Northern Valley

On our last full day in Napa Valley, we concentrated on the northern end, in the town of Calistoga. Ten years ago, we had stayed a few nights in the town and loved it. As much as we enjoyed the wineries from back then, we wanted to venture to some new destinations, and most did not disappoint.

Our first stop was a tour of Castello di Amorosa, which we saw being built last time we were here. The Italian winemaker, Dario Sattui, built this 121,000 square foot castle to honor his heritage. All the bricks were hand-chiseled in Europe and includes a moat, drawbridge, 5 towers, courtyards, church, stable, prison and torture chamber.

The best part was the view from up high.

We tried to enjoy the tour and not take so many photos, but this shows the incredible dining hall and the murals that are copies from ones in Italy. We also explored the barrel rooms in the basement and got to do a barrel tasting. Afterwards, we did a red wine and chocolate tasting at a stand-up bar that was a bit claustrophobic (small basement room bar with no windows). After the experience, my husband told me that he could not stand the other two couples on our tour, as they kept asking questions that he said they (and the rest of us) already knew the answers to. One of the couples kept mentioning that each wine we tasted would taste great in their hot tub. So yes, annoying.

Recommended by a tasting manager the day before, we stopped at Tank, and boy, am I glad we did! As you can see, it's an old gas station. The bar area was very small, just a few stools. We LOVED their wine (mostly blends) and decided to buy a case to ship home. Overhearing us talk about purchasing, our server told us she was going to take us on a little field trip. What? She shows us an old motorcycle along the side of the room and then whips back a velvet curtain:

Ta-da! Our very own Speakeasy, for members only! We finished our wine back here and spent most of the time taking selfies to send to our kids, entitled: Mom & Dad in the VIP Lounge!

We opted out of a tasting here, but I can't fail to mention stopping at the winery that put Napa on the map, back in 1976: Chateau Montelena. For history buffs, their wine won a blind tasting at the Judgment of Paris against the French wine and the rest is history. The grounds were lovely and featured a Japanese Garden.

We wanted to visit a small, family run winery, so we made an appointment at Frank Family. Expensive wines, but nothing we really cared for. It was not that exciting of a place, to be honest. We also stopped at Lava Vines, which was a hipster winery and Markham, because my husband wanted to see their art gallery, 'Blues to Psychedelia.'  Skipped the tastings and just walked around the vineyards, because the weather was so good and there's always something unusual to see, like Koi fish or a chicken coop. 

Probably the most exciting stop of the day, for me, was visiting the home of my favorite wine: Rombauer Carneros Chardonnay. The stuff is liquid gold. It's also the only winery where you are stopped at the gate and checked to see if you are on the list (you have to call ahead). LOL, whatever! Sometimes,  you just have to roll your eyes at the pretentiousness of it all.

The amazing view from their terrace.

They also had a whimsical garden. This dinosaur has very good taste.

For dinner, we went to one of the most famous spots in the valley, Auberge du Soleil, for their terrace dining. Truth be told, it was a disappointment. Tables were basically on top of each other, so you were fighting multiple conversations. Plus, we were stuck in a corner, so this was our view. Food and service were not something to write home about. We ended up going back to Brasswood (from the night before) to have coffee and dessert.

After a leisurely breakfast the next morning, we drove down the Silverado Trail, stopped at the Oxbow Market in downtown Napa, and headed back to San Francisco. We made a brief stop at Land's End again, to take a walk along the trail before the long flight home. A wonderful trip with the man I love.