Napa Like a Grown Up

On a recent trip to San Francisco, we took a day trip to Napa. Our friends arranged for a driver to bring us to and from so no one had to worry about being the designated driver. It also made us feel very fancy.

We didn’t go to a ton of places in Napa, but if you’re into beautiful gardens, bubbles, and picnics, this might be the itinerary for you. 😉

Stop 1: Frog’s Leap Winery

If you think the name sounds familiar, you might be right! This winery was created by John Williams who got his start at Stag’s Leap. The story on their website is an interesting read, but they didn’t explicitly link the two names together. That’s a leap I took myself.

If you make a reservation you can have your wine tasting on the cool wrap around porch that overlooks the lawn and gardens. Without a reservation it’s the luck of the draw or you can sit in their outdoor area which is still awesome, but I’m not sure if you get table service there.

We had a tasting that included a Chardonnay and four reds. All of them were delicious. While these were some seriously good libations, the winery doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously. If you really like their goods, they invite you to join their wine club, whimsically called “The Fellowship of the Frog.”

Stop 2: V. Sattui

We didn’t actually do a wine tasting or tour here although they are available. We came to enjoy the grounds which are perfect for picnicking and they have a shop on site where you can pick up all you need for an excellent lunch.

The shop here has a huge selection of cheeses and charcuterie, along with prepared salads and containers of olives, brined tomatoes and feta, tapenades, etc. You can even order a gourmet sandwich if you don’t feel like making your own.

Of course we picked up a couple of bottles of wine too. I wanted a nice, dry Reisling but alas, there wasn’t one in the cold section. We chose a chilled rose and a Malbec instead.

To complete the meal, we grabbed a couple of picnic packs at checkout, which contain a paper plate, plastic utensils, cup, and a napkin. We ate on a blanket on the grass, but there are tables to sit at if you can snag one!

While nothing much to look at, lunch was relaxing and delicious. Chewing a hunk of rustic bread with pungent cheese and washing it down with red wine made me feel like a character in a Hemingway novel, which was an added bonus.

Last Stop: Mumm Napa

Bubbles are my most favorite of all alcoholic beverages so I was excited to have this on our itinerary!

Compared to the other two places, Mumm felt bigger and more formal/corporate. The facilities and grounds were expansive and we had our tasting in a large room that could have just as easily been a restaurant.

The views were awesome and the bubbles were tres tres bon!

I bought some cool little wine glass veils from their gift shop and then forgot them in the backseat of our driver’s car. He said he would mail them to me but I knew they were gone forever. I found them online, but it’s not the same you know?

A Fun Day

We didn’t pack in a ton of wineries because as the title of this post said, we were doing Napa like grown ups! It was a great time with great friends and very relaxing. And in true adult style, I took a little Napa during the ride back to San Francisco and was back in fine form for dinner!