Stalking The French Laundry

Saturday morning, we decided to travel back north up Hwy. 29 to check out Yountville, home of Thomas Keller's famous restaurant, The French Laundry, his Bouchon Bistro and Bouchon Bakery.  It turned out to be the perfect time of day for this visit, as we arrived by 9:00 AM and it was not too hot or crowded with tourists yet.  Yountville is a small, picturesque town located between Napa and St. Helena in the Napa Valley.  We had no problem finding The French Laundry, and since it was early, there were not too many looky-loos out yet (except us, of course!).  Luckily, since the restaurant was closed, I didn't feel too conspicuous as I crouched down behind the wall to get a couple of photos.

The turn-of-the-century stone building which houses the famous French Laundry.  It was formerly (you guessed it) a French laundry!

Trying to be inconspicuous (notice how I didn't pose in front of the window!).

Side view.

This is the stunning view you would enjoy if you were to be so lucky as to get a reservation at The French Laundry.  When I checked the website, there was nothing available for at least 8 weeks.

One of the most interesting, and unexpected, aspects of the restaurant is the fact that all of the produce and herbs used in their cooking are grown in the garden across the street (pictured in the above photo).  It was lush and peaceful in the early morning, with just a couple of workers tending to the crops and collecting tomatoes.  I didn't realize at first that it belonged to The French Laundry until I noticed row markers with the restaurant's name on them.

Just down the street from The French Laundry is the Bouchon Bistro and Bakery.  There was already a small line-up out the door of the bakery even at 9:00 AM.  We chose a couple of pastries and coffee, which we savoured on the patio next to the bakery.  I'll have to confess that I think Thomas Haas is just as good (must be something about the name "Thomas")...but clearly, Thomas Keller knows a thing or two about fine French cuisine.

Yountville turned out to be so much more picturesque and quaint than I expected.  Definitely a foodie's dream destination, I would love to go back and spend more time here. One day, maybe I'll even snag a table at the Laundry for dinner.  Now that would be worth writing about.

Hess Winery

Since we were planning a leisurely afternoon by the pool for today, we decided that rather than traveling back north along highway 29, we would try to find something a little closer to Napa.  I happened upon the Hess winery online, and as luck would have it, it was located on the same road as our hotel (just a 10 - 15 min. drive out of town).

When we started out, we had no idea what a spectacular visit this would turn into.  Donald Hess bought the winery from the original owners, and has also installed a modern art gallery which would rival anything you would find in North America.  From the website: "As is evident by the caliber of the collection, he collects with the uncanny ability to acquire works by lesser known artists who often go on to become well known and respected in their disciplines. his typical commitment to an artist spans decades and various stages of his career."  Upon entering, we were surprised to see that the first painting was one by Yue Minjun, the same artist who designed the laughing men sculptures on English Bay.  Incredibly, there isn't even any admission charged to tour this gallery  We marvelled at the sheer size of some of the installations and wondered at the strangeness of others.  All in all, it was well worth seeing and may not be on every tourist's radar as it doesn't seem to be advertised as much as others. ( I am not able to post any photos of the art, as understandably, no photography is allowed in the gallery). 

The highlight of our visit was a wine and cheese tasting which we enjoyed on the grounds of the winery in the shade of the wisteria vines.  It was peaceful, gorgeous, and delicious. We tasted three wines and three types of cheese along with some chocolate and crackers in between.  Perfection!

The perfect setting for an afternoon tasting.

Gorgeous lily pond in front of the winery.

After our visit to Hess, we returned to Napa where we spent a leisurely afternoon by the pool (where else would you want to be in 40 degree heat?) immersed in our books to end my favorite day of the trip so far.

Napa Valley

After checking out of our motel in Kelseyville and bidding farewell to my relatives, we started our journey through the Napa valley.  It was here that we recorded the highest temperature reading yet on our car (41 degrees)!  Being from the prairies, I am used to hot summers, but this was a whole new world of heat.  Thankfully, swimming pools were plentiful, not to mention refreshingly cold white wine and the occasional shady tree.

Our first stop was the Castello di Amorosa winery which really has to be seen to be appreciated.  Owned by Dario Sattui, who also operates V. Sattui winery , the castle is an exact replica of a medieval castle in the style that Sattui came to know and love during his extensive stays in Italy.  I found it a bit touristy, but there's no denying the authenticity and grandeur of the place.  The tasting room / gift shop is immense, and being our first experience in Napa, we enjoyed it thoroughly.  We tasted 10 wines in total, and came away with a bottle of Gerwurztraminer which, when properly chilled, turned out to be a great thirst-quencher after an afternoon beside the pool.

This evening, we stayed in the city of Napa (which was a lot bigger than I expected).  Our hotel turned out to be within walking distance of Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Target.  Bonus!

Lake County

We arrived in Kelseyville, California this evening.  The weather has been stellar and the scenery is beautiful.  It is very much like the Okanagan in that there are vineyards, fruit orchards and vegetable crops, and the terrain is hilly and arid.  Unlike the Okanagan, however, lemons and limes will grow in this region.  I'm not sure what the difference is, but it probably has something to do with milder winters in California.

The view from my aunt & uncle's driveway.

My aunt, uncle and cousin showed us superb hospitality and, no sooner had we arrived, than we were enjoying fresh peaches and grapes from their back yard!  On Wednesday, they drove us around Clear Lake (the largest lake in California), and we visited two wineries.  The Ceago winery is absolutely beautiful with its location right on the lake shore and its field of lavender behind (unfortunately, the lavender had all been harvested for the season so we did not get to see its full glory).  We did our first wine tasting and ended up with a bottle of Syrah to take home (no surprise).

We then ventured to the Brassfield winery which I thought was even more impressive than Ceago.  This was a beautiful, Spanish-style building located up a steep and winding road.  Inside, we did a tasting and admired the amazing chandelier which was rescued from the Bank of America in Chicago during a demolition.