In a continuation of my last entry, I just had to go into more detail about my recent trip to California. While in Napa, we stayed at the Napa River Inn at the Historic Napa Mill. We were very pleased with our experience there. I loved the intimate, cozy feel of the property, and their restaurant, Angele, was divine!

On our second and third days in wine country, we had tours booked all day, so we decided to hire a driver to drive us around in our rental car. This is totally worth the expense! Lou, our driver, was extremely knowledgeable about the area and wine in general. He also took candid photos of us at the vineyards without us knowing. The vineyards we chose to visit prior to arriving in Napa were Cakebread, Jarvis, Caymus, Del Dotto and Joseph Phelps. Jarvis and Del Dotto were both cave wineries, and of the two, I enjoyed the experience at Jarvis much more — although it was pretty cool to see Dave del Dotto, the real estate infomercial king, tasting with customers and taking pictures in the foyer of his winery. The Cakebread tasting was a very personal tour. I am a big lover of their Chardonnay, and so for me, it was a top pick. Joseph Phelps was absolutely stunning, and their tasting was very casual. They encouraged you to take your time and taste as you wish while enjoying the views from their outdoor patio. The last vineyard we visited was Aonair, and it turned out to be the best. Lou knew the young owner and winemaker, Grant Long, Jr., and asked if we could stop by to meet him and taste at his home. As we pulled into the gated driveway and drove down the hill, I was amazed at the home sitting in front of me. The second home, located next to the main house resembling a castle, includes a tasting room and a huge deck overlooking the vineyards. We sat with Gavin and tasted his favorites. He couldn’t have been more down to earth and passionate about farming and the science of winemaking. As we watched the sunset from his porch, I felt very fortunate to have experienced such a beautiful part of our country.

— Christie Rhodes, advertising manager eastern region

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