Another Napa Post?

I didn't take this photo, but this is what the vineyards look like this time of the year....mustard in full bloom! This is infront of Frog's Leap.

Now that Nicole (Scripps!) lives in SF, we have gotten together quite a bit, starting with music festivals at Golden Gate Park last summer, to dinners in the City, to concerts at the Fillmore. I am so excited that she lives nearby. So last weekend, her boyfriend, Carlin, was in town visiting, and so of course we had to take them to Napa (as if we really needed an excuse to go!) We celebrated Nicole's birthday a week early, since she has that horrible fellows schedule, and had to work on her real birthday (boo...she was supposed to meet us at a concert!). Oh, and get this bit of trivia: Nicole and my little brother Max both share Feb. 20th as their birthday; and Nicole's brother and I share Dec. 27th. Weird.

Scott and I were really excited to meet Carlin, as he and Scott both share a love of anything and everything PHISH. So of course you have a good time when you mix good music, good friends, and good wine!

Usually, our Napa trips consists of stops at our favorite wineries, but this trip we decided to try a new one (gasp!). At the Food for Heart event, we met the hospitality director of Peju Provence winery, and after a little chatting, he told us to stop by the winery and he'd give us a tour. So that was our first stop. A beautiful modern winery, good wines, and we got a tour of the kitchen, where we got chocolate dipped long stemmed strawberries...yum! Did I mention it was Valentine's Day?

Cookbooks and wine (they were probably talking Phish-talk here)

Our next stop was Miner, where we all bought bottles of our fave Viogner. We had to represent Scripps at Miner! And then on to lunch at Taylor's Automatic Refresher, where the line was so long that Scott had to bring Nicole and I wine in line to make it bearable. But a seared ahi burger makes everything better! Our last stop was St Supery, where we lounged upstairs and sipped my favorite sauv blanc (Dollarhide Ranch).

Waiting for our burgers at Taylor's (were drinking Miner Sangiovese)

Perfect day...love Napa! And just so we don't get Napa withdrawls, we're going back this week with Scott's father (ok, so maybe we didn't move up here for better career opportunities and family...maybe it was really Napa!)