This past January, I took a last minute trip with some friends to Napa to kick off the year! I know we’re in April now (and January feels like forever ago)…but I wanted to share some of my favorite spots with you all! Better late than never, right? I could write forever about all my favorites, so I’ll try to do my best with a top 8 for you all!
Favorite winemaker: Jon Jones, Paravel Wines
We met Jon one morning through the fog covering Howell Mountain. Our friend Ron Haber introduced us and we became quick friends after our couple hour hangout starting in his barrel room and then hanging out at his house with his dog Duke.
Paravel, as the name suggests, is made in the Castle in the Clouds and his Petite Sirah is a wonderful expression of Howell Mountain. Jon is a passionate winemaker, fantastic baker (thank you for the homemade olive oil & rosemary bread!), and a talented musician who mixes the right amount of humor, sarcasm, and love into his wine making. Find these wines! Go taste them! They’re fun, they’re expressive, and take all the great things about Howell Mountain to make some wonderful wines. Oh and he makes Rose that is delicious! (and I don’t drink Roses!)
Luxury accommodation with a view: Las Alcobas Napa Valley
OMG. This resort recently opened in Napa and I wish I could live there.
The staff are extremely friendly and accommodating. The rooms (aka bungalows as I like to call them) are spacious and, comfortable, and sleek. Oh and randomly have funky Japanese style toilets – heated seats are no joke. Their hotel gym is better than my real gym in Boston. The food is 5-star quality. And the view from the room makes me want to stare out at the vineyards for hours. I don’t need to say more than this picture. Book it. Use points, save up money, just go there. You won’t regret it!
Favorite new friend: Brian Baker @ Lokoya
To say Lokoya is an exquisite property and a wonderful experience is an understatement. To make our experience such a memorable one, we had the pleasure of being hosted by our new friend Brian Baker. 
We arrived a little shaky from our windy drive up Spring Mountain with our *crazy* driver. We knew quickly that Brian was going to be fun when we could joke about what was happening with our driver and whether we would make it down to St. Helena after the tasting. He prepared a wonderful tasting for us, opened some older library vintages for us, and helped to make the credit cards fly out of our wallets so we could bring more wine to the east coast! We got to spend more time with Brian and his wonderful wife Jessica at dinner later that same day and saw him again at a Cardinale tasting he helped arrange. Our new Napa friends – can’t wait to enjoy wine with them again!
Once-in-a-lifetime: Napa Valley Reserve
This experience is as vivid today as it was when I was there back in January. I truly can’t explain how magical it was to spend the day at the Napa Valley Reserve. The perfectly manicured grounds, the intricate cave layout, the property’s multiple entertaining spaces, and the delicious food and wine. Oh! And the bocce! I could go on. We spent the day with Matt learning about the history of the Napa Valley Reserve on a gorgeous day in the sun (while Boston got dumped on with snow). I also got a little giddy when I saw the Beckham’s vines in the vineyard! Once in a lifetime experience.
Go-to lunch spot: Cook St. Helena
Any time I make a visit out to Napa, I always make a stop at Cook in downtown Saint Helena. This place has such fresh Italian-inspired dishes. I always sit at the bar (yay being next to outlets to charge my phone) and the place is always bustling, but not overcrowded. A visit is not complete without having some starter with mozzarella and ordering at least one of their pastas. Lunch is my favorite time here – some good carbs in between wine tasting is a smart thing to do!
Extension of our family: The Habers
Our family on Howell Mountain. We met the Habers a couple years ago and during this trip we got to spend a couple days tasting wine and enjoying wonderful food with both Ron and Sue Marie. Some of the nicest, most welcoming and equally sarcastic people I’ve met. A a fellow Yankee fan! Their cabernets from Howell Mountain and Diamond Mountain are some of my favorites. Smooth with such elegant complexity. I just want to save these wines, but I also want to enjoy them as often as I can! I’m happy to call the Habers my friends and cannot wait to visit them again OR until they come visit us in Boston! (when its not cold)
Tasting in my living room: Sinegal Estate
You know you find a good winery when you feel at home. Some of my favorite spots were because of my level of comfort in addition to the quality of the wines. It makes such a difference when you feel comfortable, you jive with your host, and the wines are out of this world. Sinegal had all of these! We relaxed in what felt like my living room, chatted with Kyle about the retro Jordans we like, shared photos of our favorite trips, and enjoyed some fantastic wines. Perfect way to spend an afternoon.
Great group dining: Ad hoc
Thomas Keller never disappoints. Ad hoc serves up a different set menu every night and is ideal when sharing with a large group. You can bring in some of your favorite Napa wines or you can order a cocktail or favorite bottle from their extensive menu. It’s obviously a popular place, so try to make reservations early. But we’ve had good luck with some last minute reservations, catching a seat at the bar, and being up for eating a little bit on the later side.
Hope you all can make a trip out there! I’ll be highlighting more of my trip in future posts – there was too much to fit all into this!
– A