Thursday, March 8, 2012

Napa for 2... Redeeming February!

If you didn't read my Love. Sick. Remedy. Post, here are the cliff notes:

Mark and I were supposed to get away to Napa on Valentine's Day Weekend.
Ethan got the flu the day we were supposed to leave.
Then Mark got the flu.
Then I got the flu.
Then we were all sick for 2 weeks straight...
Long story short, we didn't go.

Well, we re-booked that getaway ASAP!

I have to admit, the day we left I held my breath for any show stoppers :)

To lay the backdrop for this vacation...
Mark and I bought a time share on our honeymoon
(another story for another time...)
We purchased the cheapest package (all we could "afford" on a student's "salary") and because we haven't upgraded, they always call us asking to "get away for an owner's update".
Yes, please!
The company is called Shell Vacations Club and one of their newest properties had us hooked, The Vino Bello Resort and Spa.

90 minute presentation = free 2 night stay for us!
Yipee!!

We showed up to the hotel, checked in, then walked straight to the concierge and told Andre (good guy!) to plan out our vacation.
He gave us 2 for 1 tastings at about every vineyard we visited and his dining recommendations were pretty spot on with our tastes...

We ate at Domaine Carneros and Auberge for lunch and

So, Napa in the Spring is traditionally littered with mustard plants... 
the rolling hills are splashed with yellow.
It's beautiful and makes up for the barren vines.

Here are the pictures of our redemption weekend in Napa:

(I think you will all be impressed by the number of pictures I used in this post.
Six.
I know, right?!
Well, the catch is they're all collages... thought I'd try my hand at it!)


Mark and I had a little too much fun with the auto timer on our camera
(in the bottom picture, we tried to jump and get that really cool, mid-air snapshot. 
Needless to say, we felt a bit too goofy to try for round 2!)


The first day we had lunch at Domaine Carneros.
DC was a totally different experience because of their table service tastings.
They are known for their sparkling wines and spectacular views.
{The Chateau ain't bad, either.}


More wine tasting...


More mustard seed fun and...
a real, deal castle!


Castello di Amorosa is 5 years old but was built with authentic stones (ruins) from Italy.
The Bachelor was filmed here as well as the Adam Sandler movie, Bedtime Stories...
It truly feels Renaissance and a flash back to Medieval Times!
We did a tour and tasting.
It was pretty phenomenal!


The castle is owned by the owner of V. Sattui.
V. Sattui is the #1 visited vineyard in Napa.
Castello di Amorosa is #2.


That was it in a nutshell!
Mark and I are verrrry elementary in our knowledge of wine, so this was an experience for sure!

I think we may have to take a wine tasting class at the local community college...
Hello Date Nights! :)





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