Travel California: Spring Adventure – Napa for One
Travel California: Spring Adventure – Napa for One
By Diane Leone
With two full days and 3 nights to spend in Napa in the spring, I was determined to make the most of it without being exhausted. So, I rented a convertible and after arriving in San Francisco at 10:00pm on a Friday night, drove with the top down to Napa. I was feeling pretty confident because I had my TomTom and it got me there in good time. The next day I determined the plug in the car didn’t work and the battery life in the TomTom alone got me to my Napa hotel that late Friday night. It was definitely a good sign that it was going to be a wonderful weekend.
Travel California: Spring Adventure – Napa for One
Napa was perfect this particular weekend: 80 degrees with blue skies and no humidity. Even if its not quite that warm, it’s beautiful to be in Napa Valley anytime really. There are the rolling hills as far as the eye can see with grapevines, rose bushes, and all sorts of incredible foliage blooming-be sure to have allergy medicine with you just in case you need it as it is a beautiful assault on your senses. This is one thing I had not counted on and I was surprised by the attack on my sinuses but there was no way I was going to put the top up on this wonderful convertible. No, I was going to drive everywhere in Napa with the top down and I loved every minute of it.
Napa in Spring
When Napa is mentioned don’t you immediately think of wine and wineries? This is the main reason to visit of course. However, there has been a renaissance of sorts going on in downtown Napa the past five years that makes downtown Napa worth visiting. I had the opportunity to experience some very local eateries. They were all were divine.
The Model bakery is a must visit for breakfast, known to locals for their fresh bread and best English muffin breakfast sandwiches around. They are famous for the English muffins they fry right there on site. Like every weekend, I found a line out the door, mostly locals but a few lucky visitors, like me, were in the mix and it was worth the wait. The address is 644 First St. And it’s tucked away so you might have to search a bit for it but it really is worth it. I took my breakfast sandwich to go, and walked around the corner to the Oxbrow Market where, among other amazing specialty shops, I found a wonderful cup of coffee at Ritual Coffee. Visiting downtown Napa is a must. It’s quaint and reflects Napa at its best with numerous Zagat rated restaurants to choose from for lunch or dinner.
There are many wine regions to choose from but to really get a good feel for them, choose one, like Napa, and focus on it for a few days. It gives you a real understanding of and appreciation for the area and is more enjoyable and relaxed than trying to squeeze in several cities in one trip.
Travel Napa, California
With about 200 different soils found on earth and Napa having around 100 of them right in the valley, this makes for great wines and wineries. It’s the soil that influences the grapes that deliver those amazing wines. With wine as the main topic everywhere you go in Napa, the wine tasting experience is a must. There are wine tasting rooms in downtown Napa and various group tours that will take you by bus to wineries for tastings. However, if you want to sample some truly unique wines that can’t be found everywhere, and see some beautiful wineries, call on Perata Luxury Tours. I took a custom tour with a delightful driver who took me around to my appointed tastings. I had such a special experience as I was introduced to private boutique wineries-some open to the public, others so small they are completely private. Fontanella Family Winery, Porter Family Vineyard, and the Robinson Family Vineyards are the three remarkable boutique wineries I visited while in Napa. There are others to choose from and you can customize your tour. If you want food and wine parings or a wine and chocolate tasting, these can all be arranged. I found myself comparing my first trip to Napa which was a tasting tour that starts in San Francisco with quite a journey to get to Napa and you spend the day getting on a bus and off a bus, being nudged through the winery tour and tastings and hopping back on the bus again. I honestly preferred the slower pace of the private tour and less wines to taste created a better experience for me.
I found a wonderful winery, Artesa, with splendid wine and beautiful artwork on display. Artesa Winery sits high and actually into a hilltop, giving visitors breathtaking views of Napa Valley and San Francisco Bay. It is owned by the Raventos family of Spain and focuses on producing small lots of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. I enjoyed the Tasting Room with a tasting of four wines. They offer special events throughout the year so check their website to see what’s happening during the dates you will be in Napa. It is a beautiful winery with amazing views, interesting artwork and décor and fabulous wines.
Artesa Winery in Napa
Artesa Wine Tasting
Eating is a must while in Napa and there are many great restaurants to choose from. I wanted to eat like the locals. My first visit: The Restaurant Pearl. It is small and open with the owners, Pete and Nickie Zeller working onsite with Chef Jose Bravo Guzman. (could place The Restaurant Pearl photo here) Make reservations as this is a favorite for locals and it’s a small, intimate space. The food is fresh and light with artfully prepared plates.
The Pearl Restaurant Meal
Another locals restaurant is Azzuro’s on Main St. downtown. Azzuro’s has a modern décor and the food is served fresh from local sources. Local winery owners are known to frequent this establishment with their families. The vibe is good here. I enjoyed the unique and fresh foods and of course, the wine was amazing.
Azzuro’s Meal – Napa, California
Downtown Napa offers Oenotri, a delightful restaurant for a light pizza or salad during the day with sparkling water and a glass of wine and to finish it off. Try the Meyer Lemon Granita for the finishing touch. It was the perfect lunch after walking around downtown in the morning.
There are many B&B’s and hotels to choose from. Stay as close as possible to downtown to maximize your time. I stayed at the Embassy Suites hotel close to downtown. It was beautiful and offered breakfast cooked to order and a wonderful center garden and pool with beautiful white and black swans.
The true story of Napa can be found with a book entitled: Judgment of Paris. The book, written by George M. Taber, tells the story of wines from Napa beating French Wines and taking the wine industry worldwide by storm. It would be a perfect read before the trip or for those lazy afternoons in Napa. Maybe I’ll read it before I make my next trip to Napa because I definitely plan on going back.
Getting There:
Fly into San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and rent a car. There is no easy way to get-there you have to drive. The convertible definitely made the drive quite nice.
If You Go:
For hotels, events, restaurants and more information on Napa visit: www.NapaValley.com.
The Model Bakery
Oxbow Public Market
644 1st Street, Bldg. B
Napa, CA 94559
www.TheModelBakery.com
(2 locations, Napa & St. Helena, CA)
Oenotri Restaurant
1424 First Street
Napa, CA 94559
707.252.1022
www.oenotri.com
Azzuro’s Pizzeria e Enoteca
1260 Main Street
Napa, CA 94559
707.255.5552
www.azzurropizzeria.com
The Restaurant Pearl – CLOSED
1339 Pearl St.
Napa, CA 94559
Perata Luxury Tours
1436 2nd Street
Ste 188
Napa, CA 94559
707.227.8271
www.perataluxurycarservices.com
Artesa Winery
1345 Henry Road
Napa, CA 94559
707.224.1668
www.artesawinery.com
Diane Leone
Bio:
Diane Leone is a professional travel & lifestyle journalist and photographer with two published books available on Amazon.com and numerous articles published both online and in print publications. Diane writes about her travels with a unique voice and gives a unique perspective of being a woman traveling alone and often writes about adventures and experiences with the hope that women will be inspired to travel and explore the world.
Diane has many areas of interests and experiences and enjoys writing about many topics including non-fiction articles about travel, food, wine, events, interior design, lifestyle, home decor, history, education reform and architecture. Diane is a marketing & PR consultant, Interior Designer and a public speaker.
www.DianeLeone.com
www.OneWomansTravels.com
Find Diane on Instagram: DianeLeone
2 Responses to Travel California: Spring Adventure – Napa for One