Calistoga Day Three...

Holy crap it’s already day 3!!

Today was the day we decided to head down south.  I really wanted to revisit Domaine Caneros and I knew I would end up purchasing a few bottles (which I did!) so off we went!

Our reservation was at 11 but we rolled in just after 10am.  The drive down was just beautiful.  My iPod blasting my “Happy Playlist” and Lisa and I laughing and singing along at times.  We chilled in the parking lot a while finishing up our lyrical amaziness and then headed up about 10:30.   

Back to my favorite!

The blondes do Napa

They were super cool and sat us early.  We sat in almost the same exact spot as Libby and I did last year.  So awesome.  I opted this time for the more expensive flight and Lisa decided just to do a glass of the Pinot.  I also ordered the smoked salmon plate to get some food in my belly and it was absolutely delicious!

I could die happy

I loved all the varietals I tasted but didn’t end up buying any due to the cost.  I did purchase some of the ones I purchased last year though and remembered how much I enjoyed them. 

  

This was one of my favorite moments.  Sitting at this beautiful winery that over looked the Sonoma valleys, drinking delectable wine and eating yummy fresh smoked salmon is seriously my heaven.  I was so happy and basked in the moment.  It's times like these I would like to actually grab time and just say wait...wait for just a little longer.  It all goes by so fast!

1 Champagne and 2 Pinot Noirs!

After this Lisa wanted to check out the downtown a bit so we headed to Oxbow Market – another regular visit when Libby and I were here.  We wandered around then opted for lunch at CA Momi.  It was a bit different than before, but still very yummy.  I got a prosciutto sandwich and Lisa a spaghetti with a fishy type sauce.  We of course accompanied our food with some Pinot Noir.  Yum! 

Drunken adding

Wandering around the market a bit more, I picked up some cupcakes for a surprise gift for Libby (you all remember the cupcake saga from last year right?) and then we grabbed a cup of coffee and enjoyed some mini cupcakes so Lisa could taste the hype.

We decided then to head up Silverado Trail and hit Miner Winery per the recommendation of the guy over at Rutherford.  And what a recommendation it was!  This winery was another family winery.  You went upstairs to the tasting room and a very cool ginger helped us out.  We just did one taste we’d share.  It was fantastic!  The reds were ok, but I actually loved the Rose and the Sauvignon Blanc!  Um who am I???!!!!  We tasted a few at the bar then chilled outside on the beautiful patio a bit while we finished the flight.  I ended up buying the 2 whites.  WHITES!!!!  I did also pick up a bottle for my sis in law.  I'd told her I'd get her a bottle of wine for her birthday.  I chose the Syrah which was quite good and a bit on the fruity side.  It was actually a wine that the Miner folks got together with the other fellow they share a vineyard with and came up with this yummy wine.  I'd like to come back to this one and make a reservation for one of their cave tours the guy was talking about.  I really liked them alot!

Self timer at Miner

View from Miner

The Miner folks recommended Chimney Rock Winery so we backtracked 6 miles joking that this place better be worth it.  Well funny enough the wine wasn’t (This was literally the only place I didn't buy wine) but the experience was! The wines were ok, but the prices!!  Ouch.

This is where we met Rick – a quirky guy with long curly hair who supposedly is a mechanical engineer.  Now – I want to believe him, and I’m sure it’s all true – I mean he did show us some pictures but it was so random! Ha!  Him and Lisa hit it off and chatted the whole time. 

Thanks for the wine Rick!

 She’s like a dude magnet.  He offered to pay for us to do another tasting…um ok!  So there we were chatting and laughing with this random guy.  He is married and super cool and talked of all sorts of things and really wanted us to join him for dinner which we politely declined, but he did pay for our tasting.  When we said our goodbyes we went to pay for our original tasting and they laughed and said don’t worry about it.  Rick seemed to be a favorite of the Chimney Rock folks (he’s one of their more colorful wine club members I’m assuming) and we didn’t have to pay.  Rad!!!!!  So that was fucking awesome.  

We then headed back to our motel to unload our goodies and then wander into town for our nightly dinner hunt.  We walked into town a bit earlier and got to check out some of the local stores.  One of my favorites was Studio Kokomo.  Really lovely artwork and photography and I almost bought one of the hand-painted wine glasses but decided not to.  I may just have to make another trip up here for one of these glasses.  He he he!  I did end up getting cute tank at one of the little boutiquey stores though.

We landed at Hyrdo Grill for dinner – a place Lisa remembered from college as a pasta place they used to frequent, but we were happy with what it was now.  She got herself a fish burger and myself a turkey burger.  Very good!  We again – guess what – yup got wine.   By now I was starting to feel the wine a bit.  

I heart this pic of us

We then headed over to Brannans again for a drink at the bar, hoping to run into Lexi.  We did!  We each got a glass of Pinot and this is when I realized I was getting pretty tipsy.  Lexi came over and said "Hey!  It's my girls!!!!"  and we exchanged phone numbers to meet up later, but here I am typing this blog with quite the buzz and swollen ankle (I’ll get to in a minute) and I don’t think it’s going to happen.  Anywhoo – great night! 

Pretty tipsy at this point

Lisa and I then tipsly headed back a different way to our motel and happened upon a playground.  Now – when you’ve been drinking – common sense tends to leave you.  Lisa said she could hop over the fence and did just that, swinging a bit on the tire swing.  I stayed outside snapping photos.  She tried to hope back over and it did not end up as graceful as she hoped…slight injury.  I then felt the need to show her the proper way to hop over a fence.  My hop over was fucking awesome and exactly what I wanted to prove.  My hop back over was not.  I was wearing fancy flip flops with a slight heel, oh and I’m "Not Sober" as we called it,  and landed very wrong.  Slightly sprained ankle which is now a bit swollen.  So ya that happened.

Before the fence incident

We’ve now been back in our room laughing and eating the junk food I bought at the store.  Lisa did a dramatic reading of yesterdays blog:

Ready for her Oscar

And now I’m probably going to pass right out and hope not to be too hungover tomorrow.  This has been an awesome day!!!!

Oh and PS – Lisa is a writer and she’s been coming up with titles of memoirs.  Mine is “Delicious”.  I love this.  I really think it’s super appropriate.  So be on the lookout….Jami’s memoir coming titled “Delicious”.

Yes.