I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to some of the greatest wine regions of the world, but until last week I had not made it to the Napa Valley. Now I am glad I went.
Some things that stood out in a positive way:
Great wine, of course. Good young, good old and with more variety even within a single vineyard. Round Pond’s Gravel series for instance.
Tours and tastings that are a bit out of the norm, in a good way. Table service tastings, paring tastings, unreleased wine tastings, private tastings, more than just your typical bellying up to a tasting bar. More fun, more elegant.
Excellent food, especially in Yountville ( Bouchon, Redd’s, Hurley’s) . Didn’t have a bad meal.
Tucked away, quiet, natural places to recharge. Very peaceful in spots.
Gourmet options all around.
Some things I didn’t expect:
Cooler than I would have thought. Takes awhile for the marine layer to burn off, so the mornings were actually cold/cloudy.
Entering the valley from the south isn’t the best first impression and we’ll leave it at that.
Lots of traffic on the main roads.
Make reservations for everything you can (tours, tastings, dinner), otherwise you may be out of luck.
Absolutely loved it though and will be back soon.
