A Weekend in Napa

My whirlwind summer has officially commenced, starting two weekends ago with a bachelorette party for my good friend Lindsay in Napa, CA. June was a beautiful time to visit wine country, and it had been quite a while since I was last in the Napa/Sonoma area. Napa these days is a little bit like the "Disneyland" of wine country. Not only did we see other bachelorette parties roaming the wine scene, but we also spotted another "Future Mrs. Gutierrez!" What are the odds? Good, apparently! However, if you know where to stay and sip, it is still possible to have a Napa experience that is uniquely yours. This past weekend was a case in point!

 

Getting ready for wine tasting at Frog's Leap

 Our adorable ranch house accommodations at the home of the Maid of Honor's friend, winemaker Jason Holman

 

We stopped by at the Culinary Institute of America. Next time, it would be fun to make a reservation at their on-site restaurant! 

 

We explored their magical kitchen shop

 

And hung out in the cookbook store 

 

Tasted wine in a beautiful garden in Rutherford

And for dinner we had delicious Parisian food at Bistro Jeanty

 

The green bean salad with goat cheese was amazing!!

 

 

The next morning, we tasted TEN wines at the by-appointment-only Holman Cellars, the wine label owned by our amazing weekend hosts. I sadly had to drive, so only took a tiny sip of each.

 

They pulled out all the stops, including a meat and cheese platter to accompany our tasting! Thank you Lindsay Gutierrez for bringing together lovely friends for an amazing weekend!