Waco Tiger - How was your Napa trip?

I am here now. Arrived yesterday (Thursday), departing on Sunday night. So far, most everything is open. Great wine tastings and food. Several high end restaurants are closed, but most are not. We have been to 3 wineries so far and will visit 4 more. Most are on the expensive side (Nickel & Nickel, Lewis Cellars and Hall so far) and we will go to Schramsberg, Joseph Phelps, Far Niente and Quintessa. Will give a full report when I return.

What is the mask situation in restaurants and wineries?

Is there an overall vibe there? Meaning is it wide open like destin or more like NYC?

We flew from Dallas to San Diego to Oakland on Southwest. Left Dallas at 8 a.m. C.S.T. on Thursday morning and arrived in Oakland at 11 a.m. P.S.T. Flight was not very crowded. Love that Southwest keeps middle seat open. Facemasks required everywhere in the airport and on the plane, except when eating or drinking.

Arrived at Oakland airport, rented a car and made the quick 1 hour drive to Napa, arriving just after noon. Traffic was not bad. Found out the Mustard's (near Yountville on Hwy 29) was open for inside dining, so we went there. Food was good for lunch, but not great. We first ate there 25 years ago, so we had to return. All precautions (masks till you sit at the table, etc.) taken at the restaurant.

We checked into The Vintage House in Yountville. We originally made reservations at their sister property (Villagio), but they were not open and moved our reservation to this property. Fairly high end and the rooms, staff and breakfasts were great. Masks everywhere, except in your room (ha ha) and at the pool. Very clean property.

Visited Nickel & Nickel, not far from our hotel Thursday afternoon. Great experience. Outdoor tastings, no tours. That was fine with us as we have toured a lot of wineries. The wine tasting was $160 for 2 people, but refunded after we bought wine. The wine was definitely worth it.

Thursday night, we ate casual at Tra Vigne pizza. It was ok (this restaurant used to be great) and very casual. There are better places for wood-fired pizza in Napa Valley.

Friday morning, we started with Lewis Cellars near Napa Not much of a winery, but their wine is off the charts. Award winning (Wine Spectator #1 on top 100 in 2016). We love their wine. We were their first visitor since Covid started. We were not charged a tasting fee, because we buy their wine direct from them.

We ate lunch at Oakville Grocery Store on Hwy 29, about a 10 minute wait for sandwiches and a table Reasonably priced and a great location with good food. Outdoor seating.

Friday afternoon, we had an appointment at Hall Winery on Hwy 29 near St. Helena. Kathryn Hall is from Dallas. Great wine and tasting. All outdoor. Cost is $160 for 2, but tasting fee waived once we bought wine.

Friday night, we ate dinner at Bistro Auberge du Soleil off of the Silverado trail. The main Michelin star restaurant is closed, but this is the balcony/bar section. Same chef and good food. Views were outstanding from the deck.

Saturday morning, we toured the Farmer's Market in Napa (again, masks required), then we went to Davies/Schramsberg winery in St Helena. Schramsberg is known for its sparkling (think champagne) wine and it is really good. The Schramsberg property was booked, so we went to their sister property, Davies, and got a sparkling and cabernet tasting. They charge $150 per couple but waived the fee after we bought wine.

We ate lunch/brunch at Evangeline's in Calistoga. Great chicken and waffles. Has a New Orleans flair and great courtyard dining. Served Abita beer.

We did our afternoon tasting at Joseph Phelps off of the Silverado Trail. Great outdoor settings and views. Their wine is fantastic. They charged $160 per couple for the tastings and were the only winery that didn't refund the tasting fee after we bought their wine. Their Insignia wine is outstanding.

Saturday, we ate dinner at Bistro Don Giovanni in Napa on Hwy 29. Reservations recommended. Great Italian food and outside courtyard seating by the fountain (request when reserving). It has been open over 25 years.

Sunday, we went to Far Niente (sister property of Nickel & Nickel). Outstanding wine and views. They refunded tasting fee of $160 per couple after we bought wine. Love this site and their wine. Got to see their classic car collection, but only from a slight distance.

Sunday lunch, we ate at Brasswood in St. Helena. Most of this staff is from the old Tra Vigne that closed in 2016. Order the mozzerella and heirloom tomatoes (not on the menu) for the appetizer. Outstanding. We just had wood fired pizza for lunch.

We finished our wine visits at Quintessa. Some of the best wine in Napa, in my opinion. We didn't pay a tasting fee (we buy direct from them each year), but it is normally about $100 per person. Gorgeous views and property. They don't have many appointments each day because of the virus, so reserve now.

We drove from Quintessa and had dinner at Sam's Anchor Club in Tiburon near Sausalito, with great views overlooking Alcatraz and San Francisco. After dinner, we drove back through the city of San Francisco and then to our airport hotel in Oakland and we are flying back direct right now.

Overall, it was a great relaxing trip. Felt very safe and we wore masks most of the time, except when eating and drinking. We tasted some outstanding wines and ate some good food, although we didn't eat at any high dollar restaurants (most really high end restaurants were closed).

Hope you have a great trip. Cheers.

Damn their 2017 is $200/bottle. Is it good?

So looking through our itinerary the only duplicate we have booked is Joseph Phelps.

Duckhorn
Joseph Phelps
Rombauer
Frog’s Leap
Cakebread
Silver Oak
Amizetta
Truchard

Have plans for Mustards, Oakville Grocery, Ad Hoc/Addendum, & Bistro at Auberge. Will likely hit Bouchon, Model Bakery, & Gotts but have a couple of unplanned meals still.

Thanks for providing such a detailed report.

*Looks like Napa County may be getting hit with increased restrictions on Thursday so that is going to cause some issues with our dining plans and any indoor tastings. Sounds like you got your trip in just under the wire.

Great summary.

Great stuff WacoTiger. Looking forward to getting back out there. Will have to visit Lewis as well as Quintessa.

Have you guys heard of Mattiasson? I hear their wines are excellent as well. Thanks for the summary!

quote:

---

The Quintessa. Can you really tell the difference between that and a $50 bottle?

---

If you know what you're tasting for, yes. The average consumer, no.

I have tried about 4 different varieties of Mattiasson wines at a food and wine pairing at a local restaurant. I did buy some of their wine because it paired well with our food. When I received the wine and drank it with other types of food, I was very disappointed. They make a lot of "off grape" table type wines, like white blends (50 % Sauvignon blanc, 25 % Ribolla gialla, 20 % Semillon, and 5 % Tocai friulano) or Refosco (an Italian grape). I think they also claim to be an organic grower. Since my experience, I probably would not purchase their wine again, but you always have to try wine to know whether you will like it or not. It may fit your palate better than my palate. Cheers.