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Without a care

If I could turn back time, if I could find a way, I would re-live last Sunday–it was that perfect.

Natasha and I had decided to play tourist and were off to Far Niente for a tour and taste. Have you been? As you head north on Hwy 29, about a quarter mile (or less) past Mustards, you’ll see a wooded knoll off to the left and a beautiful stone building with dormer windows and copper trim. That oasis is Far Niente.

The bulbs are in full bloom right know, and the grounds are lush and green and impeccably kept. Our host, Zach, regaled us with stories of the property’s past: how it lay fallow during prohibition and became a teen hangout. Gil Nickel rescued the property in 1979 and today it is evident that Far Niente is a special place, well-loved and cared for.

What can I say? The caves are incredible (40,000 square feet!), the car collection amazing and the wines delicious. Natasha and I each purchased the 2006 Chardonnay and 2008 En Route Pinot Noir. A note about the pinot: though En Route is a sister winery, the wine isn’t bottled at Far Niente–hence, you can’t taste it at Far Niente. However, you can order it by the glass at Mustards (and by the bottle at other fine restaurants), and so Natasha and I took leaps of faith and bought bottles and then swung by Mustards to see what we had gotten ourselves into.

We were not disappointed and, in fact, toasted our good sense in purchasing the Pinot. The restaurant was packed, by the way, and at the bar, everyone was talking about the USA/Canada hockey game. We sipped our Pinot Noir and ate a most delish calamari with curried slaw and Fresno chilis and decided that Canada must have one. (We were right.)

It doesn’t take much to have a great day in the Napa Valley (or–let’s face it–anywhere, if you have the right mindset): you just need sunshine, flowers, good wine and a good friend.

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Posted in Oakville. Tagged with .

By Rachelle
March 6, 2010

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Friendship, the best wine pairing

Back Room WinesFriday night Julie and I hit up Back Room Wines. (We had planned on taking advantage of the Cuvee happy hour, but the place was standing room only.) Have you ever been to Back Room Wines? Because I’ll confess, I never had! It’s awful but true, and I really don’t have any excuse except that life gets a hold and one (sometimes) doesn’t break out of routine. I am happy to add Back Room to my routine.

We perched at the bar and split a cheese plate and enjoyed the night’s featured “Unusual Grape” tasting. The wines? Check them out:

My favorites? The Kofererhof, York Creek and Renardat–I walked away with the Renardat. A hard decision, I assure you. I think it was the slight effervescence that got me. I’m ready for spring, aren’t you?

We tasted wine over talk about the week and our lives. You know, there’s a lot of conversation about which food goes best with which wine, and it can be stressful to figure out–those of us less learned afraid to look the fool. Well, here’s an easy rule: wine goes best with friendship. It doesn’t matter the cheese, the fish or steak. If you’re among friends, you can always laugh off the mistakes.

(Photo courtesy my iPhone.)

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Posted in Napa. Tagged with .

By Rachelle
March 1, 2010

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Valentine’s Day Weekend: Darioush, Las Posadas and Ol’ Blue Eyes

Were you in the Napa Valley this past weekend? If not, why not? Everyone else was! I have not seen the valley so packed since … I don’t know when. It was a perfect storm of spectacular weather, eye-popping mustard blooms, Valentine’s Day and President’s Day.

As promised in the previous post, Joel and I got in on the wine and cheese pairing at Darioush on Saturday. We had a lovely time. Our hosts, Rick and Paul, were knowledgeable and gracious and we enjoyed the pairings very much. Who doesn’t like cheese? Who doesn’t like wine? Who doesn’t like discovering how tastes of each enhance and alter flavors? Another couple on the tour raved about Duel, saying it is their house wine. Wineries take heart: there are people out there, even in this economy, that have $45 bottles of wine stashed away for everyday drinking. We bought a couple of bottles–for a special occasion. (Such are our resources.)

Sunday we took full advantage of the great weather. One of the county’s best kept secrets is Las Posadas State Forest located behind Pacific Union College in Angwin–you know that wee town atop Howell Mountain. We’d just started our hike when we came upon four Irish Wolfhounds! Let me tell you, it’s startling to encounter four dogs the size of small ponies!

The forest is lovely there and has everything a forest could want: oaks, redwoods, madrone, mossy rocks, and lots and lots of poison oak. There’s a spot that looks out over Pope Valley.  In the darkest parts of the forest you can almost imagine trolls or elves or some such craziness trotting out onto the path. (There! I have an imagination!)

Sunday night we joined friends at the Lincoln Theater for a Sinatra tribute concert, performed by Steve Lippia and the Napa Valley Symphony. It’s true that we were among the youngest there, but I didn’t care. There’s nothing like a few Sinatra tunes to get you through Valentine’s Day.

(Photos courtesy my iPhone)

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Posted in Angwin, Napa, Yountville. Tagged with , , .

By Rachelle
February 19, 2010

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If you can’t stand the smoke …

… get out of the cigar shop! Well, technically Baker Street Downtown isn’t just a purveyor of cigars, but when we walked in Thursday night for the Silver Oak/Twomey and La Toque pairing, the predominant “note” was essence of cigar. This shouldn’t have been a surprise, but we three innocents (Natasha, Robin and I) were surprised by the great clouds of smoke. We tried to play it cool and sipped our sips and tasted our tastes.

But the clouds of cigar smoke seemed to hang right at my eye/nose level–inconvenient. So we didn’t stay long–just long enough to chat with some people we knew and to take note of the handsome watches and lighters. (There were some gorgeous lighters there–sleek enough to make me wish I had the temerity to light up.)

By the way, the wine was delish (I had a Merlot and cab, I think) and so were the bites from La Toque, offered by Ken Frank himself–definite treats despite the haze.

(Photo courtesy my iPhone)

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Posted in Napa. Tagged with , , , .

By Rachelle
February 15, 2010

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Get thee to a winery!

One of the best things about having friends visit from out of town is that it gives you a great excuse to visit wineries. Because if, like me, you are not in the wine business and if, like me, you have a bustling life, full of Other Things, it can take a monumental effort to get into a winery. (Okay, since you can’t throw a rock without hitting a winery in these parts–if you have a really, really good arm–I am clearly making this a bigger problem than it really is. I just mean to say that if one doesn’t make it a point to stop and taste, she might not ever, and this is a sad thing.)

So, yes, last Saturday friends from San Francisco lured us into joining them for tastes at Casa Nuestra and Storybook. The fact that I’d never been to Casa Nuestra is shameful, especially considering that I lived practically next door for three years. If you haven’t been, I’m sure you’ve heard the winery described as “quirky” and “down-to-earth”–and if you have stopped in for a visit, I’m sure you agree.  I tasted a Meritage and the Tinto Classico, and liked them both, though I was still reeling from lunch at Silverado Brewing Company. (New rule: I will not taste wine on a full stomach!) As we drove away I noticed a sag to the tasting room roof. With all these rains, I worry …

Next we sped up the Trail to taste at Storybook Mountain Vineyards, just north of Calistoga. We were a few minutes late for our tasting appointment and our host was closing up shop. Fortunately for us, he graciously re-opened and we learned all about Storybook and their wines. I loved the spot, nestled in the hills with a great view of Mt. St. Helena, which last Saturday was moodily buried in clouds. The winery was purchased by Sigrid and Jerry Seps in 1976–an auspicious year in my own personal history, since I was born a few miles away at St. Helena Hospital that very year. We all came away with bottles of Zinfandel and Viognier.

This coming weekend, my tasting efforts will extend to the wine and cheese tasting at Darioush–a way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with my guy, sure, but also a great excuse to get out there and experience the Napa Valley.

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Posted in Calistoga, St. Helena. Tagged with .

By Rachelle
February 12, 2010

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Bottega in the rain

I’m here to tell you that Bottega—you know Michael Chiarello’s little spot in Yountville—is great in any weather. I’ve perched on the patio on balmy summer nights and now I’ve cozied up to a great meal at a bistro table in the bar while rain poured (poured!) outside. Both are exquisite.

Robin, Natasha and I had just finished a Pilates session—you know, in the cute Pilates Napa Valley studio tucked up above the nail salon at Villagio—and so went to Bottega in our Pilates duds. I felt the most conspicuous. Thanks to an unfortunate wardrobe grab (it was dark that morning as I got ready for work & Pilates and my brain was functioning pre-caffeine, ‘k?), I was wearing a bright pink top and a red velvet blazer with snug, black pants with that so-five-years-ago “racing stripe” on the sides. I would be lying if I told you that the well-heeled ladies in the restroom didn’t give me an arched-eyebrow once-over.

This isn’t my usual MO, please understand. I like to look nice but won’t let a rainy night or Pilates-wear get in the way of a good meal with friends!

We all had the amazing shaved Brussels sprouts salad and then shared a handkerchief pasta with chanterelles and halved organic orange and purple glazed carrots. Of course, there were quartinos of Gamble syrah and of course there was lots of good conversation.

I’m here to tell you that you absolutely cannot let a less-than-stellar outfit (or pouring rain!) keep you from a good meal with good friends. That’s just silly.

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Posted in Yountville. Tagged with , .

By Rachelle
February 5, 2010

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Thursday night at Annalien

I couldn’t even think of eating breakfast this morning, so full was I from last night’s dinner at Annalien*. Testament to the deliciousness at Annalien or evidence of my own gluttony? You decide. (I dare you to sit down at the table and delicately nibble, turning away opportunities for a taste of this or that. Can’t be done.)

We were celebrating the ever-mysterious Natasha’s birthday, and we ordered plenty of food, sharing everything: spring rolls, broiled eggplant (so savory and perfect!), ginger chicken dumpling soup, bass in a banana leaf and spicy vegetable curry with tofu. Stuffed.

Anna made an appearance, of course. More than that, she sat down to chat (Robin is a long-time patron of Annalien) and upon discovering that we were dining in honor of Natasha’s birthday, she brought out a bottle of bubbly and joined us in toast after toast. Every other sentence was punctuated with the clinking of glasses—mostly for no other reason than to hear the festive sound. I tell you, it felt like New Year’s Eve.

Not a turnip or a radish but a scrumptious sorbet!

Later, Amira appeared with this lovely mango/raspberry/passion fruit sorbet in white chocolate—also on the house. Honestly, we hadn’t even considered dessert and I could barely summon the willpower to heft my spoon and take a bite. But I managed and didn’t bear a moment’s regret.

Is the fare at Annalien truly Vietnamese? There’s much debate about this on dining review sites. My expectation for the meal was to enjoy good, savory food with my good friends—are these low expectations or the very highest?—and I wasn’t disappointed. I am not an authority on Vietnamese cuisine, but my hunch is that the restaurant and food are as distinctive as Anna herself. (And, sure, I could be romanticizing the notion—I am still quite taken with the memory of the meal.)

So take a friend or three to Annalien (invite me, if you need another), order a good bottle of wine and I think you will be hard-pressed not to have a delicious time!

(Photo courtesy my iPhone)

*I’ll own up: I’ve been pronouncing Annalien wrong. It’s ANNA-LEEN–three simple syllables, as in “See Annalien against a tree.” Spread the word, because I know I’m not the only one mispronouncing the name. ;)

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Posted in Napa. Tagged with .

By Rachelle
January 29, 2010

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Let there be beouf bourguignon!

You’re looking at one former vegetarian (still “mostly vegetarian”) who whipped up a bubbling pot of beouf bourguignon yesterday. It was bound to happen: the constant rain, my brand new dutch oven (a gift from Joel–extravagant* yet practical), and a whispering inclination to handle some beef clinched it.

We used Ina Garten’s recipe, and while shoveling spoonfuls into our gullets, we murmured that we must try other beef bourguignon recipes. (I have since retracted that brilliant idea. The stew is terribly rich; my arteries, young as they are, couldn’t handle it I’m sure.)

Setting the cognac alight proved most exciting.

As Ina’s recipe suggested, we spooned the stew over thick slices of toasted, rustic bread smeared with garlic. And as I suggested, we opened a bottle of the fantastic 2006 HALL Jack’s Masterpiece Cabernet Sauvignon. (I am no wine expert, but my inexpert palate says this is a lovely, well-balanced wine and the rest of me is inclined to agree. I would love to stash away a case of this!)

And now we have leftovers. Lots and lots of leftovers. Joel is sharing them with his East bay people, and I am … well, I’m hoarding my leftovers for me and my arteries. Too bad there isn’t any of that HALL left, though.

*Extravagant because I don’t have the space for the hunk of iron!

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By Rachelle
January 25, 2010

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The napavore nests

The thunder storms this afternoon were like something right out of the southland: great, big, clapping booms, staggering flashes of light, torrents of rain. (Note to self: buy rubber boots pronto!)

Lately I have been hunkered down, nesting and not napavore-ing about too much. (Though I crave the tomato bisque at Bistro Jeanty–perfect for this sort of weather!) Yes, I’ve been spending my weekends painting and my week nights trolling the interwebs for interior design ideas. Not much blog material there. (Though I did pick up a gorgeous light fixture from Paris Hotel Boutique–a shop I highly recommend for those of you locals looking to buy local.)

There are some new eateries in town that I’ve been meaning to try. My friends rave about Mini Mango Thai Bistro (have you been?), and I’d love to pop by Norman Rose Tavern for a look-see. Maybe I can put down the paint rollers and accomplish both this weekend.

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Posted in Napa. Tagged with , .

By Rachelle
January 19, 2010

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Bottega: Need I say more?

The other night I joined my friends Melinda and Carrie for dinner at Bottega. One word: yum. I’d been a few times this last summer, but just for drinks on the terrazzo. Dinner was delicious: I had a shaved Brussels sprouts salad to start and polenta under glass for my main. They also have a great offering of heartier courses–I was feeling the effects of holiday indulgence and tried to hold back. As it turned out, the polenta dish is wonderfully rich and satisfying–perfect for a wintery evening. I have no regrets. I just need to redouble my efforts at Pilates and scale back other caloric opportunities.

There’s also a tasty looking bar menu, which I need to sample in the near future. Let me know if you’re game!

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Posted in Yountville. Tagged with , .

By Rachelle
January 10, 2010

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