What could be better than a quick Fall weekend in Napa? Since we were flying Delta One we had the chance to check out the brand new lounge in JFK’s Terminal and we were absolutely blown away; it was incredibly clean and they must have recruited their friendliest and most professional staff because each and every employee was uber cheerful and friendly (without being annoying).
We didn’t have much more than 30 minutes to spend, but it was just enough time to take advantage of the NY bagel/salmon buffet and explore. If they can keep the number of travelers down it looks to be an amazing place to spend time before a flight or during a lay-over; in my mind it ranks far above the Centurion and Polaris Lounges
Fun fact, there was an art installation in the lounge that I absolutely loved featuring works by the artist Tess Chodan, many of which focus on butterflies. It is not often I end up buying art displayed in an airport lounge but in this case I contacted her and I have a work of hers en route to me from her studio in London.
Upon landing we were met at SFO by a very friendly driver who was happy to take us straight to In-N-Out to pick up my husband’s favorite fast food fix, and then we were on our way to Yountville.
We traveled to Napa with wine-loving friends, and the itinerary was truly a collaborative effort. I was tasked with choosing the hotel, and knowing that we would be traveling in all directions to sample wines I wanted someplace centrally located and walkable; Bardessono seemed to check all the boxes. Another shout-out to my Fora travel agent sister, she managed to book us all and scored amazing welcome cheese trays in each of our rooms (I was ravenous when we arrived so I quickly polished off most of it) as well as breakfast and a $100 credit which my husband used towards a massage during our stay.
The grounds of the property were compact and modern, with the gorgeous blue skies making everything look good. The actual layout of the hotel was bit like a spruced up motel and the room was a little utilitarian for my taste, but ultimately it had everything we needed for a relaxing stay.
Everyone we encountered was friendly and well intentioned, but one glaring negative, the waitstaff at breakfast were completely incompetent. Every single order and request came back incomplete, or confused, or just plain wrong which is hard to comprehend three mornings in a row. The food was tasty (hard to mess up an Açai bowl in California), but the frustration factor was real.
If breakfasts become too aggravating at the hotel there is always the option to wander down the street to Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery where people line up out the door each morning, but it does move fast and is well worth it.
As you would expect we enjoyed some terrific food, and it was nice for me to just go where I was told, as our friends were in charge of planning the meals. Our first dinner was booked at Farmstead at Longmeadow Ranch, a very popular spot (it was jammed) with an “American” menu. Surprisingly there were not that many options for a gluten free vegetarian (you can see what I ate below- grilled artichokes, salad with extra avocado and killer devilled eggs – hold the bacon).
While I would categorize Farmstead as good, Michelin starred Press where we dined the second night was great. We booked a private room and ended up both ordering wine off the menu as well as tasting some special bottles we brought with us. Aside from the extensive waitstaff assigned to our small group we had a very earnest and enthusiastic sommelier who took the time (lots of time) to explain every nuance of each wine we were drinking. As you might expect the evening extended far into the night and we were grateful to have hired a large party bus to get us home (a must for any trip to wine country, leave the driving to sober professionals)!
Press offers a prix fixe menu which they happily adjusted to suit my eating preferences, though there is also the opportunity to opt for several supplements such as the homemade pretzel bread with caviar (delish- my husband ate my share of the bread and I tried to steal some of his share of the caviar).
My husband’s all time favorite spot in Napa is Gotts Roadside, specifically the St. Helena location. This is not an ordinary burger stand, everything about it is elevated from the quality of the ingredients to the wine and beer offerings; it’s just about perfect. We squeezed in a visit here between meals so we didn’t go too crazy, I stuck with the vanilla soft serve with a chocolate shell and rainbow sprinkles which was sublime. The burgers and fries disappeared in seconds with the one negative being the chili on the chili fries garnered a rating of just ok (too bland). St. Helena is a fabulous town for strolling and shopping, we only had time for me to pop into Wild Plum a great independent bookstore and otherwise just gaze longingly into windows due to our tight schedule. One thing was certain, the crowds in St. Helena made me happy that we chose to stay at Bardessono in sleepy Yountville.
In addition to the restaurants above we also enjoyed two very special experiences organized just for us, the first being at Eisele Vineyard in Calistoga which is owned by François Pinault and produces near perfect Cabs year after year. We had the privilege of dining in Pinault’s actual home (perfectly decorated) and dining on delicious food and magnificent wines. Truly an unforgettable experience. Truth be told my tastes lean more to Italian Brunellos, but these Cabs (and the house Sauvignon Blanc) were fantastic.
Continuum was another stop we made and while we didn’t sample a meal we did taste several wines (and the estate olive oil) and learned about the history of the vineyard as well as the legacy of the Mondavi family which currently owns it. We did some hiking through the vines and toured the impressive new welcome center that is soon to open.
The highlight of the entire weekend came on the last night when we were welcomed at Vérité for a private dinner created by Chef Marc Henri Jean Baptiste of Maison Porcella as well as a very extensive and extravagant wine tasting which pitted Vérité’s incredible blends against French classics such as Château Lafite and Château Pavie. The wines were truly unforgettable, and the dinner that was created to pair with it was outstanding. I was grateful that there was minimal conversation about the wines, instead allowing them to speak for themselves. The winery itself was an architectural masterpiece with soaring ceilings, almost like a cathedral, it was truly a magical. Thank goodness we had our party bus ready to ferry us home, Vérité is located in Sonoma, about an hour from Yountville and we were all sleepy following our indulgent feast. One note about these special experiences, I am grateful to have very serious California wine collectors as friends as they orchestrated these fabulous opportunities, I wouldn’t even have known where to begin.
Napa, like New Orleans is such a decadent destination that I think 3 nights is a good rule of thumb otherwise it becomes gluttonous, I was grateful for the small bits of exercise we were able to fit in so as to feel slightly virtuous amidst all the excess. We only scratched the very top of the surface as far as California wine goes, giving us all the more reason to return. Our time in the Golden State was not over though, next stop: Los Angeles.
Looks like a great time! The food looked delish