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Having grown up in Napa, I often find myself hosting friends
and family when they come to visit the valley…and me,
of course! Getting the day off on the right foot always includes
a great breakfast. And so we begin with a short walk to downtown
Napa where we head to one of my regular stops Gillwoods,
for excellent Eggs Benedict and hash browns.
After an energizing breakfast and a quick walk home, we hop
in the car and get the day moving. I like to get any serious
shopping out of the way first and so our next stop is the
Napa Premium Outlets. With stores like Ellen Tracy,
Jones New York, Perry Ellis,
Ann Taylor and Barneys New York,
we could spend all day there. But then again, we wouldn't
want to miss out on the rest of the day's activities!
Early afternoon is almost the best time to have an appointment
for a tasting at Joseph Phelps Vineyards (sunset
being the optimum time). The tasting room staff here is great,
the wines are excellent, and then add in the fabulous view-making
Phelps a favorite stop.
Next we're off to try the great wines and see the fine folks
over at Frog's Leap Winery. Whether you have
a green thumb or a black one, be sure to ask them about their
farming practices. They make some of my favorite organic wines.
Ready for a little Napa history with a touch of Hollywood
and some great vino? Our next stop is Niebaum-Coppola
Estate Winery for an exceptional guided tour, some wine
tasting and a stroll through Mr. Coppola's film museum. They
even have a Tucker automobile on display!
By now we're all ready for some nourishment, so we head to
Taylor's Refresher in St. Helena. The menu
is full of great food such as their famous Ahi Burgers, beer
battered fries, and who can forget their milkshakes. They
have plenty of picnic tables setup on the back lawn, but today
we grab our stuff to go.
We head out to Mt. St. Helena where we eat
our late lunch and enjoy the view of the valley as the sun
begins to slowly hang lower in the sky. After our short hike,
we're back in the car again and making our way back down valley.
We stop in at St. Helena Antiques to peruse
their selection of "old stuff." You never know when
you'll find that perfect piece!
Further down the road we stop in at Red Hen Antiques,
where a multitude of knickknacks line the walls in old display
booths. It is always interesting to me to see what has survived
and now sits on the shelves of antique stores.
Once back in Napa we head to Bilco's for a few games of pool.
The tables are well maintained and their selection of beer
on tap is nothing short of extensive. Appetizers are also
available for those who find themselves feeling a bit hungry
again.
After some good competition, we've all worked up an appetite
and so we walk a couple blocks down to Pizza Azzuro
for dinner. The pizza here is great and the wine list always
has some gems. The service is timely and the prices are very
reasonable.
At this point, if we're still up to it, we head back "up
valley" to 1351 Lounge in St. Helena.
They have great live music and other events that are local
favorites.
About the writer:
Nick Shoults, twenty something, was born and raised in Napa
Valley. A technology geek at heart he found himself working
in the lab at Sebastiani after high school. Officially bitten
by the wine bug, he decided Napa was the place to be.
Nick currently works for a marketing agency specializing
in the wine industry, where he is able to utilize tools from
his background in new ways for the wineries in the valley.
Nick can also be found doing many other activities including:
hiking, snowboarding, rebuilding the engine in his sports
car, searching out great live music and sharpening his cooking
skills.
Read More Perfect
Days in Napa Valley
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