Ever have a vacation you think is just cursed? You try to get the trip off the ground, only for it to get cancelled time and again. That was my wife’s & I endeavor at a wonderful tour through the Napa Valley region. But here’s how our NoCal journey finally took a turn for the best.
Three Years In the Making
April 15, 2020. That was our original arrival date to Napa, CA. Like most folks, it received the COVID cancellation. What was sad about losing out on that initial experience is the milestone of it all. For myself and my wife, it was to celebrate our milestone 10th wedding anniversary. And for my wife’s friend — one half of the couple traveling with us — it was her 40th birthday.
So, there’s a sort of magic that was lost in what would have been that particular version of the trip. But others lost far more during COVID, including loved ones. Even though it was disappointing to cancel all of our plans, I tried to keep the proper perspective in light of the circumstances.
Two Failed Attempts
With COVID almost completely in the rear view, my wife & I tried our Napa weekend once again in October 2022. A different trip this time around to be sure. For one, the other couple was not going to join us. Also, my wife was tacking it onto a work trip (as you can imagine, it wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun mixing business with pleasure — but still we were excited). Lastly, we were going in autumn as opposed to spring. I’m honestly not sure if that would’ve made a huge impact one way or the other. I imagine seasons can play a role, whether that’s simply scenic views or grape maturation. Regardless, why is it we didn’t go? Because my wife had a separate work conflict arise; one she had to prioritize above her Napa conference. And so with that trip came our second failed attempt to make it to wine country. I see an unfortunate pattern starting to develop. Will the next one be third time’s a charm or will it be three strikes?
One Week Out ... One Magical Weekend
“Pack your bags! It’s almost time for your trip to Napa.” That’s the message we received from Airbnb the days leading up to our vacation. As we made our final payment, I was still a bit skeptical; nervous even. Just waiting for the other shoe to drop. But a week later we actually boarded our flight … took off … and, finally, we made it! Time to see what Napa is all about.
Despite setbacks with prior attempts to get to Napa, this incarnation turned out to be one hell of a weekend getaway. Was it perfect? No. But every vacay has a hiccup or two. Bottom line: it was perfect enough. That’s all that matters. Here are the highlights of our couples weekend.
Day One — Thursday
First stop, Scoma. Time to do the touristy thing and grab lunch down in San Fran's famed Fisherman’s Wharf before driving up to Napa. And Scoma was a great spot to try some local seafood. Their Golden Spotted Bass, a native fish, paired with a San Francisco wheat beer was a great kickoff as we watched a seal swim by us in the harbor. Not many other U.S. cities where you can enjoy a lunch experience like that. We followed it up with a drive down Lombard Street (the most crooked street in the world), a quick pass by the “Tanner house” of Full House lore, and a trek across my fave Frisco site, the Golden Gate Bridge. Can’t have a better start to the vacay, other than us inadvertently running into rush hour traffic. But oh well.
Once we got to Napa, we hit up Oxbow Public Market, a local food hall. Nothing too crazy for a first night in town as a long day of travel started to set in. A quick bite to eat, a nice cocktail, and then off to bed. 40-year-olds need their rest. Ha.
Day Two — Friday
Well-rested, I snuck out while the others slept in so I could do a Peloton power walk around downtown Napa. I got some drip coffee and fresh baked croissants at The Model Bakery. While English muffins are their specialty, their almond croissant was heaven in a pastry.
Before long we made our way to the train station to board our 10:15am reservation aboard the Napa Wine Train Legacy Experience. This four-hour excursion was loaded with food and wine, including an appetizer, entrée, cheese & bread plate, dessert, and four healthy pours. But that’s not all. We made stops at both Charles Krug and V. Sattui; the latter being by far the better of the two wineries. Not coincidentally, V. Sattui is where we purchased the most bottles to ship home. I'm looking forward to uncorking many of them in the months to come.
For dinner we turned to Morimoto for a bit of Japanese cuisine. With a robust menu of Asian apps, mains, and sushi, it’s hard to get a better bite in Napa (or anywhere) than Morimoto. I was slightly disappointed with their bowl of ramen, expecting it to be Michelin-level quality like their namesake chef. But the sushi was fire. It was some of the best of which I've ever partaken.
Day Three — Saturday
Making another trip to The Model Bakery, this time for the English muffins, I can see why Oprah Winfrey named these baked goods among her “favorite things” two years in a row and has them personally flown to her. They’re simply beyond delicious.
That aside, the best part of the day (and best part of the trip) came a few hours later. My wife and I celebrated our 13th anniversary alone for our next venture: a wine tasting and dim sum pairing at The Prisoner Wine Company. It was one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever enjoyed. If ever you’re in Napa, it’s a must-do.
Meeting back up with our friends, we headed to Del Dotto Estate Winery & Caves for a different type of tasting, with pours coming directly out of the barrels as we walked the long, narrow cave where they house much of their upcoming selections. It was quite a fun tour.
To cap off the day, we did dinner at Ristorante Allegria. Though the food was perfectly fine, it was about at this point when the totality of the trip was starting to take its toll. There is indeed a such thing as too much food and too much wine, and we were certainly flirting with both.
Day Four — Sunday
Time for our last day in Napa. Not sure we had much left in us; however, a solid night of sleep added enough gas in the tank for just one more day — err, one more half-day to be frank.
Easily our favorite joint-couple experience of the trip, our stop at Caymus was everything you want out of a Napa vacation. The perfect décor and ambiance with a private table and comfy seats tucked below a storybook viney archway. There were breathtaking views of the rolling Napa hills, the most delicious red wine of the trip, and we had an incredible host and wine educator named Steve who made every sip memorable. As I tried to soak it all in, I had to take a deep breath because of how astounding every detail of that moment was. Pure bliss.
With time in-between our Caymus appointment and final wine reservation, we hit up a couple of local spots to get some eats and relax for a spell. Both detours turned out to be perfectly on-point surprises. Our host at Caymus, Steve, recommended we stop at La Luna for some great authentic street tacos. He wasn’t lying. They were fantastic.
Next we made our way over to the Oakville Grocery. Not your typical market, Oakville is a hopping little spot to buy groceries or have a laidback picnic with, of course, a bottle of wine. Offering such fare as wood-fire pizzas, sandwiches, and charcuterie boards, it's an ideal stop if you're looking for a true to life Napa lunch.
Down to our last winery, we arrived at Duckhorn ... a reservation that, pre-trip, was looking to be one of the highlights of the entire weekend. But I guess the vacay Gods had other plans.
To be honest, this wasn't exactly our favorite experience. What's odd is we all enjoy Duckhorn wine. So, it's not the product. But between all of us being on fumes at this point, the setup of this tasting — hosting us in a board room felt cold and uninviting; the opposite of the more chillaxed vibes at Caymus — and our wine host being a bit stuffy, we were left unimpressed.
To make matters worse, it was one of the more expensive bookings of our weekend. Not quite the way you want to wrap up an otherwise incredible vacation. Still, it made for some pretty photos. So, there's that.
Putting a bow on this trip, we took in some French fare at Bouchon from Chef Thomas Keller, the multiple James Beard award winner. Remember when I said we were on fumes at Duckhorn? Yeah, well, nothing changed in the hours between that visit and being seated at Bouchon. If not for the "when in Rome" mentality of being able to say you went to a Thomas Keller eatery in Napa, I'm not sure we would've kept this rez. Yes, my meal (steak frites) was good (highlighted by the truffle fries and the very tasty aioli sauce), but the menu itself left a little to be desired. I had a harder time convincing myself what I DID want to eat, versus there being so many great options that I couldn't decide what I DIDN'T want. Alas, when in Rome. Been there, done it now.
Until Next Wine
Napa definitely didn’t disappoint and in no way will it be our last time visiting. There’s just too much great wine, too much delicious food, and too many pleasant memories. Only next time, hopefully, we can make it here on the first try.
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