A Week In Napa

A view from Alston Park.

Recently I had the pleasure of spending a week in Napa, California.  Most of us are familiar with the name “Napa”.  It conjures up visions of countless vineyards and tasting rooms complete with limos whisking groups of fun-loving tasters from tasting room to tasting room, empty nesters strolling through the wineries, sipping glasses of Cab whilst enjoying each others company.  This perspective is not at all wrong, particularly when the weekend arrives.  Since I was visiting for several days I noticed the drastic difference between a Tuesday and a Saturday.  Thursday evening the influx of “tourists” becomes apparent as waiting lines at cafes and restaurants grow, along with the amount of traffic on the streets and in parking lots.  Get this, I am not a tourist in Napa, I have a room there and I know people!

My adventure in Napa included some of this “tasting room fun” but I also had many opportunities to meet a few folks and spend some leisurely time enjoying the town of Napa.  You see, I was pet sitting my daughter and son-in-laws dog while they traveled to Hawaii for work purposes .  I know, I know, tough job for all, but somebody’s gotta do it!

Napa is a smallish town of about 77,000 people and is the county seat of Napa, County, California.  It is indeed surrounded by vineyards, is blessed with moderate weather, a river flows through it and there are plenty of great dining places, tasting rooms, wonderful parks, and museums. Quaint inns, B&B’s and fabulous hotels abound.

Napa scene

The evening I arrived the local Whole Foods was doing their weekly “wine tasting”.  This Whole Foods has a small,cozy “bar” area where they pour wines from local growers as well as from their wine department.  Not too many tourists know about this, so it’s a great place to meet locals!  The bartenders remembered us from my visit just a few days prior to my pet-sitting stint.  They greeted us with smiles and began to fill our glasses with wines from a local Napa vineyard and on this evening, a French one too.  It’s a very casual setting, crowded with neighborhood tasters and a delightful way to spend a late Friday afternoon.  We enjoyed some local cheese, sausage and fresh berries at home that evening and I had a quick lesson in what my grand pup would expect while his parents were gone.

Kent & Geoff – Whole Food bartenders

Cowgirl Cheese a Napa Local Delight

Knowing that my grand pup loves to take a walk in the park we spent many hours hiking at Alston Park, just 5 minutes from his home.  It’s hilly, with miles of trails, a designated dog park, off and on-leash areas, a variety of birds and plenty of benches for sitting a spell to take in the surrounding vineyards and mountain views.

Foggy morning at Alston Park

Which way to go? Alston Park

One of my favorite places to visit is the Oxbow Market on the river near downtown. They have a “locals” event every Tuesday night, when special offers are found at most merchants in the market.  There is outdoor seating with a view of the Napa river and heaters for those chilly northern California evenings.  Full of delicious food offerings, a brandy distiller, candy counters, kitchen items, a spice merchant, a grocery, book nook, pastries and a coffee shop.  It’s easy to spend a couple of hours perusing the stalls, having a bite and maybe sipping on a glass of bubbly, beer or wine.

Sweet Treats at Oxbow Market

Locally Distilled Infused Brandy

Shaved Truffle Pizza @ Ca’Momi during Truffle Week at Oxbow

The establishment I visited most was Hog Island Oyster Co. at the Oxbow.  They specialize in – what else? Oysters!  Fresh or grilled, there are several varieties to choose from daily.

Fresh Hog Island Oysters

The grilled oysters are just about to die for.  Rockefeller, Casino, Bagna Cauda, and on one day Harissa.  These were spicy, fresh, salty and smokey all at once and they are at the top of my list of favorites at Hog Island.

Grilled Harissa Oysters

Hog Island Bubbly Rose

There is a tiny grocery located near the front entrance called Oxbow Produce and Grocery where you can find speciality items as well as fresh, organic and local veggies and fruits.  I delighted in seeing the lovely vegetables on display.

Brussels Sprouts

King Trumpet Mushrooms

Roman Cauliflower

Back at the hacienda my daughter has a Clementine tree in her back yard and no matter how many are picked daily it always seems loaded with fruit.  The thing about “picking” these sour-sweet little cuties is that they have to be cut from the tree or else the stem pulls a hole in the skin and then it must eaten.  Not such a bad thing, but the tree needed to have some fruit taken so one day I trimmed about a bushel full and made fresh Clementine juice, a Clementine and Olive Oil cake and some White Chocolate and Clementine Cookies.  I’ll be sharing those recipes with you soon.  Now that I am back in N.C. I do miss having access to all that fresh, juicy fruit each day!

Fresh Picked Clementines

Another treat was meeting some new doggie friends.  My grand pup is a breed you may not be familiar with.  Lagotto Romagnolo is a non-shedding, medium-sized breed, also known as the Italian Truffle Dog or Italian Water Dog.  He isn’t the only one residing in Napa. These dogs are loyal, friendly, easy to train, affectionate, with large expressive eyes, love the water and are hypoallergenic.  Vito is my favorite Lagotto but you’ll find these faces of his friends sweet and engaging.

Lagotto Puppy

Lagotto giving kisses

Here is what happens to Vito after a long hike in the park, a marathon session of catch and some belly rubs.  After all the entire reason I was able to have this fantastic week in Napa was all about the “dog”  I’d say he’s a happy boy!

Vito – done for the day in Napa

I have so much more to share with you from my Napa week.  I haven’t even touched on my visits to Cakebread Cellars, where I treated myself to a “food and wine paring”, my trip to Mumm where I tasted several varieties of sparkling wine, and my stop at Peju, another beautiful winery.  I”ll be giving you all the scoop on these fine vineyards as well as sharing the cake and cookie recipes in upcoming posts.  Oh! and one more thing – I have a quirky story about that famous restaurant “French Laundry” and my home city to divulge.  Stay tuned for “Part Two” of a week in Napa.