

Just down the hill was Domaine Drouhin so who were we to fight gravity.  Until our visit, I had no idea how strong the relationship was between Oregon and French wine making.  The Drouhin family has been making wine for over a hundred years but in France.  One of them visited the U.S. and decided that Oregon was far better suited to making Burgundy than California so they started planting grapes in Oregon too.  They have great wine and great views.  The head of sales actually did our tasting.  He grew up in the area so we asked him where we should go next.  Without skipping a beat he said White Rose. 

Easter sale!

So, we headed back up the hill and turned down the dirt road with the White Rose Estate sign.  When we got there we saw a parking lot, vines and a windowless building that looked like it could have been in Game of Thrones.  There had been a "tasting room" sign in the parking lot which pointed to this building but there wasn't anything on the door other than a big padlock (unlocked) hanging from the handle.  Not sure what to expect, we slowly opened the door. 

White Rose Tasting Room

Even though it was overcast outside, it still took our eyes a second to adjust to the round room with dark furniture.  The first thing I saw was two little girls at a table that appeared to have baked goods and handmade cards and boxes.  It turns out these were the owner's daughters and they were having an Easter Sale.  That was just the beginning of the charm of this place

Dago led our tasting so if you get a chance to meet him, do it.  He explained that the building was actually built into the hillside because it is the best way to control temperatures.  We were actually standing above the barrel room and they purposely designed the tasting room to be windowless because they want people to focus on the taste of the wine, not the views.  To be clear, White Rose has gorgeous views and they have a great little area lined with benches where you can soak it all in.  However, I can't recall another tasting room which was completely windowless.  This is definitely worth checking out. 

DePonte Cellar

Our final stop was De Ponte Cellars which Dago recommended to us.  When we got there, we parked and made our way into the tasting room.  It was around 4pm but there was nobody in there including anyone working.  My husband went to find someone and came back a minute later with Rae who we soon learned was the owner. 

We had the best time with her learning about the wines but more importantly learning about their story and what brought them to Oregon.  She and her husband both had successful careers but wanted to do something different.  They also wanted to move somewhere that would be good for their young son so they settled on Oregon.  They purchased the vineyard even though they knew nothing about growing grapes.  Luckily, there are companies who can help with that! 

DePonte Cellars

They have a fun "game" for tasting room visitors too.  There is a painting behind the bar of famous athletes and if you can identify all of them you get a free bottle of wine.  I'm not going to spoil it and say what sport(s) or who the artist is but I will say this.  My husband has more useless sporting knowledge floating around in his head than Bob Costas, Marv Alpert, Greg Gumbel and Scott Van Pelt combined and he didn't get it right.  There have been less than ten people who have!

Day Two - Guided Tour

Prior to our trip, we did quite a bit of research on wine tours.  We wanted a driver as well as someone who knew the area.  Our goal was to visit some of the smaller, off the beaten path wineries and quite frankly didn't need to see how wine was made.  We chose Oregon Wine Tours because the owner Ron  would do a private tour for just the two of us (yes, we can be snobby that way) and he wanted to talk to us prior to booking anything to make sure he understood our vision for the day.

Ron picked us up in his Oregon Wine Tours van at 10am on Saturday.  One note, if you need a fancy car to make you feel important while you tour the wine country then this isn't the tour company for you.  Because Ron is an independent small business owner, he has one van that he uses for group tours as well as private tours like ours.  However, if you are looking for someone who has lived in the area his entire life and who knows more about wine and the Willamette Valley than just about anyone he is your guy!

Willakenzie Tasting Room

Willakenzie Vineyards

Our first stop was at Willakenzie Vineyards.  As we wound our way up the driveway, we saw a ton of cars and close to a hundred people standing near a gate to the vineyards.  We weren't exactly looking for big crowds so we weren't quite sure what to think.  It turns out that the winery was having an Easter Egg Hunt and it was my kind of hunt.  There were no children and the plastic eggs had "prizes" inside in the form of tickets for free tastings, free bottles of wine, etc.  Willakenzie has the largest continual land mass of vineyards with over 400 acres.  The tasting room is at the bottom of some of the hills and the scenery looks as good as the wine tastes.

View from Roots Wine Co.

Chris Berg and his mom

Next, Ron took us to Roots Wine Company.  While in operation for over ten years, they just opened a tasting room earlier this year.  The owners Chris and Hilary Berg live on property with their son and the tasting room is basically their renovated garage.  We loved everything about this place.

Youth Relived

We spent a ton of time with Chris learning about his background and how they came up with the name (he's originally from Racine, WI which actually means "root" in French).  My favorite thing about Roots is that they take what they do seriously but don't take themselves seriously.  This is illustrated by the Pac Man gaming table that sits in the tasting room as well as the membership levels in the wine club.  You can choose between Soil Yourself and The Dirt Bag!  We enjoyed everything so much we joined the wine club and recently received our first shipment which included some oak barrel staves transformed into barbecue chips.  

We spent so much time at Roots that we had to reconfigure our afternoon a bit.  Ron's flexibility and ability to read how much we were enjoying ourselves is one of the things we liked the best.  He didn't rush us and was able to quickly come up with a plan B.

Arbor Brook

A quick lunch at The Horse Radish was the perfect call.  They have a great selection of sandwiches and are used to getting people in and out without making you feel rushed.

Our next stop was Arbor Brook Vineyards.   Unlike the two previous stops, this winery was located in a valley.  The morning mist was beginning to break and it was the perfect spot for an outdoor wine tasting.  We enjoyed it as well as the wines but if we had to rank the places we visited on day two, it would be #4.  Of course, this is like saying that Ringo Starr is my least favorite Beatle because they are all great!

Native Flora

Our final stop was at Native Flora.  I thought Ron had taken a wrong turn at first because we pulled up to an intercom at a gate that clearly looked like someones private home.  Turns out I was right but that's because Scott and Denise the owners only do tastings by appointment.  After many years in the corporate sector, they bought a vineyard and built an amazing house in the Dundee Hills.  Their wines were great and I especially liked their Rose.

Fun facts:  In addition to grapes, the Willamette Valley is home to  Christmas tree and grass farms.   Also, Oregon produces 99% of the hazelnut production in this country.  Who knew?

We loved the Willamette Valley and can't wait to go back and try new places (as well as visit some of our new friends again!).  While Napa and Sonoma is great, Oregon is much easier to navigate and enjoy at a more relaxed pace.

#rootswineco  #orwinetours #willamettevalley  #oregon

PDX and Willamette…..Dammit! - Part One

With a last name like Pope, Easter weekend has special meaning so what better way to celebrate then heading to the Pacific Northwest for a quick getaway to Portland and then the Willamette Valley (you know, the whole "turning water into wine" thing).

We flew into Portland on Thursday afternoon.  You could see the mountains including Mount St. Helen and Mount Hood on our approach into PDX which followed the Columbia River and provided a great view of the gorge.  It's almost like flying into DFW…minus the river and scenery.  

The rental car center is on site (at least for most of the major companies) which makes it easy.  The drive from the airport to downtown was around 20 minutes at 5pm.  However, the traffic coming out of Portland did not look so good!

Where We Stayed - Portland

View from our hotel

Because I was only a few nights away from reaching the next level of their loyalty program, we stayed at the Marriott Downtown Waterfront. It's located on the Willamette River off on Naito Parkway and was fine for our purposes.

While it looks like an older property when you pull in, they are undergoing a massive renovation to Marriott's "new room experience" and our room was actually pretty nice.  We were within walking distance to the courthouse and several shopping and dining areas but there really wasn't much in the immediate vicinity.  Next trip we will probably stay someplace like the Nines or one of the Kimpton properties. 

Portland is a very cool city and easily walkable.  It's clearly a city that cares deeply about the environment (Dallas….you could learn a thing or two).  There are bike lanes on almost every street, recycle bins everywhere and mass transit was heavily utilized.

Where We Ate - Portland 

Departure Restaurant

Only having one night in the city, we had to be pretty sure about our restaurant choice.  My husband wanted something with a view and I wanted great cocktails and amazing food.  Luckily for us, Departure fit the bill on all three fronts.

Located at the top of the Nines hotel, you feel like you are walking through a tunnel at an airport when you exit the elevator which honestly was a bit off-putting and sterile feeling.  However, as soon as we reached the host stand and could see the various areas of the restaurant we were feeling pretty good.

There is a very large bar with dining areas surrounding it in every direction as well as a large corner patio.  We of course chose the patio and were able to see a great sunset over the mountains.

Portland at night

The restaurant focuses on flavors from the Far East but did not feel like a typical Asian restaurant.  They had a great selection of cocktails and the food is done small plate style so we were able to try a variety of things.  We did not have a bad thing on the menu and the service was great (which isn't always the case at high profile restaurants in bigger cities).

The pork belly at Departure is to die for. It's crispy with pickled cherries and pumpkin seeds and I'm still dreaming about it.  In case you don't understand how good it was….I grew up in North Carolina where  some part of the pig is part of every meal, every day so I know what I'm talking about!

Best Pork Belly EVER!

After dinner, we decided to walk to Blue Star donuts based on our waiters recommendation.  He said they had one with a Grand Marnier shot in it so how could we not check it out!?! It was about a 15 minute walk and a nice night so off we went.  We saw the sign from the bottom of the hill and our pace quickened.  Unfortunately, we weren't quick enough as we got there at 8:10pm and they closed at 8 pm.  We were disappointed but we were in a donut state of mind at this point.

Voodoo Doughnuts is somewhat of an institution in Portland so we decided to head that way.  It was fun seeing the city at night and we never felt unsafe but again we never veered off of main streets.  It was another 15-20 minute walk and there was lots to see in the area around Voodoo Doughnuts, especially if you are into crack addicts, strip clubs or prostitutes.  There was a line out the door which is not uncommon.  They have all kinds of regular donuts as well as all sorts of creative ones including ones with Fruit Loops, bacon and Tang (not all together though!).  It wasn't the best doughnut I've ever had but I would recommend checking it out if you are in Portland.

At that point, we were pretty tired and decided to turn in so we could hit the Willamette Valley the next day!

Bodega Bay

Wait…where are we again?

After time in San Francisco and a thorough tour of the wineries last summer, we headed to Bodega Bay for some R&R!  It gets ungodly hot in Dallas in July so we were anxious to spend some time on the coast with (hopefully) cooler temperatures.  

I had never heard of Bodega Bay and wasn't sure what to expect.  I was very surprised at what I found because it felt more like Ireland or Scotland than California.  The temperatures weren't cooler….it was downright cold!  The skies were overcast when we arrived and they had a fire going in the lodge at check-in.  In other words, I was in heaven!

The Lodge

We stayed at Bodega Bay Lodge, which is a very nice, laid back, cozy resort.  It reminds me of the Lodge at Torrey Pines.  While it overlooks the water, it isn’t exactly oceanfront because you have to walk around some marshland to get to the beach.  The rooms were great and ours had a fireplace. 

You are somewhat limited in dining options in this area.  We ate at the resort one night for dinner and the food was good.   They have a large fire pit outside of the restaurant, which is great for after dinner drinks.  They also supply blankets, which were definitely needed. 

Fire pit at Bodega Bay Lodge

The resort has a heated pool and a “spa”.  The pool was a popular place with the kids and the spa was really just two rooms that they used for treatments.  There was not sauna, steam room, etc. 

Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” was filmed in Bodega Bay so everything in town seems to have a bird theme to it.  There are a couple of pockets of stores and restaurants but you can cover all of it in a couple of hours. 

Visiting Bodega Head and Doran Beach is the best way to spend your time.  There are some great hiking trails and amazing views over the cliffs.  It’s about a ten-minute drive from the hotel. 

Bodega Head

On your way back to Bodega Bay Lodge, stop at Gourmet au Bay.  It is a waterfront wine bar that focuses on small production, award winning, 90+ point wines.  Watching the sun go down with a glass of wine on their deck is the perfect end to the day. 

Jenner, California is about a thirty-minute drive north and is worth checking out. 

Cafe Aquatica

Café Aquatica is an awesome café that serves organic, non-GMO made items for breakfast and lunch.  They have a great patio that overlooks the water and when we were there an acoustic duo was playing.  It felt like a walk back in time and I half expected to see Jerry Garcia or Joan Baez  walk by.  

River's End

We went to River’s End Restaurant for dinner and this place was amazing.  They have great views of where the Russian River dumps into the Pacific Ocean (hence the name).  It’s a quaint place built into the side of the cliffs so if you aren’t paying attention, it can be very easy to miss.  Parking is also a bitch so be extra careful or you'll go over the cliff!  This place is a must if you find yourself in this area but a word to the wise…..the roads are very dark and windy at night!

Bodega Bay was a place that I had never heard of prior before our trip but I sure am glad we checked it out.  I couldn't spend days here and I'm not sure it's a place I'd recommend going as a stand alone trip but if you find yourself "wined" out after Napa and Sonoma, it's the perfect place.  

Napa and Sonoma

Several years ago, we formed a wine club with several other couples.  We try to get together every other month and we rotate hosting duties with the host choosing the varietal for the evening.  Everyone brings a bottle and we have a blind tasting to determine the winner.  Over the years, we have had some great wine as well as our fair share of swill so it was only natural that we spend a few days conducting some "research" in Napa and Sonoma following a work event in San Francisco last summer.  

Jackass

Getting there

We rented a car downtown at the car rental location directly across the street from the Hilton Union Square.  Most of the major rental companies can be found here so it is a very popular location.  As a result, the wait to pick up your car can be lengthy (especially first thing in the morning) so plan accordingly. Since it was a weekday we weren't sure what to expect regarding traffic so we left the city around 7:45 to allow plenty of time to meet our group at 10 a.m.  Getting through the city was fairly easy and other than the jackass who did a U-turn on the Golden Gate Bridge thus triggering every fear I didn't realize that I had, traffic flowed easily and the drive took just under an hour and a half.

Lodging - Napa

We were only going to be in Napa for one night so we chose a downtown hotel as home base.  The Andaz Napa is located in the middle of town and was perfect.  It's a Hyatt property but felt much more like an independent, boutique hotel without costing an arm and a leg.  We arrived in the morning and to our very pleasant surprise were allowed to check in upon arrival. (Note:  If you stay here and want to have "sexy time", please close your shades!!!  I cannot un-see what I saw from across the courtyard when I checked out our room view upon check in….).  It is a full service hotel (insert smirk here due to previous sentence) with a restaurant and bar as well as a patio with a fire pit and bar service.  The fire pit is a great place for post winery, pre-dinner cocktails. 

Napa Wineries

Everyone in our group had been to Napa multiple times so our plan was to visit some of the smaller production, higher end (a.k.a. less touristy) vineyards.  Since the three we chose were spread out across the area and because we are responsible adults (most of the time), we hired a driver.  We made reservations at each in advance although you can stop by the tasting room at Corley Family Vineyards without a one.  After taking a solemn oath to not join a single wine club, we were off!

Monticello Vineyards

Monticello Vineyards - the Corley family has roots in Virginia and the connection to Thomas Jefferson is apparent as soon as you see the main building, a replica of Monticello.  We were lucky enough to have one of the Corley brothers as our guide for a private tasting.  We started in the vineyards and made our way to the terrace for our first tasting of the day where we sampled Chardonnay, Cabernet, Pinot Noir and Syrah.  Really, this is the only civilized way to start your day!  We've been there multiple times and are members of their wine club and it continues to be one of our favorites overall.  

Lunch at Frias

Frias Family Vineyards - this is small, family owned vineyard on Spring Mountain, which only offers tastings and tours, by appointment.  Some members of our wine club are friends with the Frias brothers and we had an amazing lunch at the top of the hill overlooking their property.  The wine was delicious, especially their Rose.  I can't wait until they get their tasting room finished.  The property is absolutely gorgeous!

Jarvis Caves

Jarvis - we did the cave tour here and it was amazing!  I've done cave tours at Rutherford (very nice but fairly simple) and Del Dotto (which we renamed Del Blotto since you drink close to a half a bottle of wine during your tasting by using a wine thief to sample the wine straight from the barrel) but Jarvis is my favorite.  It is beautifully decorated with lots of waterfalls.  You have to book it in advance and they limit the number of people each day so keep that in mind.  It's $60 for the tour/tasting but it is worth every penny (and frankly Jarvis wines aren't for you if you complain about the fee).  

Dining - Napa

End of Day 1:  

Why to hire a driver

After a day of tastings and pre-dinner cocktails at the hotel, we went to Redd restaurant for dinner.  As I vaguely recall it was fun and the food was good.  

Sonoma wineries

Day two was less structured and much calmer because we were going to be driving to Bodega Bay in the afternoon.  

Domaine Carneros - we started the day here.  They are known for their sparkling wines and the property looks like a beautiful French Chateau.  We did the tour (along with about fifty other people) but it is not worth the time unless you really want to relive the feeling of grade school field trips including the teacher constantly reprimanding people for talking.  I'd recommend having lunch on their patio instead.  

Kunde Mountaintop Tasting

B.R. Cohn - after leaving Domaine Carneros we had no idea where to go for lunch.  One of the couples recommended B.R. Cohn because they have a gourmet store and a picnic lunch sounded awesome.   The gourmet store and the wine tasting room are in two separate buildings.  As walked between them we realized that there is a large natural amphitheater in the back.  The winery is owned by the manager for the Doobie Brothers so in addition to having great wine there is some very cool rock memorabilia hanging on the walls.  They also have a music festival each fall which is now on our wish list.  Check it out.  

Kunde - they have a great gift store and beautiful garden to enjoy some outdoor sipping.  More importantly, they have some of the highest vineyards in Sonoma so we made an afternoon reservation for the mountain top tasting.  We got there at exactly 3pm for our 3pm tour.  Even though our group comprise eight of the 12 people on the tour, they bus had already left.  After a slight meltdown by someone in our group the eight of us were headed up the mountain.  They have a built a small area for tasting and the views are amazing.  Seth Rogen had his wedding here several years ago and I can definitely see why.  

Imagery - this is a fun winery if you like art in addition to wine.  They actually use some of the paintings as the labels for their wines.  It's a unique departure from the typical vineyard.  In my opinion, the wines aren't as good as some of the others but I would check it out if you are in the area.  

Summary

Napa and Sonoma is one place that I can visit again and again because there are so many new places to explore and discover every time.   We had a great time in the wine country and stuck to our pledge to not join a single wine club.  In fact, we joined three!  

Previous visits

We've been to Napa and Sonoma several times so here are some thoughts and suggestions on other places we've visited:

• Robert Sinskey - one of our all time favorites.  Organic winery where the owners wife is a renowned chef so there is always amazing food to taste alongside the wines.
• Del Dotto - take the cave tour but make sure you sign up for the last one of the day.  The caves are transformed from old school Italy to a 70's nightclub at the end.
• Hall Wines - one of the most reliable Cabernet's you'll find, the tasting room is a good spot to visit.
• Francis Ford Coppolla Winery - if you like his movies this is a must.  
• Vi Sattui - the wines aren't anything out of the ordinary but they have a great market with lots of outdoor sitting space for a picnic.
• Opus One - cool tasting room but bring your wallet….a taste is around $40
• Sterling Vineyards - you take a tram to the top of a "mountain" for the tour and tasting as well as cool views of the valley.  
• Duckhorn - great wines, elegant tasting room in a beautiful setting.  You can't go wrong here.  
• Kendall Jackson - skip it unless you love going to Busch Gardens and touring the brewery
• Michel - Schlumberger - off the beaten path in Sonoma but worthwhile
• Frank Family - former Disney exec turned winemaker, great cabernet.  

UPDATE

Venge Vineyard Dog

Last spring we headed back to Napa for a "work" retreat.  We visited some truly amazing wineries:

Venge Vineyards - Advance reservations are needed in order to visit their ranch house. Beautiful setting, great wine and the house dog is a golden retriever....need I say more?

Blackbird 

Blackbird - Great wines in an eclectic farmhouse setting.  Everything in the farmhouse is for sale...not just the wines.

Continuum Estate - Tim Mondavi's high end winery atop Pritchard Hill.  Beautiful views and needless to say...great wines.

B Cellars - Pricy for a visit if you aren't a wine enthusiast but well worth every penny.  They have
amazing art on the grounds.  Just make sure you don't try and take a nap next to the statues...I can't get into details but they frown upon that sort of thing!

Alpha Omega

Terra Valentine - Sam and Angela Baxter don't have their tasting room open yet but their property is going to be amazing when it does open.  However, if you join their wine club you can hike their property.

Alpha Omega - Great cabernets in a festive setting.  Larger crowds than many of the others mentioned above but still worth a stop.

Mumm - Meh.  Much better options in the valley.

Tamber Bey - Located on an equestrian ranch this is a much different stop than most.  The rose is one of my fav's and the scenery is beautiful with the horses right outside of the tasting rooms.

Tamber Bey

B Cellars Cave