Tag: Napa

Aside from excellent wine, an epic family history, dramatic views, and stunning architecture make Artesa Vineyards & Winery a destination-worthy experience. The fascinating Artesa legacy began near Barcelona in 1551, when Jaume Codorníu bequeathed winemaking equipment to his family. A key marriage and several hundred years later, Cava—the first méthode champenoise sparkling wine made outside of France—was created by Josep Raventós. The ripple effect of this groundbreaking claim to fame has been felt across continents since then, arriving in Napa, California at Artesa in the present day, still owned by the Raventós family.

Tucked inside the Historic Napa Mill, the elegant and historic Napa River Inn in Napa, California delivers the quintessential Napa neighborhood experience. The attractive boutique hotel offers world-class dining, local specialty shopping, and live entertainment along downtown Napa’s riverfront, giving guests an ideal vantage point for experiencing the town’s burgeoning nightlife.

If I had to compile a list of times that I’ve been truly, unreservedly happy, many of them would involve wine tasting. I love feeling the slight chill of the air while walking through the barrel rooms and smelling the fermentation. And few things are better than exiting a tasting room into the sun and taking in the green hills.

I particularly savor wine tasting in late fall when the leaves on the vines are red and gold and the tasting rooms are far from crowded. A couple of weeks ago, however, I was hankering for a vacation and headed to Napa and Sonoma, CA for a long weekend. Despite the bare, pre-spring vines, the symmetry of the rows and the yellow mustard weeds that colored the vineyards were remarkable.