Take me where the wine is! (pt. 2)

So our third day of vacation was probably the most jam packed one. After a suggestion from the Napa Visitors Center, we made an appointment to tour the Castello di Amorosa. Apparently this guy built a castle in California. He is part of the Sattui family and decided that since he loved castles, he'd build one. Ok...either way, it's worth seeing! I've never been to Europe, so I'm not familiar with what a real castle would look like, but this looked pretty authentic to me. The tour basically takes you around the castle and down to the caves where they store all of the wine. It was pretty cool and we tagged along with a group of 10...who I think had a few drinks before the 10am tour!

Castello di Amorosa

The front of the chapel - they have service every weekend. AND a torture chamber. This guy is just a little crazy about being authentic.

While on the tour, we did a barrel tasting. The wine had just been harvested in September...and we were told it will sit in the barrel for 2 years and then in the bottles for another 2 years. After tasting it, I now know why wine needs to age! It tasted like some homemade moonshine. The other cool thing is that their wine is only sold at the winery. So...we bought two bottles. At this point, we had quite the collection going.

Caves where the barrels were stored and the barrel we did the tasting from.

One really cool thing about the Castle was the location. This man was thinking when he built it! First, you cannot see it from the road. However, you can see it from Sterling Vineyards. Sterling was our next stop of the day. It's a pretty popular winery that is located on a hill and you have to take an aerial tram to the top. It reminded me of Astroworld! Sterling is kind of like Mondavi - everyone knows about it and everyone knows about the aerial tram. So...perfect location to build a castle!

Moving on, though, the thing I really liked about Sterling was the the first 2 wines in the tasting were poured as you did a self-guided tour through the winery. So, you can go at your own pace and they have a fantastic patio with a great view to linger at for a bit. The last 3 wines are poured in a tasting room. Boy was that crowded! And...we had "sucker" stamped on our foreheads when we sat down. They were offering a great 'discount' on the 5 wines you tasted that day. The Chardonnay happened to be about $50 individually...we did not pay that. But we did get some great wine for a great price. It was also at this point where we realized the wine we had been buying was not going to fit in the suitcase for the trip back. We even added another small suitcase so that we would have room, but instead we just over packed. The solution - they sold these really cool wine shippers at Sterling that would hold 12 bottles (we'd have to buy a few more, darn) and ship back on the airline!! Great...until we realized that we'd then be over the 2 free bags checked deal that we got. So, I'm skipping ahead, but somehow when we checked in for the flight home, all 3 bags were free. I didn't ask questions, I just took my bag claim slip and ran!!

Really large wine barrels...and the view from Sterling. See the castle?

By the time we finished our second winery, we were in need of food! So, taking the advice of dozens of people, we headed to V. Sattui Winery. This is WAY more than just a winery. They have a great grocery store that sells all sorts of sandwiches, salads, cheeses and breads...plus little picnic packs so that you can fully enjoy their grounds. It was a little chilly that day, so we didn't linger long. We also skipped the wine here, but split a roast beef sandwich and some broccoli salad before we were on our way again.

Our final wine stop for the trip was Peju Province Winery. My boss went to the wine country last year and went on and on about Peju. The grounds...the winery...the wine. It was the one place I insisted on going. Plus, my boss was also getting married a few weeks after our trip, so I thought a bottle from the winery would make a great gift.

He was right - it's a great place! I could have spent hours there. Beautiful grounds with sculptures all over the place. The winery carried quite a bit of art, but we weren't really in the market for that. They also have this ice cream sauce that is made with their wine - so good! In fact, my boss bought a jar and then lost it when he moved to his new home, so we added that as a wedding gift. The best thing about the winery was Alan. Alan is an older guy who pours for the tastings...but he loves to sing. Everything was in a rap! Hilarious!

By this time we were ready to head back to Napa and drink a cold beer. I am definitely a Texas girl. There is only so much wine this body can take before it screams for a frosty cold one. We headed to Downtown Joe's in Napa before having some great hole in the wall Mexican food for dinner. And crashing by 10pm. So old.

Take me where the wine is! (pt. 1)

When Jason and I began talking about a vacation for this spring, we tossed around a few ideas. His was Mexico - Pacific coast, all-inclusive. Mine was the California Wine Country. In case you don't know yet, I won. :-) We've been to Mexico. For our first anniversary, we went to Playa del Carmen for a nice, relaxing vacation. I wanted something different. So...we were off.

We had a great time. I could go back. Tomorrow. Seriously. If work would let me, I'd be gone. I went to a conference in Las Vegas last summer and behaved pretty well. If they ever send me to the Wine Country for a conference...I just hope that nobody notices my empty seat during the meetings! It was SO nice!! The weather was perfect, crowds were minimal and overall it was a very relaxing trip. Great for just the two of us...and we both think we'd have tons of fun with other couples.

The first day we landed pretty early in San Francisco. Since we knew we'd be driving around for the next few days, we rented a car. After leaving the airport, we headed north across the Golden Gate Bridge and through Sausalito. I hear it's a cute little town, but we didn't stop. I had other things on my mind!

We dropped off our bags at the Hilton Sonoma (in Santa Rosa) and headed up to Clos du Bois winery. I highly recommend going here! We had the best time - we were the only people in the tasting room. Plus, if you google you can find a 2 for 1 coupon and that gets you a free wine glass. (they both made it home, by the way) Gillian, the girl pouring the wine, was fantastic. An hour and a half later, we'd managed to taste a lot of wine and had a lot of suggestions on where to go and what to do during the rest of the trip.

Her first suggestion was to head to the Simi Winery in Healdsburg. This place is really cute! A huge courtyard with a really nice patio. Plus, I had another coupon...so I think the tasting was complimentary.

After two tastings, we needed something to eat. Since we were still on Central time, it was almost dinner time for us! Taking another suggestion from Gillian, we went to Bear Republic. Yes, I know we were in "wine country" but the weather was so perfect! 70 degrees...and sunny! Notice I'm in just a t-shirt. So to me, that is beer drinking weather. Plus, we felt we needed to pay tribute to my cousin, Bear. We were told to order the garlic fries...so good! I noticed them on quite a few menus, so they must be a California staple. Who knew something so easy could taste so good?

Healdsburg is a really cute town. We didn't get to explore much of it. I somehow missed the cheese store that was on the map. We did make it over to the La Crema tasting room before heading back to the hotel. The Hilton is in a great location. We stayed in a room that was on the lanai deck. Apparently that means you have access to the deck and pool. Of course, the heater was broken and I wasn't about to test the water! I do recommend the hotel, though.

Taking another suggestion, we went to Tex Wasabi's for dinner. When we heard it was Guy Feiri's place my first question was "is it commercial?" I didn't want it to scream "I'm a Food Network celeb!" like I've seen some other places do. After a prompt response of "no" we decided to try it out. It was apparently a popular hang out. The concept is BBQ and Sushi. Interesting. They have a Texas Sushi menu that was definitely something different. We tried a few items and ended up hanging out in the bar for a while. And to top it off, the only indication that he was involved in FN was a tv in the bar showing the channel!

The second day we checked out and headed toward Napa. Our first stop on the way was supposed to be Blackstone Winery, but I needed some lunch. After taking the direction from someone at the Winery, we went to Kenwood to grab something. The suggestion was actually for a deli, but we went to Dolce Luna instead. If you are ever in the area, you HAVE to stop here. It's owned and ran by a couple - the husband is the chef and the wife does...everything else. They have a set menu, but also have a huge list of specials for the day. I ordered the Pulled Pork Pita and Jason had one of the specials - Veal Schnitzel. Both were fantastic!

We drove back over to Blackstone for a quick tasting and then into Napa County. I recommend a stop at Artesia Winery. The place was really crowded, but has great views. We didn't do a tasting because we wanted to check in to the hotel and rest a bit.











The view from Artesia...who knew they had sheep???

The rest of the day was spent relaxing at the hotel and in Napa. Dinner that night was at Ristorante Allegria - an Italian place in Napa Town Center. Funny thing...we didn't really have Italian food. We had appetizers, salad and split a dessert. Good food, though, and they keep the place packed. Almost everywhere you go will try to pass on a "free appetizer" coupon for the restaurant. I guess it works!

Wine, Wine, Wine

A few weekends ago I left Jason at home to study and headed to the Hill Country with some girlfriends. We had a really good time - eating, tasting wine, eating, playing putt-putt, getting kicked out of the pool...maybe we tasted more wine than I thought!

We stayed at the Marriott Horseshoe Bay Resort - I really recommend this for a weekend away. I'm actually looking for a weekend that Jason and I could go together. We didn't really explore the resort, so I can't say much about what it has to offer but the food was good, service was nice and the Hill Country is always pretty.

Saturday morning we arranged for a limo to pick us up (minus one who stayed at the spa) and headed out to some of the local Texas wineries. The first stop was Grape Creek Vineyard. This place was really crowded. They have a few options - you can taste their "white labels" complimentary and their "black labels" for $5. They have a great patio area for lunch (bring your own) or you can shop in their little snack area. We managed to leave with a LOT of cheese and crackers. Which we also managed to eat.

The second stop was Becker Vineyards. Their tasting was either $5 or $10, but well worth it. They also had a lavender festival going on out on the patio which made everything smell wonderful! The setting here was so nice - perfect if you have a lot of time to just hang out and visit.

From there we took a short drive to Torre di Pietra. They have a great shop for knick knacks and tastings run $5. To squeeze in more wineries, we decided to make that stop quick, so we didn't get to enjoy the band on the patio...but it looked really nice.

The next stop was Woodrose. The wine here was just...ok. Tastings were $5 or $7 each. For the cost, I would probably go back. They have a great patio that backs up to a wooded area - it was so relaxing and great for visiting with friends.

The final stop was the Lost Creek Tasting Room. The actual winery would have been quite a trip from where we were, but they also have a small tasting room in Johnson City. We spent a little more there on our tastings because we bought Lost Creek wine glasses. They were very gracious at the Tasting Room because we arrived pretty close to 6pm (closing time) but we never really felt rushed.

Back at the hotel we decided to have dinner at River City Grille in Marble Falls. They have a huge deck overlooking the water and we wrapped up the day listening to more live music. Seems to be the norm in the Hill Country. If you have time for a weekend get away, I would suggest going for wine. :-)

Travel, travel, travel

I typically don't travel for work. Ok, well not that often and it usually consists of drives to Austin. But for the last three weeks I've been a "jet setter!" I don't think I like it. I gain too much weight, don't sleep well, and by day 3 my feet want to fall off and run away.

My first trip was to Los Angeles for the NBTA convention. I was dreading this like nothing else. Mostly because I found out 5 days before I needed to leave that I was going. Overall, I did have a good time. I ate some good food and met some great people within my company that I think can teach me quite a bit. I did stay at a hotel that looked like a flashback from a 1984 beach condo, complete with the sea foam green and peach bedspread and seashell lamp...but considering I booked 5 days out for a 4,000 person conference...I did good!

Now for the details. When I arrived Saturday night I walked across the street from the hotel for dinner at Adoro Mexican Grille. I tried the Chicken & Beef Quesadillas and a glass of Clos du Bois Chardonnay. I will say that their salsa is great, the food was ok (needed a little more spice, in my opinion) and I loved the wine. Clos du Bois is one of my favorite chardonnays. Our opening reception was held at LA Live - a venue downtown that is home of the Nokia theater, where the finale of American Idol was held. All of the food was catered by Wolfgang Puck, but I was just not blown over by it.

Lunches were mostly held at the Convention Center and those usually include dry chicken in a cream sauce, rice and veggies. Nothing exciting here folks, keep reading. The closing reception was on the pool deck at the Westin Bonaventure, and again I was not blown away by the food. They served hot dogs. I'm serious. They did have other food, but hot dogs? Ok...a few of my friends bailed and went to dinner at a restaurant.

I managed my third trip to LA without seeing anything touristy...how do I keep doing that? The only "LA" thing I managed to see was the Beverly Hilton. Our company held a party there one night in the ballroom where the Golden Globes are held! As I went to the bathroom I kept thinking about two things. First, years ago an actress who played on Chicago Hope won best actress...and was in the bathroom when they announced it! Second, I kept wondering what celeb used the toiled I was using. Weird, I know, but you have to wonder - did Angelia potty here or is she too good for that? Our entertainment was a few couples from Dancing with the Stars (I'm not a fan, so I can't tell you who) and the food was selected off of previous Golden Globe menus. Lots of tofu and organic stuff. Though, the carved Organic Turkey was the best thing of the night!

I did manage to go out to eat a few times. I went with some colleagues to Morton's Steakhouse - fantastic!! I ordered the Fillet Oscar and we also ordered a sample of sides, so I had a little bit of everything. Lunch one day was California Pizza Kitchen. We have one here in Houston, but it's a little far from my house and I've managed to go one time. I must not have been overly excited. I think the best part of my lunch that day was the two cold beers I enjoyed. After standing on your feet for 3 days, sitting on the patio in the cool LA weather (in July!!) with a cold beer is excellent!

After the closing reception, I went to dinner with a few colleagues at Roy's, a Hawaiian Fusion restaurant. There is a Roy's in Austin, but I've never been. And I go to Austin quite often. A friend of mine, Selina, has suggested dinner there several times and I know why! This was fantastic. I had the Napa Cellars Chardonnay, the Boston Bibb Salad with Buttermilk Blue Cheese (oh, was this good!), and a Hibachi style Grilled Atlantic Salmon - to die for! This was by far my favorite meal.

I flew back on a Thursday and Jason left the following Tuesday for Philadelphia. He came home Friday and I left Saturday for the MPI convention in Las Vegas.

The entire MPI convention was held at the Mandalay Bay. As a meeting planner, you would have to threaten my life for me to have a conference in Vegas. Why? Well, I'd want a successful conference...not one where my attendees were either gambling or at the beach. I'm not saying much, but I will say that the Mandalay Bay has a fantastic beach. ((wink, wink))

Our opening reception was a Caesar's in their ballroom. It was crowded, but the food was good. What little bit I ate! They opened PURE nightclub for MPI guests early, so a group of colleagues decided to check it out. This is where things get fuzzy...not from drinking, but from the fact that it was 11:30pm (1:30 my time) and I'd been up since 7am...I was dead on my feet. Somehow we ended up in a VIP lounge area...with bottle service. I heard a rumor that the tab was $5000. No, I do not have type-o. That is the correct number. When you are served a large bottle of Moet Chandon, a gallon bottle of Belvedere, two bottles of wine and the setup for that...in Vegas...it gets expensive.

The next few days were filled with meals served on plates the size of my hand. I think this is how they make money - the food you are served during the convention consists of salads in a cup, panini's that are about 1" wide, greasy mini burgers on a pretzel roll and bite size desserts. When you leave you are starving, so the only option is to get a real meal in the hotel that you pay $20-30 for. Cha-ching.

Honestly, I ate two meals that were not part of the "convention meal service." One was an appetizer from House of Blues - I'm glad I did that because the line to get food at the closing reception was unreal, so I never ate. Oh, I ordered room service (Nachos) one night when I got back from an event...I was starving.

The second meal was Aureole. Those of you who watch the Next Food Network Star might be familiar with their wine bar. I think that's the only good thing there. The service was ok, but not great and the food...well, I paid twice as much for it as I did at Morton's the week before and it could not hold a candle to my Fillet Oscar. The option was a three course prix fixe menu. I started with a tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad, a duo entree of Fillet and Flatiron Steak served with potatoes and asparagus and finished with a Peanut Butter Cake and Coconut Ice Cream. It just wasn't stellar, and to be honest the crappy service was a turn off.

I can say that the best meal I had was served at our closing luncheon. The food was all fresh products local to the Salt Lake City area (the hosts) and included a Summer Greens Salad with Goat Cheese, a Lavender and Pepper Encrusted Fillet of Beef with Beehive Cheese Potato Gratin and a trio of desserts (Chocolate Mousse, Berry Macaroon and Cheesecake). I left there happy to have used my fork and my knife and not having to carry my plate while eating at the same time!

By the time I arrived back in Texas I was ready for dinner with my mom Thursday night at one of my favorite places, Chuy's. I may have travelled quite a bit, eaten at places I probably would not normally go, but nothing beats a bowl of creamy jalapeno sauce and a Chika Chika Boom Boom for dinner.

Happy Birthday Rachel!

My very good friend, Rachel, is turning 30 on Tuesday...April Fools! Saturday we joined her, some friends and family for dinner, drinks and a great time. I'll admit that I ate entirely too much and Jason probably drank too much, but it was completely worth it! When we hang out with Rachel and her family, things can get a little crazy. Especially when Jason and and Sid (her cousin) are in rare form. Sid is a shot guy. He loves to start the night with a shot of tequila and manages to somehow talk Jason into joining him. Though now that I think about it, I actually think Saturday was the first night in a long time where they didn't take tequila shots. Instead they stuck with drinking Dewar's & Water.

For dinner we went to Taste of Texas. In my opinion, this is one of the best places in Houston for a steak. If you live in Houston and haven't been, make a point to try it for a special occasion. If you don't live in Houston, just file this away in case you ever visit. It's a little strange to go to a really nice steakhouse and venture to a salad bar, a la Steak Kountry Buffet, but who can complain about a full array of salad choices and huge blocks of cheese?!? We started with Texas Quail Bites and Jalapeno Stuffed Shrimp. This was my first taste of quail, but I really liked it. I can't personally comment on the shrimp, though, because I don't eat it but the rest of the table seemed to love it.

I ordered the 6 ounce Center Cut Fillet wrapped in Bacon and Jason ordered the New York Strip Sirloin. We shared Asparagus in Hollandaise sauce and Texas Au Gratin Potatoes. My steak was perfect - part of the reason I love Taste of Texas, but Jason said next time he'll order the Rib Eye. I can't blame him - my two favorite steak options are Rib Eye and Fillet...New York Strip just isn't the best cut of meat. It was cooked well and had a good flavor, but you can't beat the marbling on a Rib Eye. Paired with the Cambria Bench Break Vinyard Pinot Noir...it was a great meal. Especially when we finished with Key Lime Pie and Snickers Pie...which is more like a rich cheesecake and not so much a pie.

After dinner, the we had drinks a The Capital Grille. Before we knew Sid, he was a server at Capital Grille, so he knew a few people working there. This can be a good thing and a bad thing! The good thing...your drinks will be mixed with a heavy hand. The bad thing...your drinks will be mixed with a heavy hand! Though I tend to stay away from vodka, we ordered a round of Stoli Doli (a 21 day pineapple infused vodka) and also ended up with some fruity shots...I have no idea what those were! The waitress (a friend of Sid's) gave us an order of Creme Brulee topped with fresh berries that was fantastic!

To finish the night, we went to the Tasting Room in Uptown Park Plaza. I have been to another Tasting Room location, but I think I like this one best. They have a huge outdoor seating area and we lucked into a table on the end of the patio. Three bottles of wine later...and it was time to go home! Actually, we realized that before we finished the wine. Probably a good thing. We ordered a white wine (I have no clue what), the Trinchero Family Pinot Noir (a Napa Valley Pinot) and the EVIL Cabernet Sauvignon bottled by R Winery (the "EVIL" is upside down and backwards, bottled in Australia).