Its a Nou Day!

Team Nousha decided to have their weekly office meeting in Napa, CA. Who are we kidding; it was more for wine and food tasting than talking shop strategy…although we did do both! During the course of the day, we had a fantastic time trying some new places. As some of you may know, we are avid wine drinkers/collectors and take our trips to Napa VERY seriously! To help you with planning your next outing, here are a few of the places we went along with our comments:

• Andretti Winery - This was Scott’s idea since he is into car racing. It was agreed by all that Mario Andretti is a much better car racer than wine maker. The scenery is good but the wines need some more character to be included on any of our future Napa visits.
• Clos Du Val - We have passed this place many times on our way to our FAVORITE winerys (Paraduxx, Duckhorn and Franks Family) although we’ve never stopped in for a taste. Once again we all concluded that although their reds are decent, they didn’t have that full body flavor that a Cabernet drinker looks forward too.
• Plumpjack - The excitement level went up a few notches upon arrival. They are located in the heart of the Oakville region, which is one of Scotts favorite areas and we were pleased to see that they did a great job living up to the regions reputation. We would recommend stopping by for a taste and possibly a bottle or 2 but be sure to go on any other day besides Sunday since Silver Oak (across the street) is something you shouldn’t miss!
• Provenance - All we can say is WOW! Very few (affordable) wines really catch our attention as much as this place. Nousha is still saying, “that was a Merlot???”. And, although we liked their recently released Merlot, we are bigger fans of their “To Kalon” Cabernet. Since we have been Provenance fans for a while, we figured now would be a good time to sign up for their wine club. They will be sending us 2 – 3 bottles every 3 months. Actually, we will be picking them up so if anyone wants to join us, let us know!
• Freemark Abbey – We felt they scored high points on the accommodation scale since we walked in the tasting room 2 minutes before closing…and spent 40 minutes there. As for the quality of wine, we had mixed opinions. Scott wasn’t a big fan however Nousha thought they were worthy of a Cab and Port purchase while Gaelle was just fascinated that she could speak with someone in her native French language.

After a good afternoon of wine tasting it was time to wrap up the day with a great meal. Normally we end up at Rutherford Grill and order their artichokes (which are AMAZING) but this time we wanted to try something new. We had planned to go to Thomas Keller’s new place in Yountville, CA called ‘Ad Hoc’ but apparently our reservation request didn’t get to them until we sat down at Mustards Grill (just South of St. Helena). We have always heard they were worth the visit but had no idea they were as good as we discovered.

Although fried calamari is a great dish IF prepared correctly, its a treat that we dont often order due to the fear of fried food! We decided to take a chance and it was by far the BEST calamari dish we have ever eaten! Instead of a huge plate of JUST fried squid, they mixed it in with some cabbage salad and “special sauce”…the combination was truly delightful. For a main course, we tried their burgers and a flank steak. Both dishes were worth their weight in gold! As for the price, it was reasonable given the fact that they are in the heart of Napa Valley. We are looking forward to a return trip to try more on the menu!

In summary, if you plan on taking a trip up to Napa soon, we suggest that you consider the following as an afternoon itinerary. They are placed in driving order if you are entering Napa Valley from the South:

1. Paraduxx (one of our personal favorites!)
2. Silver Oak (this place needs no explanation…just go there but remember, they aren’t open on Sunday!)
3. Rombauer (their Zin is amazing and their Port is out of this world!)
4. Duckhorn (the parent to Paraduxx…amazing Estate Cabs)
5. Franks Family (Buy a bottle of Reserve Cab and call us, we will bring over the dinner!)
6. Provenance (Join their wine club for Reds only…its worth it)
7. Mustards or Rutherford Grill for dinner!

We can guarantee that if you follow that route, you will have an amazing afternoon! And, if you liked our review, tell a friend. If you pick up a few good bottles along the trip, tell us and lets have a little wine party!