Napa Weekend

This past weekend hubby and I ventured to Napa for a very dear friend's wedding.  Napa was one of mine and hubby's first trips together when we were dating, which made us even more excited for our weekend away.  We flew out very early Friday morning, which allowed us to enjoy some of the day in Napa before the rehearsal dinner Friday night.  From the airport, we drove around San Francisco before arriving in Napa for lunch.  Since our last visit to Napa almost three years ago, hubby and I had been wanting to try Bottega, which is an Italian restaurant by Chef Michael Chiarello.

The restaurant entrance was tucked behind a small market of shops, but it was worth the confusion in finding it.

After our three year wait to try the food at Bottega, we were not disappointed.  We sat outside on the patio and enjoyed Napa's perfect summer weather (apparently summers don't have to be sweaty hot).  Hubby suggested we order wine with lunch to get in the wine country spirit.  We had Giana Zinfandel from the Chiarello Family Vineyards, which was spicy and delicious as a zinfandel should be.  For lunch, I had a pan roasted gnocchi which delighted my taste buds with rich, complex flavors.  Hubby had a sirloin short rib burger, which was juicy and satisfying.

I'm going to need to find a recipe for this because it was incredible!  The menu description reads: "pan roasted potato gnocchi, summer squash, corn fonduta, tomato confettura, pepperoncini, pecorino."

 Hubby's burger was the special that day and did not disappoint.

After lunch, we stopped at the Coffee Caboose for some much needed caffeine.  We had a long day ahead of us and needed all the help we could get.  We loved that the coffee shop was housed in an old caboose.  It was also connected to an inn that similarly was contained in old train cars. 

Such a cute idea for a small town coffee shop.

Since we weren't able to check into the hotel until later, we decided to go wine tasting.  We drove around near the hotel until we found a winery we were curious about.  Our curiosity peaked near the conveniently located Signorello winery.  The tasting room was once the home of Mr. & Mrs. Signorello who owned the winery.  The house turned tasting room sat at the top of a hill with an infinity pool that looked over the vineyard.  We were able to have our tasting outside sitting by the pool staring out at the beautiful scenery.

Now that's a view!

Tasting cabernet sauvignon from different years... yum!

After our tasting, it was time to check in and get ready for the rehearsal dinner.  The dinner was held at Sequoia Grove winery, which is a favorite of the bride and groom.  As we entered the winery tasting room, we were handed a glass of Rebellious White, which is one of their new blends.  It was absolutely delicious!  I don't normally love white wine, but the blend put together all my favorite whites to come up with the perfect summer drink.  With wine in hand, hubby and I caught up with old friends and enjoyed the evening eating al fresco.

Saturday was the wedding, and as a bridesmaid that meant I spent the day getting ready with the bride.  It was so nice to spend time with my friends, many of whom have been scattered across the U.S.  We listened to fun music while getting our hair and makeup done and discussing final details.  The day seemed to go by in a blur, especially as the wedding ceremony got closer.  The ceremony was stunning, being held in the front lawn of a gorgeous private residence in Napa.  The reception was held in the backyard with a view of vines and rolling hills.  From burlap table runners to a cheese plate dessert, the reception was every bit a classic wine country wedding.  The weather was perfect with near air conditioned temperature and a light breeze.  Guests enjoyed themselves thoroughly from wine to dinner to dancing.  It was definitely a night to remember.

 The ceremony setting... so beautiful!

That's me coming down the aisle and trying not to fall in my heels while walking down the gravel walk way.

Hubby spent his Saturday hiking, and this is one of his views... not too shabby.

Sunday was our last day in Napa.  We woke up naturally, glad to be able to sleep in after a long night of dancing.  During our first trip to Napa, we had enjoyed a dinner at Mustards Grill and decided to go there again for lunch.  The food was fresh and delicious, which was exactly what we needed.  Afterwards, we drove around Napa before settling on a wine tasting at Pine Ridge vineyards.  We didn't necessarily need to be drinking anymore wine, but when in Napa...

 

I almost forgot to snap a shot of my delicious lunch.  I had these crostinis with roasted garlic, sundried tomatoes, and goat cheese... so simple, but so good!

 We could tell our food at Mustards was fresh just by the taste, but the vegetable and herb garden in front of the restaurant assured us of the food's freshness too.

 One last tasting before leaving Napa.

We explored some of downtown Napa, which we hadn't done before.  We checked out the Oxbow market, which reminded us of New York's Chlesea Market.

It was quite a weekend!