away we go // st. helena and napa valley part one

to celebrate the end of my chapter as a teacher and the new beginnings as a stay at home mum, we decided to go on holiday!  

well, to be frank, we were asked by some of our good friends to accompany them awhile back on their trip to cali and we leaped at the chance like any sane human being would.  a trip to wine country just can be turned down, nosiree.  

but to be fair, our time spent in california (our second favorite state next to our home state of missouri) will serve as a premium excuse to celebrate this transition in our lives and see some of our favorite people: troy, lauren, and little charlie!  troy is andrew's brother and we get along with the three of them so well. each time we visit them it feels like home.  they are the loveliest of people and we are happy to spend some quality time with them in their sweet little city of st. helena. 

our first day here was storybook perfect.  we started it off with breakfast in their backyard, where we were welcomed with jade succulents, perfuming jasmine blossoms hanging overhead, ripening artichokes saying hello from afar, busy hummingbirds making the rounds on ruby red pomegranate leaves, and warm sunlight that gently peaked through dark green leafy branches.  what a special way to wake up.  perhaps one of the best ways.  

we started our vineyard tours with a limo, no less.  this gave us all a chance to talk and tell stories and laugh from vineyard to vineyard.  after meandering around the luscious rutherford region and a few sips of vino (for the non-pregnant folk) and pink lemonade (for this mama) we grabbed some impromptu sandwiches at soda canyon store and picnicked under the a grove of shady trees.  i had a salty prosciutto and bree cheese with avocado on warm focaccia.  

side note: if i could be any sandwich, this would be the one.  each bite was rather honest and humble in its' nature.  a quality sandwich in every sense of the word.  and it goes without saying but i'll sure proclaim: there is something so magical in a simple picnic shared with friends.  it is our favorite way to dine.  perhaps this is because it is the easiest.   but i feel it is in the sharing and togetherness that i find comfort in my picnic meals.  the straightforward nature of picnics speak to me and bring me down to earth.  they take me back to the basics and into a calmer, happier light.  so for about forty minutes we listed to the hum of bees as we shared bites of good food and sipped cold peach tea.    

after our tummies were satisfied and our brows began forming pearls of sweat, we made our way to the air conditioning, and then to palmaz vineyards up in the hills of napa.  to say that this place was pristine is a complete and utter understatement.  the scientific technology and precision used in making their natural wine process was remarkable to see firsthand.  as we walked about their underground caves discussing tannins and grape varietals, we were told about the many steps in their delicate process the grapes go through from wild vine to glass bottle.  

this unique and high end process is measured by computers and a very passionate family, as we were delighted to find out.  the tasting room was set for kings and queens, and we were treated as such.  being pregnant, i sample all of the wine, and spit a good majority if not all of it out.  just the sensation of swirling, smelling, swishing was enough for me.  to spit was no bother.  the aromatics alone gave me satisfaction.  it was a great wine tour and gave us a chance to buy some beautiful oaky chardonnay.

after palmaz, we went in the very opposite direction and visited perhaps my favorite winery to date.  its' rustic nature and beautiful people made terraces vinyards a magical experience for me.  i felt like i was stepping back in time to a pastoral tuscan village, with its aged balsamic cave, homemade honey gardens, hand-carved stone buildings, and heaps of passionate individuals ready to welcome and share.  i will never forget the people at terraces, nor their hospitality.  this wine tour was like going to home to your grandparent's farm.  it was the breath of fresh air i had been longing for.  the unpretentious nature of the wine makers at terrace was refreshing and rather blissful.  i appreciated that.  we tasted a remarkable rosé made of, surprisingly, riesling, zinfandel, and pinot grapes.  it tasted of sweet strawberries and begged to be drank in the sun with good friends.  we bought a case, which i will be patiently awaiting to sip next spring as nature starts makes its' presence known.  

our tour was given by the sweetest ryan from new zealand.  kiwis are always the most fun to be around, if you didn't know.  he made our tour a special one, letting us taste house balsamic vinegar aged both ten and sixteen years!  hearing about this ancient process was one of the most intriguing experiences i've had.  my taste buds are still dancing and not so secretly hoping to have more.  getting to lick that sweet syrup off the back of my hand in the old cave is something i'll always treasure.  what a treat, indeed.  we ended the tour at the terraces homestead with bouts of genuine laughter and sips of pear cider.  

after afternoon naps and a bit of freshening up, we found ourselves at bouchon bistro.  just a cheap ol' joint on in yountville.  i kid!  i have this longstanding foodie crush on thomas keller so eating at one of his establishments was basically a must for us/me on this trip.  i had the mussels poached in a white wine saffron broth with crispy frites served in a tin cup on the side.  and more homemade mayo than one should consume.  but really, there is no such thing as too much homemade mayo.  i think my idol julia child is looking down on me very approvingly right now.  i recommend dipping in the mayo and then the ketchup.  it takes one's fry experience to a whole other level of awesomeness.   

our evening ended with my silly husband and brother in law giving us all side aches from laughing so hard.  what a perfect way to end a more perfect napa day.  i hope this mini holiday gives us both a chance to recharge, soak up the sun on long vineyard walks, grow closer as husband and wife, and close our eyes as we murmur a many "mmmmms" throughout exquisite meal adventures.  

oh, sweet napa valley, we have missed you and are happy to be back!