So we got up and headed out to our first appointment at Domaine Carneros. We just grabbed a quick and light breakfast at the hotel since we knew we would be eating all day. We got there right about when they opened and got seated at a table on the terrace, which is beautiful: the view and the actual building. The Carneros region has amazing rolling hills covered in grapes and I just love it. Domaine Carneros sits on top of one of those hills and you get some great views from their terrace.
Justin got a wine sampler (they are known for sparkling but also have Pinot Noir) and I got some yummy sparkling soda (which I was super excited about) and we shared some cheese and dried fruits. We really enjoyed the freedom of sitting there and ordering what we wanted and just relaxing. I felt like we got good amounts of food and drink for what we paid for as well. We walked around a bit, took some pictures, and then decided to head into Napa for lunch.
We went to the Oxbow Public Market which is a tiny little place that has a few food vendors, a couple restaurants, and even a little grocery. We decided to eat at Hog Island Oyster Co. and sat outside. I got a yummy grilled cheese and Justin enjoyed their clam chowder. We had eaten there in San Francisco before and liked it and it was pretty good here too! If we hadn't been super full we may have gotten a cupcake from Kara's but we didn't. I regret that decision now.
Our favorite winery was the only appointment we had left for the day (we like to go slow) and it is quite a trek out to it so we decided to meander that direction. We stopped at a little strawberry stand on the way and picked up our "dessert" and then headed up the Silverado Trail. It is a pretty drive and there are lots of wineries along the way you could pull into if you wanted. I wish we had stopped at Signorello since I had remembered it from my research but we decided to pull into Clus de Bos to check out the grounds and eat our strawberries. It was a good place for that. It had a pretty building and lots of tables to sit and picnic. I don't think they minded that we brought food and there were other people eating as well. They probably would have preferred that we drink some of their wine but no one said so.
We didn't stay long and headed toward Kuleto Estate, knowing we would be a bit early but we didn't mind. You have to drive off the main roads a bit and then when you get to their gate it is a 2 mile drive up a one lane winding road on the side of a ravine. Luckily, we didn't pass any cars, trucks, or vans going either up or down! We finally made it up to the top and settled in until our tour.
It is more structured there because they have to monitor who comes up and down that crazy driveway but the atmosphere is definitely relaxing. The views at Kuleto are what made us want to come back every time we come to wine country. We enjoyed our little tour/walk around the grounds, took some more pictures and drank our wine and water. The tour is more expensive than other places but the wine is too, generally, and they did give Justin 8 different tastings. We bought a couple bottles (we aren't opening them until March so I can enjoy them!!!) and we actually have some shipping to us in October so we are stocked up. I think you can buy a Kuleto Cabernet, which is what they grow most of, at Central Market now... Go try it!!! I just wish you could get the view while you do.
By the time we left Kuleto most of the wineries were closed or close to it so we headed into Napa to stroll around and eat dinner. I was really disappointed that we didn't get to the Olive Oil Co. in time but we got some chocolates at a little place and then headed to dinner. We ate at Oenotri's, a cute little Italian restaurant that didn't seem full at the time but even at 6:00 seemed like you needed a reservation to get seated right away. We sat outside and really enjoyed it. The portions were not too big and the ingredients were fresh. And they left two little cookies (which I ate both of) at our table when we paid. Yum!
After dinner we headed back to San Francisco and crashed at our hotel. We either wore ourselves out or still hadn't adjusted to the time difference because we fell asleep early, again. I suppose Justin drinking all day probably didn't help that much!
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