Nickel & Nickel

When one drives onto the grounds at Nickel & Nickel you feel as though you are traveling back in time. It is a must to have an appointment before you arrive. The gates swing open, you park and walk into an old Victorian Farmhouse. We were greeted by Brendan Roane who had, prior to working in the valley, visited from the East Coast so many times, he decided to move here. Brendan began our tour with a taste of Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley. Here we sit, Fran, my friend and co-worker at Baldacci, Cathy, myself, our new friends from Oklahoma and Brendan, enjoying the conversation. Very peaceful and serene....

That's what you get at Nickel & Nickel - a very comfortable setting and a warm feeling (along with great wine!)

As we toured the grounds and learned the history of the winery, we all got to know a little more about each other. Pictured above are Bill and Sandy Brazil who own SophaBella's in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Homemade italian food... If your passing thru be sure to look them up! www.sophabellasrestaurant.com

As we walked the grounds, Brendan talked about all of the many Cabernet's that they produce from single vineyard lots and the French Oak that they only use twice to get the quality that we have come to love from them. We looked at soil samples from the areas surrounding us and walked down stairs to an underground "cave" where all of their wine is in barrel's aging for its alloted time (pictured above - Fran and Cathy in the "cave"). At the end of the tour we were back in the Victorian Farmhouse with 4 very different Cabernet Sauvignon's to taste. We tasted from Rutherford, Oakville and Howell Mountain. All with their own uniqueness and amazing qualities that come from each district. Nickel & Nickel is an amazing place to visit....

www.nickelandnickel.com

The Rutherford Grille

No trip is ever complete without a quick stop into the Rutherford Grill! If you want to taste the best French Dip you've ever had, go there! Cathy and I were hungry after the first part of the day and we were headed to Nickel & Nickel so we decided we'd stop and share a sandwich. The best part about the Rutherford Grill, and there are alot of great parts to it, is that as busy as it always is, I don't think I've ever waited more than 15 mins. for a table. This time we sat at the bar, ordered the artery clogging Blue Cheese Potato Chips and the French Dip. Hmmmmmm Hmmmm Good... We had great conversation and a great Bartender to go along with the experience...
What more can I say?! Visit them.... No Reservations required, the food is always great AND you never pay a corkage fee!
www.hillstone.com

Alpha Omega

The last time I was at Alpha Omega they were doing a complete remodel on the place.... The wine was spectacular and the people were incredible. Cathy and I decided to make a quick trip in, making sure ONLY the surroundings had changed. I wasn't suprised when, infact, that WAS the only change! We were greeted by Jackie Henkelman, Empress of Hospitality as we walked in. Jackie does more there than just greet guests and pour wine, she also helps with the gardens, which look like they are going to be amazing after all the rain ends! We tasted a Chardonnay, that is so wonderful I think that Rombauer has a lot more competition than they want to believe.... Anna Martin is Alpha Omega's shipping coordinator (pictured above also) and came out to say hi and join our discussion about the tasty Paella that Jackie makes. Which, I might add, Alpha Omega's Rose' would be perfect with! Cathy will make it this weekend... Ill let you know how it was and if we should hand out the recipe! I love this place! There tasting room is amazing, the grounds are spectacular and you can picnic there with the sound of the huge fountains by your side.... If you want more infomation, please go to their website at www.aowinery.com.
Drop in anytime... if you are a party of 6 or more, give them a call - they are above and beyond! Rick Patton is Alpha Omega's tasting room manager and will always greet you with a smile and a hand shake...

From Old World Castle to Italian Varietals

I will tell you more than one time there is certainly more to this valley than one can imagine! After we left the Castle (Castello di Amorosa) in Calistoga we made our way down a Big Tree Road in St. Helena and found ourselves at Benessere Winery. The tasting room was full when we walked in and Eric, Benessere's do it all guy, greeted us with amazing enthusiasm. Benessere has an incredible history also. John Benish purchased the property in 1994 from the man we all know as, Two-Buck-Chuck.... Charles Shaw. The name says it all: Benessere - "well-being and prosperity" isn't that what we all want... drink some Napa wines and your luck is sure to improve... The only varietal not grown on their property is their Pinot Grigio. The other varietals, from Sangiovese to Muscat are all grown in small lots on the property... Even varietals I'd never heard of: Aglianico and Sagrantino. Hmmmmmmm Delicioso! Eric is a sommelier and with prior notice will sit you down to some sensory tasting of food and wine in the house. Prior appointment is suggested but not necessary... Go see them! Our newest friends, pictured above (Erik and Tamara) from a little south of Napa did and we all left very happy! Thanks Eric!

www.benesserevineyards.com

Until next time!

Jessica

www.mypamperedtraveler.com

Castello di Amorosa

what an experience... And an amazing accomplishment for Dario Sattui who for years collected and brought back bricks from all over the world to build this amazing feet of old world architecture! We had our appointment set for noon and thankfully they were easy going about us being a couple of minutes late.... Joe greeted us with huge enthusiasm and taught us the REAL meaning of the waving finger.... "its the freebie finder" he tells us... always look for that leaking barrel! We took the whole tour around the beautiful grounds and learned some pretty amazing things about Dario and his life. Its an absolute must see in the valley! If you drive to it on Hwy 29 without reservations you will be welcome to take the self guided tour but the suggestion that I make to you is - make reservations! Its truly worth the experience.... At the end of the tour we had the opportunity to meet some of the other tour guides, as well as the tasting room manager, Damian Uirarte. Thank you Dario, Joe and Damian for such a great experience at your beautiful castle! www.castellodiamorosa.com

The weather outside is frightful!

But, don't think for a minute that that stopped us from our weekly ritual of networking in the Valley! Today it was pouring outside with no brake in site - My first stop was at one of my favorite wineries in the Napa Valley, Hartwell Vineyards. Hartwell is on the Silverado Trail (which to those of you who don't know, parallels Highway 29) and is nestled in the hills amongst some of the "great ones" in the Stag's Leap District. We were greeted by my friend Jona who is always a treat to see and taste wine with! He always has some new place to share with me and some new endeavor he's participating in. The wine is spectacular! Bob and Blanca Hartwell own the vineyard and it is run by their beautiful daughter, Linda. I don't think I have EVER tasted a Sauvignon Blanc as spectacular as the one that Hartwell makes. It is full bodied like a Chardonnay but light and crisp like a Sauv Blanc should be. I could drink it at every meal.... sometimes it seems like I do. You can get info on the winery or make reservations by visiting the website

www.hartwellvineyards.com

Hitting the big ones!

So sorry - its been a busy couple of weeks... This past week I went out with my friend Brigid to Schramsberg. WOW!! What incredible history that place holds! We were greeted at the door by the very fabulous Kelly Duarte. She was so incredible it was hard to leave - even though we knew there was another tour on its way in.... The property is on Diamond Mountain and has been a part of the Valley sinse 1862! Absolutely a must visit during your stay in Napa! Louie and I left there with 6 bottles of there ever-so-fabulous (and famous) Blanc de Blanc Sparkling. Schramsberg also makes a still wine from there property on Diamond Mountain called J. Davies. Named after the man who bought the property and continued on the name and tradition for the original founder. Beautiful stuff.... BUT... don't forget, if you come here to visit Schramsberg, please make a reservation! They are by appointment only and have no tasting room.. all is done in the amazing caves.... Ill let them tell you the story!
www.schramsberg.com
After leaving there we were off to another great place in the valley - The Solbar in Calistoga! The Solbar is nestled in the middle of one of the newest hotspots on the Silverado Trail, the Solage Resort. This place is a fantastic place to rest your weary feet and refresh yourself during your wine tasting adventure in Calistoga. Ramon, our waiter, brought all of us a little sparkling to sip on while we looked over the amazing menu.... Thank you Adrienne! "How does one choose?" was the question of the moment. Marcus, (Brigids other half) came over to the table to say hi and gave us some excellent pointers on all the goodies to choose from on the menu. Check it out on there website: www.solagecalistoga.com. I want to be the one to tell you - its an absolute must to order anything that has Solage's 10-hour onions on it! No words can describe them - only WOW!!! I want to shout out a special thanks to the Solbars Sous Chef ZACK! He sent us out some fantastic sliders topped with those onions and a pizza with maitake mushrooms and gruyere that was AMAZING!! My mother-in-law ordered the tandoori spiced chicken - incredible...
Thank you Marcus! We had a special visit and I can't wait to spread the word about such an amazing destination on the Silverado Trail!
After leaving the Solbar, Marcus joined us across the street at the Silver Rose Winery. This was an unexpected find! I had no idea that this little winery in the front housed such an amazing place to have your wedding venue in the back... They make a Cabernet and a Cuvee blend and they make them both very well. We did our tasting outside on the deck over looking the Koi pond... If wine is not what you want during your visit, Derrick Dumont, General Manager, would be more than happy to pour you one of several beers they also offer in the room! It is true - it takes a lot of beer to make a good wine! www.silverrose.com
Off to another adventure..... talk to you soon... thanks for following!