Wine-ing Down in Napa Valley
Sit down, relax.
You'll notice that there are four empty glasses in front of you, don't worry. It'll be filled shortly but in the meantime, let me ask you, have you eaten yet? If not, can I suggest going across the way and grabbing a bite to eat. Trust me, you won't regret it. Go ahead, I'll be right here.
A brief amount of sleep, but on one of the most comfiest beds at Loews Hotels and a short plane ride later, I landed in Somona and took a one hour car ride to Napa. In celebration of my 29th birthday, I decided to take a girls trip up to Napa and do what Napa is known best for - wine tasting. Of course, we wouldn't survive on an empty stomach so we made a pit stop at Oakville Grocery, just across the way from Durant and Booth, where our tasting would be - and unbeknown to us, where we would meet one of the best hosts we ever had.
The first thing you'll notice about Oakville Grocery is how quaint and cute it is. Established in 1881, Oakville Grocery carries the original fruit roll-ups, local favorites, and one of the most visually appealing and delicious deli. Oh and yes, coffee shop is included. I highly recommend their caramel latte, so good.
We literally spent 30 minutes walking around Oakville Grocery taking photos (because every corner in there is totally Instagrammable) and debating on what to get. I ended up with two jars of polar opposite items and a side of fresh pickles.
Lunch was prepared for us, allowing us to try a variety of sandwiches they offer. Phoenix and I are unfortunately lactose and had the vegetable wrap and the very popular blue crab sandwich. Both were amazing, along with their brussels sprouts, Asian (cold) noodles, and a good looking pesto pasta salad (that Phoenix and I also couldn't touch). Pau enjoyed the rest for us and loved it all, so I trust her.
After lunch, we headed back to Durant and Booth for our wine tasting session.
I've been to my fair share of historical homes, but this by far is one of the most gorgeous places I've stepped into. Pau and I ran around snapping photos for a solid 30 minutes. I couldn't get over how beautiful Durant and Booth was, from the way the light hit inside to the gorgeous chandeliers. After my eye-gasm, we finally sat down and proceeded to learn about the history of the wines we were about to drink. Our hostess, Erica, was one of the best hosts I've ever had - and that is not the wine talking. We spent over 3 hours at Durant and Booth, sipping and laughing away. It was one of the best disconnecting sessions I've had in awhile, aside from the night before at Lock & Key but I was disconnected only because I was drunk (hah).
We wrapped our session with farewell hugs, promising to come back the next time we visit. With a buzz and my unfortunate Asian glow, we retreated back to our room for a quick nap before dinner.
Dinner reservations were at Minimashi, a trendy new Japanese restaurant in town. The decor and service was great, food was also well done, and the dessert is a must. Phoenix and I took a few dangerous bites as we couldn't resist the soft serve and waffle bowl cone. This is a great place to go for girls night or date night, and we also saw a few large groups enjoying themselves as well. Be warned, the bathroom is a bit of a far walk at the end of a long hallway and wearing 6" ankle booties was not the best choice. Overall, we had a great time and left with major food coma.
Napa Valley is always a good idea and I am so glad that I was able to experience this with my best babes. Thank you Visit Napa for setting this up for us and the Marriott for the stay! We will certainly be back soon.
