A Birthday of Significance: A Napa Itinerary for the Food and Wine Lover
I like good food and wine. Raised on all homemade food by excellent home cooks, I might be a little spoiled when it comes to my preferences. And I have lucked into just some amazing wine experiences in my travels throughout the world. There are a lot of wineries in Napa, good wineries. For my birthday, we wanted to balance tasting prices, value, experience and of course, the wine, but have some unique experiences as this was…a birthday of some significance. In some ways I want to share this itinerary with you, and in some ways, I want to keep it all to myself. So, I’m going to share with you all, but don’t let the word get out too far, ok?
DAY ONE
In-N-Out Burger: On the drive from the San Francisco airport we needed a little pick-me-up. And we’re not ones to pass up a good burger and fries–especially with some banana peppers and animal sauce. In-N-Out continues to rock out some good fast-food burgers at incredibly low prices, and the tomatoes on their burgers are actually ripe. This was a clutch stop for our hungry group!
Gloria Ferrer: We actually didn’t arrive in time to make it to Gloria Ferrer this trip. Instead we went to Domaine Carneros when we were out there and thought the experience was just lackluster; I don’t recommend it. But on my last trip to Napa, we did a sparkling tasting at Gloria Ferrer and loved it. The winery was clean and modern, the wines were excellent, and the tasting experience, while not the most in depth of all our tours, was knowledgeable and really professional.
The Donum Estate: This is just a homerun winery. The wines are beautiful and silky, with depth, pinot heavy and luscious. The estate has an amazing collection of modern art, and grounds to walk. It is off the beaten path, and our whole group of twelve thought this was our favorite winery. We did a tasting with food pairings which was light and refreshing in their beautiful airy, modern tasting room.
Ad Hoc: Thomas Keller restaurants don’t play around. I’ve eaten at a few and the common theme is the level of detail that goes into making each and every bite. You will have good food regardless of which one you visit, and the family style meal is a tremendous value. You will not leave hungry, the food is top notch, and it’s a great option for a group.
DAY TWO
Cliff Lede Vineyards: If you want to really understand what Cliff Lede is all about do the library tasting. The pours of their older and more rare vintages give you a real understanding of what a good wine with some age and depth tastes like. They have a super knowledgeable staff, who were happy to accommodate us, and let us also try some newer vintages we may have wanted to purchase.
Oakville Grocery: The Oakville Grocery can be a stop of its own, especially if you go during off-hours (not on a Saturday). They have fantastic wine and beverage selections and tastings. The food is very well done, from grab and go cheese, sandwiches and wraps to gourmet sandwiches and salads made to order. They have a great selection of olive oils, chocolates, and baked goods, and it’s a good place for a bit of a caffeine break, too.
Faust: No one would blame you for wanting to stay at Faust for the rest of your day, and I would actually suggest it. The super cool interiors of this updated take on mid-century modern in their mansion on the hill will blow you away. During our private tasting in the basement, we had access to a record player with stacks of vinyl ranging from Snoop Dogg and Elvis to the Shins. There was a charcuterie and cheese board that made us regret the amount we had eaten earlier. Our host was more than happy to share as much as we wanted to know, in a more relaxed one-on-one manner. We felt like we were attending a nice party hosted by our friend who just also happens to own a winery.
Mustards Grill: Wow, ok, this place blew me away and I wasn’t expecting it. The wine selection is of course on point. But the food was just incredible. It wasn’t fussy, it was elevated. The pieces of cake as big as your head –might also be a thing. This place should definitely be on your list.
I may have had the best duck dish of my life, perfectly cooked (not the fatty, tough duck you sometimes get even at nice places), with incredibly crispy skin.
DAY THREE
We mostly spent Day three in the pool of our Inn, which also had a clutch bodega down the street, La Tapatia Market & Taqueria, which has some really good Mexican food.
Oxbow Public Market: The market is fun, lots of good options to grab different bites, you can taste, or recover here. Across the street is Trade Brewing which if you like beer has a large selection to taste and check off of your Untapped.
Hall Napa Valley: This super modern winery boasted a nice selection of wines and state of the art facilities that were definitely fun to see. We didn’t love our host here, and it killed a bit of the vibe, but the balance here of rose, whites and reds made this a very good stop, despite that.
Gott’s Roadside: Because I mean we had to do a burger comparison right? Gott’s and In-N-Out are worlds apart. Gott’s is fancy gourmet, grass fed burgers with a myriad of toppings, and the burger itself is worth it. Their old school locations in Napa Valley are a fun stop. I got the Hatch Chile burger and loved it. Their sweet potato fries were… alright. (I think I am spoiled by living two blocks from Matt &Tony’s here in ALX.) It was definitely a fancy burger price. And while in wine country, I think it’s worth it but, if you gave me the choice for lunch here today, I think In-N-Out would be on my desk. Sorry, not sorry.
For getting around, I highly recommend Beau Wine Tours, they were fun, professional and had lots of options for our group when we needed an option for lunch or more.
Hope you liked my tips, feel free to reach out to me with any questions.
