wonderful wine tasting on wheels
One of the best things about living in the Golden State is that there are so many beautiful places yet to discover. There are still so many areas I haven’t been and every time we visit a new part I leave it thinking: “I have to come back soon and do this…!” And endless travel list…! Last weekend we had the privilege of a couple’s weekend and we drove up to Napa Valley. We’ve been here before, a long time ago with friends visiting from Germany and spring is a great time to come back.
This time my weekly ramble was actually a bike ride. We started in Calistoga and rode southbound on the Silverado Trail and turned left on Howell Mountain Road, moved on to Conn Valley Road until we got to Lake Hennessey.
From there we had to proceed on a trail along the lake for about 4 miles. A bit of cyclocross included, a lot of fun and beautiful scenery. The lake is rather small, but very quaint and we only saw a few people fishing, a couple people in canoes and one hiker. This area belongs to the Napa Regional County Park and Open Space district. The valley is so beautiful with its green rolling hills, the vineyards and olive trees.
The second part of our ride was a bit of wine tasting. We stopped at Duckhorn Vineyards, in Saint Helena, but it was already 3.15 pm and we didn’t have a reservation. But they were nice and poured us a couple splashes of their best Chardonnay for free. Which was highly anticipated and lovely. You should know that wine tasting in Napa is super popular and is absolutely not free anymore. Tastings can cost up to $60/person, depending on what is included and often you need an appointment or they won’t take you in at all. Especially if you show up slightly sweaty and in lycras!?
The Chardonnay was excellent though, so we bought a bottle and kept riding towards the next winery: Clos Pegase in Calistoga. Most wineries in Napa are not necessarily places to bring your kids, but at Clos Pegase you could. The first time last year we brought our girls and they could stay outside and play bocci on the lawn. It is a very stylish and spacious winery where you can choose from different tastings. Their emphasis is on reds and you can also book a Connoisseur Cave Tour & Tasting for $60.
Back in Calistoga we paid the Old Faithful Geyser of California a visit on Sunday morning. This is a lovely place to bring the family. They have a geological exhibit, lots of games and picnic tables and you can bring your own food and wine and hang out as long as you want.
