Your Travel Guide to Napa Valley
Day Two
DAY TWO OF ST. HELENA WINE TOUR
DINING
Breakfast-- Harvest Inn. If you'd like to explore the world of Napa breakfast instead of taking advantage of the hotel's (free) offering, try here.
Gordon's Cafe and Wine Bar
6770 Washington St.
Yountville, CA 94599
707.944.8246
This is a little out of the St. Helena area but it's worth the drive for a great breakfast. Try any of the baked goods or eggs in this small homey diner. If you do miss the 11 am cut off, they also serve a great lunch.
Lunch -- Taylor's Refresher
Address: 933 Main St, St. Helena, CA 94574
Phone: 707 963 3486
Website: http://www.taylorsrefresher.com/
Yesterday you enjoyed the area's best picnic spot and, if you chose correctly, an amazing lunch. Today you get what everyone really wants on vacation, a great burger. Some say that Taylor's has the best burger in the country. Maybe so, but they definitely have the best shake so don't miss either. Here's a burger joint owned by the brothers Joel and Duncan Gott who've garnered praise from Bon Appettite and even a James Beard award. You won't be disappointed except by the crowds the place attracts so don't go at the prime dining hours.
Dinner -- Tra Vigne
www.travignerestaurant.com/
1050 Charter Oak Ave.
St. Helena
707-963-4444
Tra Vigne has a beautiful indoor dining room that's a unique combination of casual elegance. The food is excellent and runs the gamut from pizza to meats and fish. Reservations are pretty mandatory for dinner, but you can eat at the bar ,if you can't get a table. Oh, the bar is also a great people watching scene and of course has a long luscious wine list.
NAPA WINERIES AND WINE TOURS -- DAY TWO
For your second day in the St. Helena area, we've put together an interesting combination of elegant tastings, stop in tastings, and reservation only stops. Enjoy!
SWANSON VINEYARDS
1271 Manley Lane, Rutherford
www.swansonvineyards.com
APPOINTMENT ONLY 707.967.3500
Swanson's own website tells it best, the following text is from their website:
Nestled amongst sycamore trees in the hamlet of Rutherford sits the Swanson Vineyards Tasting Salon. The Salon caters to the most discriminating guests, charming its callers with a beguiling experience of exquisite wines, tailored tastings and rare cellar gems.
Open by appointment only: Wednesday through Sunday
Salon Tastings:
Harvey Tasting (up to 8 guests)
Explores a bird’s eye view of Swanson wines. Visit a delightful assortment of our current vintage wines--including the Alexis, along with small batch, unattainable wines known as the Salon Selections, all perfectly paired with individual plates of Swanson caviar, select artisanal cheeses, and the signature Alexis Bonbon. Typically taste through seven wines.
$55 per person (Seating times: 11:00am or 1:30pm) Duration: 1.0 to 1.5 hours
Jean Lafitte Tasting (up to 8 guests)
Focuses on the wines they most known for such as the Swanson pinot grigio, merlot, and Alexis, paired with individual plates of select artisanal cheeses and signature Alexis Bonbon.
$30 per person (Seating time: 4:00pm)
Reservations are held in advance by credit card, and prefer to speak directly with the guest to ensure consistent quality of service. For reservations or inquiries, please call the Swanson Vineyards' Salon at 707.967.3500.
RAYMOND VINEYARDS
849 Zinfandel Lane, St. Helena
Daily 10 to 4
www.raymondvineyards.com/
Since you've dropped some cash visiting Swanson, we thought you'd be up for some free tasting and some delightful reds. Raymond has both plus it's easy to find. Note that the premium wines are a fee to taste.
PRIDE MOUNTAIN VINEYARD
4026 Spring Mountain Rd.
St. Helena, CA
$5 for Tour and Tastings
Website: www.pridewines.com
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY 707-963-4949
This is not an easy winery to reach, but if you haven't taken one of the mountain road drives, this is the one to try. Pride Mountain Vineyard bridges Napa and Sonoma counties at the top of Spring Mountain: A brick marker indicates the county line, and grapes crushed on either side must be labeled differently. Tours visit both sides and offer a taste of winemaker Bob Foley's highly extracted, dense and chewy wines.
MUST-BUY BOTTLES The 2005 Cabernet Franc, with ripe blueberry flavors ($60), and the 2005 Syrah, with allspice notes ($57).
DIAMOND OAKS WINERY
1595 Oakville Grade
Oakville, CA 94562
707 948 3010
Tastings $7 no appointment necessary
info@diamond-oaks.com
www.diamond-oaks.com
Diamond Oaks is indeed a jewel and one most visitors never find. In addition to a beautiful setting and hospitable people, you'll find good wine and reasonable tasting prices. Not crowded except at the height of the season, this a real find.
ST. SUPERY WINERY
8440 St. Helena Hwy. (Hwy. 29, 1 mile north of Oakville),
Rutherford; (707) 963-4507
Open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily except major holidays
www.stsupery.com/
St. Supery may not be the most charming looking place, but it has great wines at the reasonable price of $5 for two reds, two whites, and a desert wine. It's a great place to stop in and get a feeling for how Napa used to be before the big showey wineries became the standard.
LAST WINERY OF THE TRIP:
DUCKHORN VINEYARDS
707.963.7108
1000 Lodi Lane
St. Helena, CA 94574
We don't know of any winery that
gets such mixed reviews as Duckhorn. The winery makes award winning and
delicious Merlot, has beautiful grounds, and a comprehensive and informative
tour, but individual expekriences vary from "don't miss, no trip is
complete without this stop" to "total waste of time, just skip
it". We loved our visits and think the winery mreits a call,
appointment and visit. But that's just our opinion. Here's the
write-up from the winery website on tastings and tours:
"The traditionally designed Estate House is open daily from 10am to 4pm.
Here you can enjoy the winery's waterfowl art collection, stroll in beautiful
gardens, view the unique temperature-controlled aboveground cellar, and taste
great wines. The concierge can help you by making dining reservations or
recommending other wineries.
Tableside Tastings
Enjoy a flight of current release wines presented tableside as side-by-side
comparisons for $20 per person."
"We suggest a prior
reservation for tastings. For your convenience, appointments for five or fewer
guests wishing to taste in our Estate House tasting room can be made online
(reservation tool on right side of this page). Special arrangements must be
made for appointments of six or more guests. To inquire about availability for
larger groups please call the winery at 888-354-8885. You may also e-mail at concierge@duckhorn.com.
Estate Tour & Tasting
With prior reservation, this unique educational experience provides you and
your guests exclusive access to the Estate, the Winemaking facility and the
limited production wine portfolio. The personalized tour takes you through the
entire production facility including the crush pad, fermentation room and aging
cellars (traditional French Chai's). You conclude with a tasting in our private
tasting room. The seated tasting consists of side-by-side comparisons of our
most limited single-vineyard and Estate wines. We use varietal-specific Riedel
crystal stemware and the tasting is complimented by a selection of artisan
cheeses. This offering is semiprivate, limited to groups of 12 people, and is
offered twice daily at 11am and 2pm. Please call us at 888-354-8885 for
reservations."
SPECIAL STOP NOT TO BE MISSED:
ST. HELENA OLIVE OIL COMPANY
Address: 8576 St.
Helena Highway Rutherford, CA
Tel: 800-939-9880
Originally this was a small funky building on a dead end street but was
relocated to prime real estate a few years ago. Do not miss stopping by
to take home a bottle of the best olive oil in the state. While you're
there be sure to try some of their famous cheese and Italian meats. You
can put together some amazing room munchies and some great appetizers for the
friends back home. A must try.
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