I am going to attempt to post reviews of the bottles we bought while in wine country--and there were many. First bottle:
Kunde 2007 Meritage 202
"Meritage" is a name given to wines done in the "Bordeaux" style grown outside of Bordeaux, since France is very strict about naming their wines (for example, a Champagne has to be grown in the Champagne region). Since I have no idea what "Bordeaux" really means, other than being a description of the place, here's the short review:
It had a tart and full fruit beginning, my mom said it was "dry", and it was, but I'm never really very sure where the dryness begins or ends, and then it finished with a bit of earthiness. Rob's short review: "It was good."
Monday, December 5, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Monday, October 24, Day 8
From 10-17-11 to 10-24-11 honeymoon |
Saying goodbye to the Farmhouse mascot was equally difficult (what a life!):
From 10-17-11 to 10-24-11 honeymoon |
Sunday, October 23, Day 7
After a delicious breakfast at the Farmhouse--where they have several courses even for breakfast (consisting of baked currents, apples and walnuts to start, then corn waffles and stewed bananas with chicken sausage, yum!!!), we visited Copain, which afforded one of the many beautiful views to be had in this part of wine country:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/copain-wines-healdsburg#hrid:WMMLhK-r4mAtNJEIfbrZvg
We then went to Hawkes on the recommendation of a friend, and were thrilled with their wines, some of the best we had while in Sonoma. They also had really beautiful midcentury paintings by the mother(?) of the owner in their spare tasting room:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/hawkes-vineyards-and-winery-sonoma#hrid:06bMOl80TIstqzwyQuPPIw
Next door is Jimtown Store, which is well-known for it's appearance on "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" on the Food Network, but the hype isn't overrated, it's really good (oh yummy pulled-pork sandwich...the pork-a-palooza continues) and the store itself is like stepping back in time to a 5-and-dime with lots of vintage signs, wide wood planks, and cheeky goods for sale.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/jimtown-store-healdsburg-2#hrid:0j1TCZkmMUPIsrjkCygJ6A
After that we visited Robert Young, supposedly known for their reds... a beautiful, but disappointing visit:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/robert-young-estate-winery-geyserville#hrid:_mi_NdbC9pxri2cUYd2cgQ
We were nervous about not getting into the appointment-only tasting room Michel Schlumberger, but no worries there, they were very accommodating (and we learned the only reason most appointment-only wineries are appointment-only is because the number of public permits is limited due to the shear volume of wineries applying).
http://www.yelp.com/biz/michel-schlumberger-winery-healdsburg#hrid:jQxfcX53ENpH0jH2I1T_ug
We then went to Quivera just down the road and were delighted by their organic garden and their incredibly reasonable (and different) wines. We finally found the answer to the question "does all wine have to be aged in oak or stainless steel?". No! They actually had a white wine that was aged in Acacia and really tasty. Our server, who, like several of the men we met working in tasting rooms, was a Vietnam vet, and he was great, explaining their philosophy of balance and harmony. They have beautiful gardens with flowering plants, lots of vegetables, chickens, and fruit trees, and all organic! It's really inspiring to see that setup work as well as it does. They are pretty realistic about it too, recognizing that they won't get as big a yield on their crops as the wineries that use pesticides, but that they will be able to use their land indefinitely, as long as they take care of it: http://www.yelp.com/biz/quivira-vineyards-healdsburg#hrid:K7CZmrbvEBhPyeG8yleKbQ
Here's Sunday's route:
![]() |
From 10-17-11 to 10-24-11 honeymoon |
From 10-17-11 to 10-24-11 honeymoon |
http://www.yelp.com/biz/hawkes-vineyards-and-winery-sonoma#hrid:06bMOl80TIstqzwyQuPPIw
Next door is Jimtown Store, which is well-known for it's appearance on "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" on the Food Network, but the hype isn't overrated, it's really good (oh yummy pulled-pork sandwich...the pork-a-palooza continues) and the store itself is like stepping back in time to a 5-and-dime with lots of vintage signs, wide wood planks, and cheeky goods for sale.
From 10-17-11 to 10-24-11 honeymoon |
From 10-17-11 to 10-24-11 honeymoon |
http://www.yelp.com/biz/robert-young-estate-winery-geyserville#hrid:_mi_NdbC9pxri2cUYd2cgQ
From 10-17-11 to 10-24-11 honeymoon |
http://www.yelp.com/biz/michel-schlumberger-winery-healdsburg#hrid:jQxfcX53ENpH0jH2I1T_ug
From 10-17-11 to 10-24-11 honeymoon |
From 10-17-11 to 10-24-11 honeymoon |
From 10-17-11 to 10-24-11 honeymoon |
Here's Sunday's route:
Friday, November 25, 2011
Saturday, October 22, Day 6
First stop on this beautiful morning (after breakfast at The Farmhouse) was Porter Creek Vineyards. We didn't snap any photos, but we did have a tutorial on how to taste wine (and not get drunk) by the very entertaining Scottish man who hosted the tasting in a small shed that had apparently only recently gotten electricity. The vineyard is owned by the winemaker and his wife (the woman who pays for everything), and they have a small daughter and a dog who were hanging around. Their wines are very subtle, but we were delighted by the Zinfandel and bought a bottle to enjoy with food (what their wines are best known for--we saw many of their wines stocked at The Farmhouse restaurant).
Here are a few more details about this unique winery and a link to their website:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/porter-creek-vineyards-healdsburg#hrid:Xf41NMbv2l73ydD0b5SLFQ
We had a little detour while olive oil tasting when the keys were locked in the putt for an hour. Thank god for AAA. Even in wine country, they sent someone within minutes to unlock the car, and rushed it when they found out it was our honeymoon.
We high-tailed it to Healdsburg to grab a sandwich at the Oakville Grocery deli counter before horseback riding. It was a zoo--but a good lunch place with lots of specialty meats, cheese, and ready-made options. Being rushed didn't help the experience:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/oakville-grocery----healdsburg-healdsburg#hrid:4J1Rs48T4H3xU0YhZb7VWw
Our last stop of the day was the Chalk Hill vineyard (which we had trouble finding--apparently there is also a Chalk Hill Farm) where we had reservations for horseback riding with Rafael, one of the nicest people we met while in Sonoma. My horse was "Siete", a beautiful Polo pony, who let the way on the trail around the grounds. This winery had fantastic views! This was really a relaxing way to spend the afternoon:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chalk-hill-estate-vineyards-and-winery-healdsburg#hrid:s-Yn0t7eTtLlqH0uUcAFEQ
After a thoroughly relaxing visit to the Sauna (in our room!), we went to dinner in Sebastopol at the Starlight Wine Bar, housed in an old dining car:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/starlight-wine-bar-and-restaurant-sebastopol#hrid:CgFY0cCwPRTnlLihhIl31Q
Here's Saturday's route!
Here are a few more details about this unique winery and a link to their website:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/porter-creek-vineyards-healdsburg#hrid:Xf41NMbv2l73ydD0b5SLFQ
We had a little detour while olive oil tasting when the keys were locked in the putt for an hour. Thank god for AAA. Even in wine country, they sent someone within minutes to unlock the car, and rushed it when they found out it was our honeymoon.
We high-tailed it to Healdsburg to grab a sandwich at the Oakville Grocery deli counter before horseback riding. It was a zoo--but a good lunch place with lots of specialty meats, cheese, and ready-made options. Being rushed didn't help the experience:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/oakville-grocery----healdsburg-healdsburg#hrid:4J1Rs48T4H3xU0YhZb7VWw
Our last stop of the day was the Chalk Hill vineyard (which we had trouble finding--apparently there is also a Chalk Hill Farm) where we had reservations for horseback riding with Rafael, one of the nicest people we met while in Sonoma. My horse was "Siete", a beautiful Polo pony, who let the way on the trail around the grounds. This winery had fantastic views! This was really a relaxing way to spend the afternoon:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chalk-hill-estate-vineyards-and-winery-healdsburg#hrid:s-Yn0t7eTtLlqH0uUcAFEQ
After a thoroughly relaxing visit to the Sauna (in our room!), we went to dinner in Sebastopol at the Starlight Wine Bar, housed in an old dining car:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/starlight-wine-bar-and-restaurant-sebastopol#hrid:CgFY0cCwPRTnlLihhIl31Q
Here's Saturday's route!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Friday, October 21, Day 5
We started out the day at Kunde--a beautiful spot with an awesome mountaintop tasting and some of the best all-around wines we had while in Sonoma.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kunde-family-estate-kenwood#hrid:aEiuze57kUs_E753r7NNcA
We had some tasty eats at Cafe Citti before hitting the VJB wine tasting room:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-citti-kenwood#hrid:z-6FWZHoqLgVL4M9LgoRuA
VJB had delicious wines:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/vjb-cellars-kenwood#hrid:-dWZHcy63mAccroa3n827Q
And then we checked into the Farmhouse and had dinner--best!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/farmhouse-inn-and-restaurant-forestville#hrid:BMAoDz3YAfmOM-oTN_Pzaw
Here's the route for Friday:
From 10-17-11 to 10-24-11 honeymoon |
From 10-17-11 to 10-24-11 honeymoon |
We had some tasty eats at Cafe Citti before hitting the VJB wine tasting room:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-citti-kenwood#hrid:z-6FWZHoqLgVL4M9LgoRuA
From 10-17-11 to 10-24-11 honeymoon |
http://www.yelp.com/biz/vjb-cellars-kenwood#hrid:-dWZHcy63mAccroa3n827Q
And then we checked into the Farmhouse and had dinner--best!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/farmhouse-inn-and-restaurant-forestville#hrid:BMAoDz3YAfmOM-oTN_Pzaw
Here's the route for Friday:
Thursday, October 20, Day 4
In the middle of our honeymoon we stayed at the lovely renovated Gaige House. It's one of those Joie de Vivre hotels that looks all swanky but actually isn't completely overpriced. They put in those amenities that you really want like breakfast and cookies at the front door and wine and cheese in the afternoon, and a heated pool (sadly, we weren't able to take advantage of the wine and cheese and the pool because we were too busy going to wineries!!! The walls were a little thin, but you can kind of forgive that considering we were in the main house, which was built over a hundred years ago.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/gaige-house-glen-ellen#hrid:vvwxztsNrMPVyr7VbanZLA
First stop on Thursday was Domaine Carneros in the Carneros region of Sonoma. Apparently people who tried to grow wine here were initially laughed at because the area was supposedly only good for sheep herding. Oops! Too bad for those haters, the place has really tasty wine! Domaine Carneros is totally over-the-top in a Louis XIV kind of way, but their sparkling wines were a nice beginning to the day.
Here's the skinny online:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/domaine-carneros-napa#hrid:7O1VjrlgTSVBp7pNaPv8KQ
As Monty Python (and my dad) would say "and now for something completely different":
di Rosa preserve is this wacky property right across the road from Domaine Carneros, where Mr. di Rosa spent most of his adult life collecting and displaying Northern California artwork. While I am not usually a fan of this region's art (too much lumpy pottery and ugly figurative stuff), it was cool to see how passionate and thorough he was in his love of art--he lived with it every day and essentially built a shrine to house an impressive collection. As a nod to the region's "sheep herding" past, di Rosa's wife painted the sheep right next to the parking lot (hehe):
Here's more about di Rosa and me spouting about the importance of art and culture...
http://www.yelp.com/biz/di-rosa-preserve-napa-2#hrid:GWDySNockg2jLVhFV9keQw
And more pictures of the house...
Lunch was at the delightfully unpretentious Moore's Landing diner that overlooked the river:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/moores-landing-napa#hrid:c-GCIGROzvVm-wrN26jwww
After lunch we went back to the Carneros area and did Artesa--a beautiful winery up on a hill with a super-modern tasting room and overall some really good wines. Makes me think of Spain for some reason...
http://www.yelp.com/biz/artesa-winery-napa#hrid:QeZdH9LXj5GHi0EaFd983w
Dinner was in downtown Sonoma (adorable!) at the Girl and the Fig. Great food! Weird art on the walls, but a cozy, charming place with friendly waiters.
(stars by the plates we had) I love that the restaurants would gladly give you a copy of the menu. They make great keepsakes and are the only way I could possibly remember what we ate every night!
Here's more detail about the Girl and Fig...and my favorite cheese.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-girl-and-the-fig-sonoma#hrid:uBSW4iKsEYuf5UasMIid5w
Here's the route for day 4:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/gaige-house-glen-ellen#hrid:vvwxztsNrMPVyr7VbanZLA
First stop on Thursday was Domaine Carneros in the Carneros region of Sonoma. Apparently people who tried to grow wine here were initially laughed at because the area was supposedly only good for sheep herding. Oops! Too bad for those haters, the place has really tasty wine! Domaine Carneros is totally over-the-top in a Louis XIV kind of way, but their sparkling wines were a nice beginning to the day.
Here's the skinny online:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/domaine-carneros-napa#hrid:7O1VjrlgTSVBp7pNaPv8KQ
As Monty Python (and my dad) would say "and now for something completely different":
di Rosa preserve is this wacky property right across the road from Domaine Carneros, where Mr. di Rosa spent most of his adult life collecting and displaying Northern California artwork. While I am not usually a fan of this region's art (too much lumpy pottery and ugly figurative stuff), it was cool to see how passionate and thorough he was in his love of art--he lived with it every day and essentially built a shrine to house an impressive collection. As a nod to the region's "sheep herding" past, di Rosa's wife painted the sheep right next to the parking lot (hehe):
Here's more about di Rosa and me spouting about the importance of art and culture...
http://www.yelp.com/biz/di-rosa-preserve-napa-2#hrid:GWDySNockg2jLVhFV9keQw
And more pictures of the house...
Lunch was at the delightfully unpretentious Moore's Landing diner that overlooked the river:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/moores-landing-napa#hrid:c-GCIGROzvVm-wrN26jwww
After lunch we went back to the Carneros area and did Artesa--a beautiful winery up on a hill with a super-modern tasting room and overall some really good wines. Makes me think of Spain for some reason...
http://www.yelp.com/biz/artesa-winery-napa#hrid:QeZdH9LXj5GHi0EaFd983w
Dinner was in downtown Sonoma (adorable!) at the Girl and the Fig. Great food! Weird art on the walls, but a cozy, charming place with friendly waiters.
(stars by the plates we had) I love that the restaurants would gladly give you a copy of the menu. They make great keepsakes and are the only way I could possibly remember what we ate every night!
Here's more detail about the Girl and Fig...and my favorite cheese.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-girl-and-the-fig-sonoma#hrid:uBSW4iKsEYuf5UasMIid5w
Here's the route for day 4:
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Wednesday, October 19th, Day 3
The wine tasting continued at an old-school winery called Regusci, where we met a belly-scratch fiend, pictured below:
The tasting room was calm and the grounds were beautiful--with a storage barn that looked as old as they come and a lovely sunny view. The wine was great! And we learned that some of the wineries in California stayed afloat during Prohibition (how the heck did that ever get passed? What was Congress drinking???) by selling their wine to pharmacies, who doled out wine as "medicine". Totally agree with that--if more doctors wrote prescriptions for wine, we would be one healthy country;)
Here's more about this picturesque spot:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/regusci-winery-napa#hrid:v8aABbir2o4JacA1BbpmVQ
Next was the cave tour at Rutherford Hill Winery. We had a really friendly guide who answered all of our questions about the whole wine-making process and showed us the ground and the man-made caves where they store their wine.
The tasting room is housed in this fantastic redwood "barn" structure that was built during the 1970's (almost certain) and has withstood all those woodpeckers (we heard many of them while we were there).
We were lucky enough to witness the "crush" while we were there--we had gorgeous weather our whole stay, but apparently it rained the week everyone planned to pick their grapes, so the grapes were bloated with water (not a good thing for flavor) and most wineries left them on the vines to dry out before picking.
At Rutherford Hill we saw the man-made caves where they store their wine (a good investment as the caves built into the hill keep the wine cool without the cost of refridgeration).
Here's the same thing as above, only on yelp:)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/rutherford-hill-winery-rutherford#hrid:05pytTFF2NXBiuw8sixohA
Lunch was Yountville (yes, that place again!) deli where I had the ubiquitous Reuben sandwich. I had this sandwich at least three times on the trip, and each time was good!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/yountville-deli-yountville#hrid:uzaUKXqAZ2q0AtGoczxcuw
We ended our day at Chateau Montelena, a gorgeous spot with a Chinese garden and a jam-packed tasting room (can someone mention "Bottle Shock" one more time please? Not sure I heard about it the first 8 million times).
Their famous 1973 Chardonnay won best white at the famous Paris wine competition in 1976, over all the French wines, and put Napa Valley on the map. It's hard to get any information out of the servers in this place unless you look like you have expensive jewellry. But no matter--the grounds are perfect for wandering away from the crowds!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chateau-montelena-winery-calistoga#hrid:AlOVWtyrucurIatFxzB0wg
After all the wine, we drove to the Gaige House (review to follow).
Here's the route!
The tasting room was calm and the grounds were beautiful--with a storage barn that looked as old as they come and a lovely sunny view. The wine was great! And we learned that some of the wineries in California stayed afloat during Prohibition (how the heck did that ever get passed? What was Congress drinking???) by selling their wine to pharmacies, who doled out wine as "medicine". Totally agree with that--if more doctors wrote prescriptions for wine, we would be one healthy country;)
Here's more about this picturesque spot:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/regusci-winery-napa#hrid:v8aABbir2o4JacA1BbpmVQ
Next was the cave tour at Rutherford Hill Winery. We had a really friendly guide who answered all of our questions about the whole wine-making process and showed us the ground and the man-made caves where they store their wine.
The tasting room is housed in this fantastic redwood "barn" structure that was built during the 1970's (almost certain) and has withstood all those woodpeckers (we heard many of them while we were there).
We were lucky enough to witness the "crush" while we were there--we had gorgeous weather our whole stay, but apparently it rained the week everyone planned to pick their grapes, so the grapes were bloated with water (not a good thing for flavor) and most wineries left them on the vines to dry out before picking.
At Rutherford Hill we saw the man-made caves where they store their wine (a good investment as the caves built into the hill keep the wine cool without the cost of refridgeration).
Here's the same thing as above, only on yelp:)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/rutherford-hill-winery-rutherford#hrid:05pytTFF2NXBiuw8sixohA
Lunch was Yountville (yes, that place again!) deli where I had the ubiquitous Reuben sandwich. I had this sandwich at least three times on the trip, and each time was good!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/yountville-deli-yountville#hrid:uzaUKXqAZ2q0AtGoczxcuw
We ended our day at Chateau Montelena, a gorgeous spot with a Chinese garden and a jam-packed tasting room (can someone mention "Bottle Shock" one more time please? Not sure I heard about it the first 8 million times).
Their famous 1973 Chardonnay won best white at the famous Paris wine competition in 1976, over all the French wines, and put Napa Valley on the map. It's hard to get any information out of the servers in this place unless you look like you have expensive jewellry. But no matter--the grounds are perfect for wandering away from the crowds!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chateau-montelena-winery-calistoga#hrid:AlOVWtyrucurIatFxzB0wg
After all the wine, we drove to the Gaige House (review to follow).
Here's the route!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Day 2: Tuesday, October 18th
We awoke in our cottage to discover breakfast from Bouchon Bakery tucked in a basket on our front door. (Like the beginning of a fairy tale! Ha!) I wish I had a basket elf that delivered breakfast to my apartment every morning! The pastries were delicious--and made me want to try Bouchon.
Another amazing discovery was the heated tile floor in the bathroom. Yes, I would sleep on a cot for a year and wear flip flops everyday for two years if it meant I could get one of those installed in my house!
Did I mention another elf comes by sometime during the afternoon and leaves a basket of smores on the porch? And that you can see almost EVERY star in the sky from the comfort of your very own fire pit lounge?
I could go on, and I do--on Yelp:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-cottages-of-napa-valley-napa#hrid:NM9NVo2-c3rlTaYPwl6ewQ
Lunch was at Pacific Blues--nice, involving carnitas nachos, outdoors, in that Yountville place again:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pacific-blues-cafe-yountville#hrid:JPrSXmKXGO-4nDHOJfC1Xg
We then had the strength to venture out to Hess--a suggestion from a friend at work. The art collection was fantastic and powerful--all modern/contemporary with installations by Andy Goldsworthy (weird melting mounds and a dizzy circular wall (literally, he made a wall) sculpture entirely out of thorns that kind of blows your mind engineering-wise. The wine was eh. We were kind of entertained by a guy who insisted on telling us every place we needed to go, and then equally entertained by the man pouring wine who contradicted everything that guy said:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-hess-collection-winery-napa#hrid:WgP16VVDgPIrPJUstoYBHA
After a short siesta, we went back to Yountville (yes, again!) and had dinner at Redd, because apparently it takes 8 years and half your savings (and maybe your first born?) to get into French Laundry.
Redd was delicious and the setting very sleek and calming. Here's the menu (with stars next to the dishes we had) Of course the pork belly was delicious (I have a theory that pretty soon there will be no more pigs left on earth, that's how much pork has bewitched all us pork-eating cultures:( The lamb bolognese was also delicious.
Here's the link to the brief yelp review. I waited so long to write it it's hard to remember all the details...that also might be a by-product of lots of wine, so there's a picture below of one of the dishes (again, don't remember which):
http://www.yelp.com/biz/redd-yountville#hrid:jSsi9UrFrkCzQBKXjpSW6A
Here's the map of our trip on Day 2:
Another amazing discovery was the heated tile floor in the bathroom. Yes, I would sleep on a cot for a year and wear flip flops everyday for two years if it meant I could get one of those installed in my house!
Did I mention another elf comes by sometime during the afternoon and leaves a basket of smores on the porch? And that you can see almost EVERY star in the sky from the comfort of your very own fire pit lounge?
I could go on, and I do--on Yelp:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-cottages-of-napa-valley-napa#hrid:NM9NVo2-c3rlTaYPwl6ewQ
Lunch was at Pacific Blues--nice, involving carnitas nachos, outdoors, in that Yountville place again:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pacific-blues-cafe-yountville#hrid:JPrSXmKXGO-4nDHOJfC1Xg
We then had the strength to venture out to Hess--a suggestion from a friend at work. The art collection was fantastic and powerful--all modern/contemporary with installations by Andy Goldsworthy (weird melting mounds and a dizzy circular wall (literally, he made a wall) sculpture entirely out of thorns that kind of blows your mind engineering-wise. The wine was eh. We were kind of entertained by a guy who insisted on telling us every place we needed to go, and then equally entertained by the man pouring wine who contradicted everything that guy said:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-hess-collection-winery-napa#hrid:WgP16VVDgPIrPJUstoYBHA
After a short siesta, we went back to Yountville (yes, again!) and had dinner at Redd, because apparently it takes 8 years and half your savings (and maybe your first born?) to get into French Laundry.
Redd was delicious and the setting very sleek and calming. Here's the menu (with stars next to the dishes we had) Of course the pork belly was delicious (I have a theory that pretty soon there will be no more pigs left on earth, that's how much pork has bewitched all us pork-eating cultures:( The lamb bolognese was also delicious.
Here's the link to the brief yelp review. I waited so long to write it it's hard to remember all the details...that also might be a by-product of lots of wine, so there's a picture below of one of the dishes (again, don't remember which):
http://www.yelp.com/biz/redd-yountville#hrid:jSsi9UrFrkCzQBKXjpSW6A
Here's the map of our trip on Day 2:
Sunday, November 6, 2011
October 17th - Honeymoon Day 1
After an eventful morning we made a mad dash up route 5 to make our dinner reservation at Ad Hoc in Yountville (also known as yont-ville, yowntville, yonkville, ewe-nt-ville...not sure I ever got it right). The dash got even madder when we called the restaurant and found out they were serving fried chicken that night. Luckily, our ever-accommodating hosts at the Cottages of Napa left our vouchers at our cottage and Yountville was only about 2 miles up the road, so we made our reservation.
Ad Hoc was awesome. Fried chicken was right up there, but totally different from some of the greats (Larkin's, The Kitchen, Hodak's, and Canele). It was impossibly tender, the crust was flaky without falling off or being greasy, and they did something with thyme and buttermilk (?) that was delicious. We had a delicious half-bottle of wine from a local winery call El Molino. Check out the ode to 70's illustration that is happening on the label.
you can check out the full review of Ad Hoc on yelp (if you are so inclined to hear me gush over all the deliciousness):
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ad-hoc-yountville-2#hrid:HmaXBY5LUjEazR4bPBjmIA
And here's a picture of the menu from that night--look at the cute little pig! Wearing a hard hat?
Ad Hoc was awesome. Fried chicken was right up there, but totally different from some of the greats (Larkin's, The Kitchen, Hodak's, and Canele). It was impossibly tender, the crust was flaky without falling off or being greasy, and they did something with thyme and buttermilk (?) that was delicious. We had a delicious half-bottle of wine from a local winery call El Molino. Check out the ode to 70's illustration that is happening on the label.
you can check out the full review of Ad Hoc on yelp (if you are so inclined to hear me gush over all the deliciousness):
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ad-hoc-yountville-2#hrid:HmaXBY5LUjEazR4bPBjmIA
And here's a picture of the menu from that night--look at the cute little pig! Wearing a hard hat?
The Honeymoon!
We had such a fantastic time on our honeymoon to Napa and Sonoma and had a chance to try a lot of food (and wine, duh), that we thought we would share our enthusiasm for one of the coolest places ever by posting on our blog!
Cheers,
Erica & Rob
We drove the putt (Erica's car) up and back--the Animal antenna ball reflected the mood of the trip very appropriately by looking progressively crazier and more drunken as the week unfolded...
Cheers,
Erica & Rob
We drove the putt (Erica's car) up and back--the Animal antenna ball reflected the mood of the trip very appropriately by looking progressively crazier and more drunken as the week unfolded...
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Wedding Attire (in case you were curious)
So of course I didn't think to put this on the invite (let's just say there wasn't any space;). Here goes:
We'll say "Dressy Casual" meaning:
Guys: suit or a button-down and trousers, tie and jacket optional (but please wear a shirt;)
Girls: Dress or dressy skirt and top
We'll say "Dressy Casual" meaning:
Guys: suit or a button-down and trousers, tie and jacket optional (but please wear a shirt;)
Girls: Dress or dressy skirt and top
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Directions to the Wedding
Here's how you get to the wedding and here's what the place looks like:
From Burbank Residence Inn:
1. Head southeast on S First St toward E Verdugo Ave
312 ft
2. Take the 1st right onto E Verdugo Ave
0.2 mi
3. Turn right to merge onto I-5 S
8.5 mi
4. Take exit 137A toward State Route 110 N/Pasadena Fwy/Pasadena
0.1 mi
5. Keep right at the fork, follow signs for Broadway and merge onto W Ave 21
0.6 mi
6. Turn right onto Pasadena Ave
0.3 mi
7. Turn right onto N Broadway
Destination will be on the right
0.3 mi
View Larger Map
Here is a photo of the front of the building--there will be a valet out front and the gate will be open.
View Larger Map
From Burbank Residence Inn:
1. Head southeast on S First St toward E Verdugo Ave
312 ft
2. Take the 1st right onto E Verdugo Ave
0.2 mi
3. Turn right to merge onto I-5 S
8.5 mi
4. Take exit 137A toward State Route 110 N/Pasadena Fwy/Pasadena
0.1 mi
5. Keep right at the fork, follow signs for Broadway and merge onto W Ave 21
0.6 mi
6. Turn right onto Pasadena Ave
0.3 mi
7. Turn right onto N Broadway
Destination will be on the right
0.3 mi
View Larger Map
Here is a photo of the front of the building--there will be a valet out front and the gate will be open.
View Larger Map
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Valet--oh yeah!
We are having valet service at the wedding. Just pull up and hand your keys to the nice gentlemen, who will find a parking spot for you. No muss, no fuss, no cash necessary.
And in case you were thinking of parking down the street--don't. Trust us on this, parking in LA is not fun and not convenient (and our venue prohibits parking on the street--out of deference to the neighbors). If you need a ride to the venue, let one of us know--we will help you find transportation, whether it be a rental car or a ride with someone in-town.
A few driving tips for out-of-towners:
Do not talk on your cell phone while driving. It's illegal here, and the tickets are expensive!
Add 20 minutes to any estimated drive time. Traffic can strike without rhyme or reason in the middle of the day or night.
When in doubt, don't park there. Sometimes signs are hard to find, and if their aren't a lot of cars parked around, chances are they have learned their lesson (or have been towed).
All the best places to go are reached by car, so definitely use a GPS!
Safe travels!
And in case you were thinking of parking down the street--don't. Trust us on this, parking in LA is not fun and not convenient (and our venue prohibits parking on the street--out of deference to the neighbors). If you need a ride to the venue, let one of us know--we will help you find transportation, whether it be a rental car or a ride with someone in-town.
A few driving tips for out-of-towners:
Do not talk on your cell phone while driving. It's illegal here, and the tickets are expensive!
Add 20 minutes to any estimated drive time. Traffic can strike without rhyme or reason in the middle of the day or night.
When in doubt, don't park there. Sometimes signs are hard to find, and if their aren't a lot of cars parked around, chances are they have learned their lesson (or have been towed).
All the best places to go are reached by car, so definitely use a GPS!
Safe travels!
Children
We are not inviting any children under 13 to the wedding outside of the wedding party. While we love children, our site is not child-friendly and on the small side. We understand if this creates a difficult situation for some guests and hope that you can still join us to celebrating.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Directions to Marvimon (the wedding & reception site) from Residence Inn, Downtown Burbank
View Larger Map
Start:
Residence Inn Burbank Downtown
321 South First StreetBurbank, CA 91502
(818) 260-8787
1. Head southeast on S First St toward E Verdugo Ave
312 ft
2. Take the 1st right onto E Verdugo Ave
0.2 mi
3. Turn right to merge onto I-5 S
8.5 mi
4. Take exit 137A toward State Route 110 N/Pasadena Fwy/Pasadena
0.1 mi
5. Keep right at the fork, follow signs for Broadway and merge onto W Ave 21
0.6 mi
6. Turn right onto Pasadena Ave
0.3 mi
7. Turn right onto N Broadway
Destination will be on the right
0.3 mi
Marvimon
1411 North Broadway,
Los Angeles, CA 90012
If you need directions from any other location, let us know!
Things to do in LA
There are lots of things to do in Los Angeles that don't involve driving and parking, but, sorry, most of the cool things involve some driving and parking. Here's a list we put together of some of the fun things to do if you have a little more time in Los Angeles. If you need any further suggestions (or want to know where to eat--because we're really good at those suggestions), just email one of us.
Disneyland--of course!
You can spend lots of time here--there are two parks (Disneyland and California Adventure), and we know them like the back of our joined hands (awww).
http://disneyland.disney.go.com/?name=HomePage&bhcp=1
http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/parks/landing?name=DisneysCaliforniaAdventureLandingPage
View Larger Map
A real favorite is the Griffith Park Observatory. You drive or take a bus to the top of the hill and can hike up even further to get some really beautiful views of Los Angeles. On a clear day you can see all the way out to the Pacific.
It's also a great place for a picnic and the Observatory itself is beautiful and features a newly-renovated dome and high-powered telescope.
http://www.griffithobs.org/vshuttle.html
The Griffith Observatory is part of Griffith Park, which is HUGE (just check out the map). If you are feeling adventurous, then you can hike to the Hollywood sign, play tennis, ride the merry-go-round, fly a kite, golf, barbeque, jump in a bouncy house, visit the site of the old zoo, visit the new zoo, see the Autry Museum of Western Heritage, see some old trains, have a picnic, or ride some horses along many trails:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32655-d272718-Reviews-Griffith_Park_Horse_Rentals-Los_Angeles_California.html
View Larger Map
Santa Monica pier is a taste of old Los Angeles--it has classic rides and a great view to the ocean (and fun people-watching). The beach here is too crowded and can get a little dirty, so best place to swim is up a few miles past the Getty Villa in Malibu (and if you are a shopping fan, one of Erica's favorite outdoor malls, the Malibu Lumber Yard, is up there: http://www.themalibulumberyard.com/)
http://www.santamonicapier.org/
View Larger Map
If you are feeling very touristy, then you can hit the Hollywood Walk of Fame and pass the Kodak Theater (where the Oscars are held) and Grauman's Chinese Theater (where big movies were premiered during the golden age of Hollywood) http://www.seeing-stars.com/Immortalized/WalkOfFame.shtml, This is just down from the Hollywood Bowl, which will just have ended it's summer run even though, yes, the weather is still nice at night in Los Angeles in October! http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/tickets/calendar.cfm?yr=2011&m=10
View Larger Map
There are several theaters in LA, but the Pantages usually runs family-friendly shows (i.e., musicals):
http://www.pantages-theater.com/
View Larger Map
Or there is the very sleek (just ignore the hideous carpet inside and think of how the acoustics are near-perfect) Disney Concert Hall that Frank Gehry designed, home of the LA Phil during the winter and spring: http://www.laphil.com/tickets/calendar.cfm?yr=2011&m=10(classical, world, jazz music) and adjacent Dorothy Chandler Pavillion, http://www.musiccenter.org/about/venue_dcp.html, (Opera and Dance) and Mark Taper Forum,http://www.centertheatregroup.org/theatres/mtf/, (theater)
View Larger Map
If you want to shop, Disney-style, The Grove, just south of Hollywood, is great for walking:
http://www.thegrovela.com/
The Farmer's Market is very old Los Angeles, and it's right next to The Grove, with tons of delicious food (we recommend the Singaporean food at the Banana Leaf), all outdoors:
http://www.farmersmarketla.com/restaurants/index.html
View Larger Map
If you want to learn a little more about the history of LA and get some exercise at the same time, these guys give great tours that don't feel like you are on a tour:
http://laconservancy.org/tours/tours_main.php4#holiday
There are tons of other things to do, so if you don't see something listed, don't dispair! There are sports, restaurants, concerts--anything you can imagine. Just contact one of us if you have any specific activities in mind. And if you don't want to plan anything, don't worry, we'll keep you busy;)
Disneyland--of course!
You can spend lots of time here--there are two parks (Disneyland and California Adventure), and we know them like the back of our joined hands (awww).
http://disneyland.disney.go.com/?name=HomePage&bhcp=1
http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/parks/landing?name=DisneysCaliforniaAdventureLandingPage
View Larger Map
A real favorite is the Griffith Park Observatory. You drive or take a bus to the top of the hill and can hike up even further to get some really beautiful views of Los Angeles. On a clear day you can see all the way out to the Pacific.
It's also a great place for a picnic and the Observatory itself is beautiful and features a newly-renovated dome and high-powered telescope.
http://www.griffithobs.org/vshuttle.html
The Griffith Observatory is part of Griffith Park, which is HUGE (just check out the map). If you are feeling adventurous, then you can hike to the Hollywood sign, play tennis, ride the merry-go-round, fly a kite, golf, barbeque, jump in a bouncy house, visit the site of the old zoo, visit the new zoo, see the Autry Museum of Western Heritage, see some old trains, have a picnic, or ride some horses along many trails:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32655-d272718-Reviews-Griffith_Park_Horse_Rentals-Los_Angeles_California.html
View Larger Map
Santa Monica pier is a taste of old Los Angeles--it has classic rides and a great view to the ocean (and fun people-watching). The beach here is too crowded and can get a little dirty, so best place to swim is up a few miles past the Getty Villa in Malibu (and if you are a shopping fan, one of Erica's favorite outdoor malls, the Malibu Lumber Yard, is up there: http://www.themalibulumberyard.com/)
http://www.santamonicapier.org/
View Larger Map
If you are feeling very touristy, then you can hit the Hollywood Walk of Fame and pass the Kodak Theater (where the Oscars are held) and Grauman's Chinese Theater (where big movies were premiered during the golden age of Hollywood) http://www.seeing-stars.com/Immortalized/WalkOfFame.shtml, This is just down from the Hollywood Bowl, which will just have ended it's summer run even though, yes, the weather is still nice at night in Los Angeles in October! http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/tickets/calendar.cfm?yr=2011&m=10
View Larger Map
There are several theaters in LA, but the Pantages usually runs family-friendly shows (i.e., musicals):
http://www.pantages-theater.com/
View Larger Map
Or there is the very sleek (just ignore the hideous carpet inside and think of how the acoustics are near-perfect) Disney Concert Hall that Frank Gehry designed, home of the LA Phil during the winter and spring: http://www.laphil.com/tickets/calendar.cfm?yr=2011&m=10(classical, world, jazz music) and adjacent Dorothy Chandler Pavillion, http://www.musiccenter.org/about/venue_dcp.html, (Opera and Dance) and Mark Taper Forum,http://www.centertheatregroup.org/theatres/mtf/, (theater)
View Larger Map
If you want to shop, Disney-style, The Grove, just south of Hollywood, is great for walking:
http://www.thegrovela.com/
The Farmer's Market is very old Los Angeles, and it's right next to The Grove, with tons of delicious food (we recommend the Singaporean food at the Banana Leaf), all outdoors:
http://www.farmersmarketla.com/restaurants/index.html
View Larger Map
If you want to learn a little more about the history of LA and get some exercise at the same time, these guys give great tours that don't feel like you are on a tour:
http://laconservancy.org/tours/tours_main.php4#holiday
There are tons of other things to do, so if you don't see something listed, don't dispair! There are sports, restaurants, concerts--anything you can imagine. Just contact one of us if you have any specific activities in mind. And if you don't want to plan anything, don't worry, we'll keep you busy;)
Hotel Info for out-of-towners
For anyone visiting from out of town, we reserved a block of rooms at the Residence Inn for Saturday & Sunday, Oct 15th-16th in beautiful downtown Burbank, CA (where Erica grew up). Each room can accommodate up to 4 people, the hotel is non-smoking, it's walking distance to lots of restaurants, a movie theater, and a shopping mall, and it's adjacent to the freeway that takes you to the wedding (I'll put directions to the site from the hotel in a separate post along with all the fun and exciting things to do in Los Angeles).
Residence Inn Burbank Downtown
321 S. First Street
Burbank, CA 91502
View Larger Map
Here is the direct link to this reserved block of rooms:
Just in case, here's the number to call and book, before September 15th (afterwards we can't guarantee rooms will be available):
888-236-2427 (general reservations #)
818-260-8787 (Residence Inn Burbank Downtown #)
Just mention that you are reserving under the Erica Szuch/Rob Wiedemann wedding.
For all of you wedding party (or single) people, we have a hotel in Silverlake--just contact one of us for the details. There are lots of things to do in that neighborhood too, it's just not as family-friendly.
Residence Inn Burbank Downtown
321 S. First Street
Burbank, CA 91502
View Larger Map
Here is the direct link to this reserved block of rooms:
Just in case, here's the number to call and book, before September 15th (afterwards we can't guarantee rooms will be available):
888-236-2427 (general reservations #)
818-260-8787 (Residence Inn Burbank Downtown #)
Just mention that you are reserving under the Erica Szuch/Rob Wiedemann wedding.
For all of you wedding party (or single) people, we have a hotel in Silverlake--just contact one of us for the details. There are lots of things to do in that neighborhood too, it's just not as family-friendly.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Registry & Request
We are registered at myregistry.com, just type in either Erica Szuch or Rob Wiedemann and it will take you to our site, or follow the link below:
http://www.myregistry.com/Redirectmember.aspx?sid=ba8f5b43-7b35-42b1-9200-3452476cfecc
The best gift you can give is to send/email photos! We will display these during the reception so if you have any, please email me or Rob, or you can send photos to our address.
Cheers,
Erica
http://www.myregistry.com/Redirectmember.aspx?sid=ba8f5b43-7b35-42b1-9200-3452476cfecc
The best gift you can give is to send/email photos! We will display these during the reception so if you have any, please email me or Rob, or you can send photos to our address.
Cheers,
Erica
Where and When
I'm starting this during the Oscars (because yes, they are that boring), but it's a little overdue. Here are the details so far for our party!
Where: Marvimon House
1411 North Broadway
Los Angeles, Ca 90012
http://www.marvimon.com/
When: October 16, 2011
party time TBD
Where: Marvimon House
1411 North Broadway
Los Angeles, Ca 90012
http://www.marvimon.com/
When: October 16, 2011
party time TBD
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