honey-mooning-- day 2

Woke up to a beautiful day for biking, it was sunny but a wonderful cool breeze kept it from getting too hot. Started our day with a wonderful breakfast at the Churchill Manor. We had polenta with jack cheese, salsa and a poached egg along with the usual rolls and fruit. (There is no shortage of tasty food nor wine in Napa!)

Then we were off to the bike shop to meet up for our ride. We were joined by two couples, one from Virginia and the other from San Diego. They were both very nice, but definitely in a different stage of life than we were. We have found that in general - Napa attracts older, well-heeled tourists. Since we are relatively young, and just getting established (i.e. not rich) one could say we are getting a head start on savoring some of life's pleasures. But really - why wait?


It was marvelous to be sailing through such amazing scenery today. The rows of green vines with grapes just ripening into maturity are really beautiful. Something about row after row of evenly planted vines stretching out as far as the eye can see is just breathtaking!

Today we stopped at Koves-Newlan , Clos Du Val , Robert Sinskey and Domain Chandon vinyards.

At Newlan we enjoyed a marvelous port and ended up taking home a tasty 2002 Estate Cabernet Franc ($30 - available only through the tasting room at this time). It was a bit lighter than their Cabernet Sauvignon but had enough depth and complexity to make it worth savoring.

At Clos Du Val we tried a fabulous Cabernet Savignon Reserve ($95) but the price was a bit steep so decided to pick up their 2003 Chardonnay ($21) which was very tasty and bright, not buttery but definitely not too tart either.

Robert Sinskey was probably our favorite stop, with amazing gardens and views from their patio. We had lunch here (provided by our biking tour) on the patio. (If you are in the mood to pack a picnic lunch - this is a good place for it!) Sinskey is well known for their Pinot Noir, and it definitely is nicely done. The typical characteristics of Pinot Noir shine through (berries, hint of spice, juicy finish). We REALLY enjoyed the 2000 Vinyard Reserve, however, which is a wonderful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. It had a full, warm finish and lovely deep cherry color. Due to a labeling issue (original name infringed on a copyright) you can buy some cases for a song ($200 vs. $380) but only from the winery/tasting room.


We rounded out our day at Domain Chandon. We took the tour which didn't provide any startling revlations but was a nice refresher course on the making of Champagne and sparkling wine as well as its variations.

We tried their Reserve sparkling wines (Chandon Brut Classic, Chandon Blac de Noirs and Chandon Riche) but ended up taking home something we had sampled there yesterday, the Chandon Brut Rose ($18 with $2 off token from the tasting). It's not too sweet and very refreshing. One of the highlights of sampling wines at Domain Chandon was the amazing bar/tasting area which has glass doors behind the bar/tasting counter that can open fully, revealing the lush countryside behind and placing nothing more than a refeshing glass of bubbly between you and the gorgeous vista.

After all this wine and biking we were really looking forward to a nice dinner! We eneded up at Angele - which was good, but not exquisite. We had the cheese plate and a field greens salad to start, both of which were good - but not amazing. Our entrees were much better. Chris really enjoyed the Summer squash and wild mushroom risotto and my salmon with heirloom tomotoes was awesome. Dessert was fabulous too, and they have great coffee and espresso. They also have an impressive selection of wines, however after a full day of tasting we got a simple carafe of the house Rose and enjoyed its simplicity.

Another perfect day in Napa!