Napa Valley Vineyards & Chateaus

The Beringer mansion has the most splendid gardens and stained glass windows so try to make at least a quick stop here. Though I wasn't supposed to be shopping, I picked up a great coffee table book from the gift shop called Napa Valley: The Land, The Wine, The People... I couldn't resist the breathtaking photos and white hardcover. After strolling Beringer we continued on to the French-inspired Domaine Carneros chateau. Pull up a seat, relax with a glass of premium sparkly brut and revel in one of the most stunning panoramas Napa Valley has to offer.

(P.S. You must absolutely visit the Castle of Love before leaving Napa. You can thank me later. ;-)

Napa : California Wine Country

I've mentioned before that I don't drink but boy do I love me some wine-tasting and vineyard trips! Strange, I know, but there's so much more to 'wine country' than just drinking. There's the amazing food, the chateaus, the ambience, the art of wine-making... I mean the list goes on and on and Napa Valley is no exception. Our first stop was Chateau Montelena followed by Castello di Amorosa, which was so grand, it deserved a blog post all its own. I'm obsessed with how yummy those grapevines look so I tried to coerce my friend to drive up next to a row lining the driveway which would allow me to snatch a few and speed off with my prize, but nooo. She refused. So Napa, I'm coming back for you and your grapes.