We all go through our “dream vacation check list” in our heads countless numbers of times as soon as the travel bug gets a hold of us. As I go down my list, 99% of the time I am looking for things that I don’t have here in Pittsburgh including sun, sand, or an over-the-top activity that can occur in one specific place. One thing that I never imagined that I would add to the list is food and wine. And when you add those too items to the checklist, you end up in Napa Valley, California.
The time to hit wine country is late August thru early November in the prime of grape harvest season. Napa, St. Helena & Yountville comprise the vineyards I visited in the four days I was there. As you enter wine country via Route 29, you are surrounded by beautiful fields, flat as a pancake, with grapes as far as the eye can see. You also see the side roads shooting up the side of the mountains, which are breathtaking. The culture is more relaxed than any I have seen, and I attribute that to the fact that everyone MUST have a perpetual buzz from all the wine tastings!
Everyday is the same in the best possible way. Sitting along the river running through Napa at The Milliken Creek Inn, (millikencreekinn.com) enjoying a cup of coffee and some delicious breakfast pastries, a sense of serenity that I have never felt before came over me. The biggest decision we had to make is what winery’s to visit. We ended up starting at Vineyard 29 (vineyard29. com) and continuing on to Barnett Vineyards (barnettvineyards.com), Pride Mountain Vineyards (pridewines.com) and Grgich Hills Estates (grgich.com). Heavy reds and spectacular whites, along with amazing weather, made the day nearly perfect. The only missing component was lunch at the best spot in the valley, Mustards Grill (mustardsgrill.com).
The evening food scene delivers a culinary experience that knocked my socks off. The crucial components for a perfect dinner are cocktails (a requirement after drinking wine all day), atmosphere, and a savory meal followed by a decadent desert. Every dinner option in Napa, St. Helena and Yountville delivers all three.
Napa Valley taught me a valuable lesson. Vacation is not always about doing something different and shocking. It can be, and sometimes is, something that allows you to escape and enjoy all the things you love …in a perfect part of the world!
