Napa

After San Francisco we drove over to Napa for some relaxation and copious amounts of wine.  We did one full day of winery touring and wine tasting, which was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.

Our first stop was at Black Stallion Winery.  If you get there be sure to try the 2007 Oak Knoll Merlot.  This Merlot is phenomenal - it tastes the way that a Merlot should!

Black Stallion Winery

Black Stallion Winery

Next we drove over to Mumm Napa to check out their art collections.  When I visited they were featuring an exhibit by photographer Art Rogers which juxtaposed photos of families throughout the years.  A photo from a couple's wedding would be placed alongside a photo of them in the same spot 5 years later with their children.  The photos were beautiful and I particularly loved one of Art Rogers' quotes that was displayed on the wall which read: "Some people see growing older as degeneration, I see regeneration".  The winery also features an impressive collection of Ansel Adams photographs.

Mumm Napa

After Mumm Napa we headed off to Castello di Amorosa, which is a gorgeous castle/winery in Napa.  Unfortunately I lost my tasting notes for the wines (sorry!) but I know that I loved the 2007 Napa Valley Sangiovese because I bought it :).  The castle itself is gorgeous and very reminiscent of the castles in Italy (which is likely because the owner studied medieval castles and has a property in Italy - the influences are all in there).  Enough of my rambling though, check it out:

Castello di Amorosa

Wine Barrels at Castello di Amorosa

Castello di Amorosa

Castello di Amorosa

Wine bottles at Castello di Amorosa

The Castle

After visiting Castello di Amorosa we headed over to another Dario Sattui owned winery, V.Sattui Winery.  The grounds are gorgeous and they sell not only wine but also cheeses, deli products, and amazing olive oils, marinades, etc etc.  We even picked up a bottle of kiwi marinade for our chicken that night that was incredible!

V.Sattui

V.Sattui

V.Sattui

V. Sattui

All in all it was a fantastic day in Napa.  Though I could have bought wine at every winery we visited I had to limit myself to my customs alloted amount... unfortunately.  Here are my spoils from the day:

Yum, yum!