Wine and Spirits Travel

I knew I didn’t have nearly enough time in Napa as I’d like, so it was difficult to narrow down where I was going and what I would miss this trip.  After a full day – with the help of Steve, my wonderful driver from Pure Luxury Transportation – I think I accomplished quite a bit. The first stop for the day was at Robert Mondavi . The Spanish architecture of one of the oldest and largest wineries in the area is welcoming as Dean takes me through the vineyard, warehouses and buildings that were once the center of culinary excellence as well as wine making. Mondavi hosted the “Great Chefs Program,” with notables like Julia Child cooking on these premises.  It was the patriarch’s dream to combine food and wine and it has been continued with food events like the Garden to Table Brunch. Despite all the talk of great food and gardens full of herbs and vegetables, it is wine I am at Robert Mondavi’s for and we make our way into a tasting room.  It is in this winery that the Fume Blanc,

My California wine adventure actually didn’t start in wine country, it began in Tiburon , a waterside community in Marin . There was no doubt that I had quite a week ahead of me and I deserved just a bit of downtime first. I took it with a short stay at The Lodge at Tiburon , a rustic hotel in the heart of the city. It’s a welcoming place and I wish I could have stayed a bit longer at The Lodge, , but I did enjoy a Grilled Veggie Flatbread Pizza with a unique combination that included asparagus and corn for dinner and the first sampling of one of my favorite Northern California treats – sourdough bread – for breakfast. Then it was off for a few hours of quality time with my nephew before hitting the road to Napa . It took an army of convention and visitors bureau personnel and public relations reps to plan my Napa Valley wine tour. I have a schedule that is packed solid, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve been looking forward to doing this ever since I became the “Wine