Winery Overload - a Napa Breakdown

Sorry for my tardiness... here is how it went.

•Thurs
oHendry and Hess. Dinner @ Ad Hoc
oHendry was amazing. One of the best winery experiences I have ever had. I would highly recommend this vineyard to anyone. We tried 11 wines, many of which I had never had before. We loved the people, the tour and definitely the wine.
oHess, fun but nothing too special. We went late so we were able to try some great wines for half price. Interesting Art.
oAd Hoc: I really, really wanted to love this place. And, it was good, but it did not blow my socks off. We began with an Arugula, Melon and Mint salad which was amazing. Then for our entrée we had Steak Diane. This is the course didn’t do it for me. The steaks were slightly tough and the amount of sauce was lacking. For dessert we had make-your-own Sundaes which was whimsical and good. The cheese course was great as well. I would go back. A good over-all experience, but I think I talked it up too much in my mind.
•Fri
oCain, Pride, Paloma and Del Dotto. Dinner @ Bistro Don Giovanni
oCain – Amazing, Amazing, Amazing. My favorite winery that we visited. The wine was unbelievable. We were given the tour of the property by Pat, the Commercial Director, then were joined by Chris the winemaker in the Library. A perfect setting for some amazing wines.
oPride – Beautiful location and Beautiful wines and had a beautiful picnic on top of Spring Mountain.
oPaloma – We literally drank wine in the owner’s dining room. I don’t believe it gets more intimate than sharing your home and wine with others. Good times, especially since I love their Merlot. Barbara, the owner, treats you like her grandchildren for the time that you are there. Another place with amazing views of the Spring Mountain, this time accompanied with Hummingbirds.
oDel Dotto – could have skipped it. Seemed like a frat party for winos. Not the most fun, but they definitely had some big, bold wines; however, they said “big and sexy” way too much for my liking.
oBistro Don Giovanni was good food and a nice setting. Not sure if we would go back however, seems like so many restaurants to try to go back to it.
•Sat
oSilver Oak, Kuleto, Honig, Cakebread w/ optional Frog's Leap and Fleury
oSilver Oak – this was an early excursion, yet it could not detract from the beauty of the wine. Silver Oak produces amazing Cabs. A family favorite for a long time.
oKuleto – this is the ultimate experience. They do not sell you wine, but the lifestyle of Kuleto. Not to say that their wine isn’t good, because it is. However, it definitely was not the best that we tried on our trip. The total package was the best of trip. Kuleto goes above and beyond to give you the very best experience. A very good time.
oWe did not make it to Honig, Cakebread and Fleury.
oFrog’s Leap – We capped off our tour of wineries with a pleasant tasting in their gardens. Nice, well priced wines in a very laid-back and relaxing setting.
•This was an amazing trip! Thanks to all who helped lead us in the right direction.

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Ad Hoc
6476 Washington St., Yountville, CA 94599

Kuleto's
221 Powell St., San Francisco, CA 94102

Bistro Don Giovanni
4110 Saint Helena Hwy, Calistoga, CA 94515

AAnthony in San Francisco Bay Area

Mail order bbq?

I have shipped Blacks BBQ to Pittsburg, Pensacola FL, and NYC. Every time I have done so, I have received rave reviews and great pictures of smiling faces smeared with BBQ sauce.

http://www.blacksbbq.com/default.aspx The 1800 # goes straight to Kent Black, the manager and 3rd generation Black, so you know you are in good hands.

AAnthony in Austin

Titaya's on 9.1.09

I got on Chowhound earlier this evening looking for a well priced meal. I stumbled upon a "Thai in Austin" thread and started to salivate. The consensus of the thread was that Titaya's and Madam Mam's both had strong followings and loyal devotees. Being that I had already been to Mam's, I figured I would give Titaya's a shot.

First, it is right around the block from my house. Score. Second, my wife and I started off with Shrimp Spring Rolls which was served with a house peanut sauce. The sauce was b-a-utiful. I literally polished it off with a spoon. Incredibly good. Another score.

For entrees, my wife went with the Pad Thai while I ordered Gang Panang - a red curry w/ veggies in a coconut broth. My wife loved hers. She also really enjoys Thai Kichten’s, which she said is lighter with more lime, but she couldn't decide a favorite between the two. Titaya's had a more roasted peanut flavor and was little heartier. At just under $8, it was very economical seeing that it will also serve as her lunch tomorrow. Score. My Gang Panang was incredible. Just what I needed to satisfy my previously insatiable salivating. It was spicy, but not sweat-bead-producing. It was luxuriously creamy in the coconut broth and the chicken, which had soaked up the curry goodness, was intensely flavorful. Score.

We could have stopped there. Weaker men would have. But, we pressed on, reminding ourselves of Mark Twain's quote: "Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside." So, we forged on and ordered and Ice Thai Coffee (which I have had better) and Sticky Rice and Mango. The mango was perfect. The sticky rice was bathing in coconut milk. So good. A perfect end to an amazing culinary escapade, practically next door no less.

All this can be yours for approximately $30 before tip. Score. Happy eating.

AAnthony in Austin

Winery Overload - a Napa Breakdown

The Final Schedule:
Thurs
Herndry and Hess. Dinner @ Ad Hoc
Fri
Cain, Pride, Paloma and Del Dotto. Dinner @ Bistro Don Giovanni
Sat
Silver Oak, Kuleto, Honig, Cakebread w/ optional Frog's Leap and Fleury

Thanks again for all of your help and we will be sure to report back after our amazing trip.

AAnthony in San Francisco Bay Area

Winery Overload - a Napa Breakdown

Here is a more concrete schedule:
Thursday
Hendry Winery and Hess followed by a trip to Back Room before dinner.
Friday
Pride, Paloma, Cain and Del Dotto (St. Helena)
Saturday
Silver Oak, Cakebread, Honig, Frog's Leap, and Fluery or Kuleto

Thanks for all the input. Feel free to dish more out, as well.

AAnthony in San Francisco Bay Area

Winery Overload - a Napa Breakdown

Ruth - thanks for the "one tour is enough." That is a very good point. Seeing that this will be all of our first time to Napa, I am at a loss for what we want to do and/or what we should do. I think we would rather taste complete lines and enjoy one place at a time versus tasting specific varietals at many different places at shorter intervals. Price ranges can vary. We would like to go to a couple higher-end places and then throw in more budget friendly ($10) tastings. As for who is serving us, I don't really mind. If there are some small vineyards with great wines where you get to sit with the owner and drink, I wouldn't pass it up.

AAnthony in San Francisco Bay Area

Winery Overload - a Napa Breakdown

Thanks, Scott. I really appreciate the geography lesson, that will definitely help narrow the selections. I would say the majority of us prefer reds a little over whites and stills over sparkling.

AAnthony in San Francisco Bay Area

Winery Overload - a Napa Breakdown

Thanks Adrienne. I read your post earlier; however, not soon enough to get the low down on Avia. I think I will take you up on your offer to email you.

AAnthony in San Francisco Bay Area