NAPA VALLEY

I've confirmed it, wine country is one of my happy places. Sunny, gorgeous rolling hills, wine and people likewise obsessed with wine, little markets with cheese and amazing sandwiches. I mean, come on. We made a day trip up to Napa while we were in San Francisco and it was blissful and romantic.  I felt like I was in a movie; a good movie, about a girl who visits wine country with a husband who isn't necessarily a wine enthusiast but gets excited with her and makes the effort because he is just that wonderful, a friend who is just as enthusiastic about wine and much more knowledgable about wine country, a mother-in-law and her best friend who was gracious and watched the girl's toddler while the girl was wine tasting, and the toddler, who was as sweet as a dumpling and offered lots of hugs and kisses in between wineries.

We visited three wineries: Stag's Leap because I had their amazing Artemis with some friends back in New York long ago, Robert Mondavi because it is a large producer with different levels of wine and has a great tour, and Peju winery because it was our friend's favorite. I came home with a few bottles from Stag's Leap and Peju and have already started in on them because they are irresistible.  Our day was a only a small sampling of wine country but it was enough for a dreamy, hazy, lovely visit and enough for me to resolve to go back someday.

Yes that is a block of cheese that she is tearing into. It was a day of luxuries for all of us. Don't worry, I didn't let her even get close to finishing it.