For DH’s birthday, I decided to go all out and treat us to a couple of days together in Napa.
We dropped the boys off with Eric and Crystal. I had created seven custom notes/envelopes for DH to open during our “adventure”. First envelope was for us to stop at Nugget Market for some delicious fresh squeezed juice. The drive in the Jeep was full of Kim Walker-Smith music cranked loud and smiles.
Envelope two contained the treat of a 90-minute couples massage appointment. It was at the same place we were staying, The Poetry Inn. This place is off the charts incredible. It is owned by the Cliff Lede Vineyards, and sits on the hill overlooking their vines and winery. Each room is named after a poet/ess. Ours was the ‘Walt Whitman’ room. It’s an understatement when I say the pictures do not do it justice…
Pur own private patio…
Our own private outdoor shower. This is the view from our patio…
The desk and mini bar. Everything in the mini bar and fridge was free and replenished everyday. The only think you’d pay for was the wine and apparel…
Bathroom door leading to outdoor shower.
The custom envelopes/notes for my love…
The massage room for the couples massage…can I make a suggestion? When you go on a couples getaway, make a 90 minute couples massage your first stop. Not a 60 minute…a 90 minute..at least. It totally set the tone for relaxation for the rest of the getaway. We were so relaxed and able to thoroughly enjoy our time together to a deeper degree that would not have been possible in that short amount of time without it.
After the massage and getting settled in our room, we drove down to Yountville for lunch at Bouchon Bakery. This is owned by the amazing Thomas Keller of Bouchon, Ad Hoc, and another Bucket List place…French Laundry. We sat outside their place and enjoyed sandwiches and desserts…
Back at our room to enjoy the view and the weather for the rest of the afternoon…
We had planned on having a personal chef serve our dinner on our patio, but it was actually too warm to eat there. So, we ate inside instead…
The Amuse Bouche (French for mouth-amuser) is a single bite appetizer served to whet the appetite. This is a piece of smoked salmon over creme fraiche and cucumber…
Appetizer: Seared Dayboat Scallops, with Cauliflower Puree, Golden Raisins
Main Entree: Filet Mignon with Truffle Pommes Puree, Market Vegetables, Demi Glace
Cheese Course: Homemade Ricotta with Truffle Oiled Honey
Dessert: Brown Sugar and Maple Syrup Creme Brûlée
Another little gift for my love: a homemade decorative pillow that I sewed…
Overlooking Yountville at night…
The first night we were there was Wednesday. There was another couple staying at the Poetry Inn, but they decided to “spend the night in the city (SF)..”, so we had the place all to ourselves. Literally. The innkeeper went home at nine. This is the beautiful lobby…
Nightcap bar. Free for guests…
Early morning fog…
Breakfast. Bacon -cheddar scones from Bouchon Bakery, fresh squeezed orange juice, homemade granola, yogurt, and huckleberries…
DH had poached eggs with prosciutto and a vegetable hash. I had the smoked salmon plate…
Day two was a day of wine tasting. We decided to stay on the Silverado Trail and the Napa Valley floor. We visited three new properties. First stop was our host property, Cliff Lede Vineyards. As guests of the property, they treat you to a complimentary tasting…
…this is the view of the Poetry Inn from the winery…
…our view from the patio at Cliff Lede…
Our Cliff Lede host, Ryan (great guy), suggested a couple of places to visit. One was Regusci Winery. When he mentioned it, I was reminded this was a property we intended to visit a few years ago, when the Smiths were with us. We missed their driveway and discovered their next door neighbor, Chimney Rock, instead. A delightful error.
So glad we decided to visit Regusci. I love everything about this place. A third generation family property, with small yields. The grounds beautiful, the staff casual and personal, and the wine wonderful.
Midweek, early spring in Napa is a great time to go. Although the vines are all pruned back and not much to look at, the surrounding hills and trees are all green, and there are shocks of yellow with the mustard plants throughout some of the vineyards. Better still, midweek means few tourists, and more individualized attention from the hosts. You are able to connect on a deeper level than if you were there on a harvest weekend, or really any weekend.
Because it was quiet, and we were enjoying our conversation with our host Alex, he decided to treat us to a barrel tasting of the 2011 Patriarch (we also tasted the 2007 and 2009 in the tasting room. It was a highlight of our trip. While in the barrel room, we met the owner, Jim (3rd generation), but did not realize it was him until later.
Alex, entering a small door to open the bigger door…
We picked up salads and sandwiches at the Soda Canyon Store. It’s not my first choice to eat, but there really is nothing else in that area. Decent food, but not outstanding. We took the food back to our room to save for later, then went to Goosecross Cellars for a private tasting that I had made an appointment for. Goosecross is another small, family owned property. It is much more casual than the other properties we visited, and off the beaten path. Our host, Jose, took us on a short tour, then into a private room for the tasting, cheese and crackers. Jose has been with the property for nine years and did a great job of educating us. When we went into the private room, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that a tour group had arrived and the tasting room was packed. We were whisked away and still had Jose to ourselves. We felt like spoiled little celebrities. We also got to meet one of the owners of this property. It was really neat to get so personal.
David and Jose
We had thought we’d go out for dinner, but the lure of our room was great and ended up spending the rest of the evening there.
Our final morning was a magnificent breakfast on the property… crab benedict…the yolks were bright orange. These were directly from the innkeepers own free pasture range chickens…
…the drive home…mustard among the vines…
Oh my golly! That all looks amazing. You are a blessed person!
Looks like an over-the-top get-a-way for two of our favorite people. Great, romantic location, personal wine tasting and yummy,yummy morsels of food. What could be better? Oh, yes…a 90 minute couples massage! You did it right! So glad you could have the time together. Happy Birthday, dear David!
Salivating!!! I’m taking Aaron away for 1 night at Half Moon Bay… I think I’ll use your envelope idea!