As Martha put it, today was “beautiful, fun-filled day!” Byron had to agree that it truly was.
We were delighted and blessed that Rachel, our niece, could accompany us on our trip to Napa Valley, California. We had planned this trip as part of our San Francisco excursions. Since we had an extra day in Sacramento, and a much closer drive, we adjusted our schedule and made the Napa trip today.
After starting out from the campground in Vacaville, we made stopping for lunch in the town of Napa our first stop. We had a great lunch at Ristorante Allegría. The soup of the day was red lentil and it was delicious.
Ristorante Allegría is located in a former bank building. For lunch
we requested outdoor seating under the arbor.
When entering the restaurant one is impressed by the different settings for a dining experience.
Martha and Rachel had fun taking a peek inside the vault.
Yes, private dining is available.
Not to be unequalled to anything in Old Sacramento, this building caught Byron’s eye; truly beautiful architecture highlights
the colorful restoration.
On our way back to the car, we came across a small park where
this 911 Memorial resides. Steel from the towers was used
in creating this fitting tribute to the workers and First Responders
who lost their lives on that horrible day 22 years ago.
From the town of Napa, we headed north into Napa’s wine growing regions. The map (below) shows the sixteen viticultural areas. Though Napa is perhaps more famous, Sonoma County (to the west) is also well-known for their wineries. Byron wanted to visit the Benziger Winery but just north of Sonoma but, unfortunately, they were closed on the day we were visiting. He took a group there 25 years ago and thought the tour of their grounds was phenomenal. We learned that most wineries do close one day of the week. Thankfully, they all aren’t closed on the same day of the week.
The map shows the different wine-growing regions of
the Napa Valley. Wishing this district are several wineries.
Each region may offer subtle differences in soil type,
annual rainfall, and exposure to sun. The result is different
types of rates grown to take advantage of the natural environment.
This is a highway view of the vineyards distributed throughout
Napa Valley. This scene is nearly identical to what
may been seen across the ridge in Sonoma County’s wine region.
Here we are, shamelessly promoting an area that provides educational experiences, wine tasting, scenery galore, and history.
Our first stop was at St. Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery. We enjoyed a delightful wine tasting orchestrated by Craig, our personal host. He provided us with some time to visit as we discussed memories and sipped a variety of wines.
While making a humorous comment, Craig pours a variety of wine
for Martha to taste. While tastings used to be free, that is no longer the case.
The winery provides visitors with a place to view the three
types of fermenting systems; stainless steel, concrete-lined,
and oak tanks. The barrels (shown here) are use for storing the wine
after the fermenting process is completed.
From St. Supéry, we headed to the north end of the valley to Castello di Amorosa, a location made to appear as a 14th century Tuscan castle. The structure spans 136,000 square feet with 107 rooms. It has four underground levels, and four above-ground levels. The castle is constructed of more than 8,000 tons of hand-chiseled local stone and nearly one million antique bricks imported from Europe. Though entrance into the castle is only be reservation, we were allowed to drive up to the parking lot and walk around the outside.
Surrounding the castle are olive trees, vineyards, and small gardens.
An archived photo shows the damage on one side of
Castello di Amoroso in the Glass Fire of September 2020.
Much of the area around the castle was burned in the wildfire
that struck the area. As you can see from the picture above,
there is no evidence of the fire today.
Our last stop was Rombauer Vineyard. Rombauer’s structures survived the fire of 2020 because much of the fire was actually fought from their hilltop balconies. There is still evidence of scarring on the side of the hill below the winery. Rombauer
Many trees were removed from the Rombauer property as
cleanup from the wildfire was done. What is captured here
is the view that was opened up because of the tree removal.
Though some trees were destroyed and removed, the hillside garden has been restored and is one beautiful part
to be see on the property.
We returned to Vacaville by way of the Silverado Trail. Our last stop of the day was to enjoy a burger at In-N-Out.
As you can tell, there was much to see and much to photograph. Best of all, we laughed and talked as we enjoyed great weather on a beautiful day with a wonderful tour guide, Rachel.
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