Soft Serve Makes You Smarter

Don't you love this sign? Great wisdom and I'll take it.

On a recent day in wine country, this was one of many beautiful sights. Ray and I met Aunt S. and her sister B. They are in the middle of a tremendous trek across the country and back, and we met up with them during their stop in Napa Valley.

Robert Sinskey is a beautiful winery on the Silverado Trail, with a background in food as well as wine. Robert's wife is an executive chef- a beautiful kitchen sits in the back of the tasting room.




This is the first tasting we've been to that includes specially prepared nibbles alongside the tasting. This will be a new favorite- no question!

I think we've finally played out Domaine Chandon- this visit is our sixth or seventh, and I just don't love bubbles as much as I used to.

We did do the tour for the first time though. Interesting, but I just wanted to chat with Aunt S. We were the rowdy kids in school :-)

And we had some good fun in the tasting room with Jack. This little guy has had his picture taken on every leg of their trip.

We discovered Ceja Vineyards last summer with my in-laws. They are actually members now! It's by appointment only but we called ahead and they have a nice patio to grab a snack. By 2:30 we were famished a scarfed some cheese, fruit, and bread that I brought in a cooler. It was gone before the camera came out.

Wearing the same dress as last year- oops!

Our last visit: Artesa Winery. Another repeat offender, but the views are so beautiful that we love to return.

The modern building is built into the hills like a bunker, with water sculptures in the entry. That's Aunt S. taking the picture at the top of the steps.

We ended the day at Pizzeria Tra Vigne, where I saw my favorite sign ever that began this post. It's a local favorite owned by Michael Chiarello (Tra Vigne, Bottega, NapaStyle, Food Network). Our companions went the night before and my Aunt had a craving for the same dish: the Steak Piadine.

A piadine is a flatbread topped with a salad of different ingredients. You fold it in half and eat like a taco; genius! I made one of his piadine recipes almost two years ago in our apartment, the Caesar Piadine. I tried another, the Caprese Piadine.

A deliciously fun day.

~:::~