Now THIS is the way to spend life. “Wining” my way through the hours, lazing away the days at various vineyards and tasting rooms. I could get used to this.
If you have been following my “after action report” (a military term, yes) from our San Francisco trip, you know that I’ve been teasing you with the idea of what we did when we headed north to the heart of wine country. Well, here is the first installment of that leg of the vacation to paradise.
Yes, this is a big picture, and yes, it’s of me (and I NEVER post pics of me, ’cause who actually LIKES pictures of themselves?), but it just fits my excitement about this leg of the trip. I’m welcoming you to VJB Vineyard & Cellars in Kenwood, CA in the Sonoma Valley area. Their wines are all made in the Italian style, and have such variety and appeal that we always make sure a trip to the area includes a visit (and taste). I’ve featured their wines a couple of times in past recipes (Pork & Veal Ragu, Prosciutto & Bubbles). Yeah, they’re good, and you should look into them, pronto.
In the picture, I’m standing at the entrance to their grotto, which is one of our favorite places to grab a bottle, order a brick oven pizza, and chill the afternoon away. You simply cannot go wrong spending your time here, or with any of the wines you may come across on their tasting bar. And I mentioned pizza, didn’t I…
Bacon. Cheese. Chewy and crispy crust. What else do you need to enjoy some wine in the beautiful Northern California weather? Um, nothing. That’s what. Want something that goes great with this particular pizza? We are fans of the Rosso Family Blend. This wine is so food-friendly, and is super with the smoky nature of the bacon. But don’t take my word for it–try some of their other wines and tell me which one is YOUR favorite!
We were so lucky to have the chance to catch up with some friends who happen live up the hill from VJB (I hate them for being so lucky to live there, but I love them anyway). We took a bottle of the Rosso and enjoyed a lovely evening on their outdoor deck with burgers, wine, and friends. What a perfect accompaniment to an already great trip.
Perfection at the end of day one of our trip to paradise. Ahhh…
But wait, there’s more!! Next up, I’ll make you drool over the phenomenal tapas bar we found, and the tantalizing tastes we encountered. You will NOT want to miss this, I promise. Need a visual teaser? Fine! (but just the menu–food later!)
What could be better than pizza and wine?!! Nothing! BTW, the picture of you is lovely!
Aw thanks. Isn’t funny that we never “see” what others do in pictures? But with enough wine and pizza, I forget to care. LOL
You SHOULD post more pics of you because your bubbly personality comes through. The tapas bar sounds like a delicious place to spend an evening.
Aw, thanks! Trying to contain all that bubbly takes a camera, apparently. Ha ha. That tapas place is so great we considered asking if we could rent a cot and just live on the deck!
Coincidence that I stumbled across this post on National Drink Wine Day AND that we just took a vacation in Sonoma Valley a week ago? It is SO beautiful there. We didn’t make it to VJB, but hit up some other wonderful ones like Deerfield Ranch and Little Vineyards.
We just love it up there. It’s so tranquil, and even if the weather isn’t great, you’re still in wine country! Beats a regular old day back home any day. :o)
It all looks so wonderful! I have been looking for a place to try in Napa and this just made it to the top of my list!
You’re killing me. Napa has been on my dream list of weekend getaways for a while now. It looks like you had a great time.
Great post, I live about an hour from Napa – we used to go up there all the time to all the great restaurants, then we had three kids so we don’t make it out as much any more 🙂
I can’t wait to read about the tapas bar!!