Late summer into early fall is my favorite time of year as the end of August and early September signifies the beginning – the beginning of new endeavors, explorations, and planning for the rest of the year. There are the colors of Indian Summer that cast healthy glows over people walking in the street whose wardrobes begin to take shape with colors of burnt orange, plum, olive green and chocolate brown.

In Napa, California, this time of year is one of the most important times of year called CRUSH or HARVEST where the grapes from late August into October are picked from the vines and prepared for the specific vintners wine making process.

A group of friends and I were lucky enough to see the final days of CRUSH in Napa this year and benefited from a friend’s generosity by having us all board a private jet in Van Nuys, CA and head to the Napa airport. I think we were all a little giddy about the whole anticipated experience that we forgo the coffee and unleashed a bottle of rose champagne to inaugurate our upcoming experience! The preceding weekend would entail visiting several private wineries and tastings along with dining at some of Napa’s finest. As we would learn having a car service to navigate the Napa terrain into some of the most interesting wineries was a wise decision. Our new friend George Stone is the original Napa Valley private tour and car service and created an informative, fun and personal experience. Our trip included a stay at the quaint, quiet yet luxury La Residence that is owned by Craig and Kathryn Hall who also have the HALL winery and vineyard, which we visited (see below). Below is our wine and food experience:

Friday October 24th: After literally jetting into the Napa Valley airport we were pleasantly picked up by Paul, who happens to be a Fireman but, who fills in when George is booked. No complaints on our part as our group felt like we were in great hands with Fireman Paul! Our first stop was lunch at the famous Mustard’s Grill in St. Helena. This quintessential Napa Valley restaurant embodies the term ‘rustic chic’. It’s a perfect lunch spot offering savory dishes from the wood burning grill and oven. I had the Chicken Breast, feta, and watercress, guajillo Chile relish and avocado sandwich that was delicious! Service is warm, friendly and down to earth and the atmosphere is true comfort on an autumn day.

After lunch we had an appointment at Hall Rutherford, the same family who owns La Residence. Nestled at the top of Rutherford hills overlooking Napa, Hall Wines produces small-lot red wine, which we tasted in the beautiful private tasting room. Reservations are a must but, definitely worth the intimate tour of the caves and tasting of their best wines. The trip alone is worth the site of the spectacular chandelier, which represents a grapevine root system and includes 1500 Swarovski crystals (pictured above right).  I took home a bottle of their 2005 “Jack’s Masterpiece” which includes the label art from the son of Hall President and former Hall winemaker Mike Reynolds. Our tour guide was very passionate about wine, down to earth and made our experience a wonderful first tasting.After Hall, we set out to Dean and Deluca to pick up provisions to enjoy at the hotel because of course we anticipated not having enough to eat on this trip… We picked up some of our favorite cheeses from Cowgirl Creamery as well as Humboldt Fog. Cupcakes, chocolate and of course more wine were to be consumed!

After checking into our respective rooms, resting and enjoying our provisions on the outdoor lounge seating, we were picked up by George and taken to our first dinner in Napa at chef Ken Frank’s, La Toque (pictured left) which recently moved from Yountville into it’s new home at the new Westin Verasa Napa in downtown Napa Valley. I think the most interesting detail to note about La Toque is its attention to small details. Upon entering the very open amber lit dining room one immediately hears a quiet roar of pleasant dinner chatter and is greeted by almost everyone on staff including in our case, Chef Frank. Granted the restaurant had only been open a couple of weeks but, if this initial treatment remains I think they’re on to something at La Toque. My favorite thing about this dining experience is that as a diner you have the ability to create your own tasting menu. The tasting menu is divided into four sections so you can create your own meal, as the kitchen will adjust your portions based on the number of items you choose. Additionally, our group opted for the wine pairing option which specific wines have been selected that pair well with the dishes on the menu. The tasting pours are perfect to try a variety of wines with Chef Frank’s exquisite food. I tried a 3-course menu that started with Alaskan Black Cod with Matsutake Mushroom and Kaffir Lime Broth (2007 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate, Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, Washington), Ravioli with Sautéed Porcini and Fava Beans in a Parmesan Wild Mushroom Broth (2005 Nuits St Georges “Les Charmois” Domaine Jean Grivot), and finally the Grilled Hawaiian Swordfish as a “Pepper Steak” with a Baby Baked Potato and Jack Daniels Cracked Black Pepper Sauce (2005 Luna Sangiovese, Reserve, Napa Valley). It was a perfect first evening with our group in Napa sitting around the half circle banquette enjoying stimulating conversation. My only complaint would have to be the sommelier that was very informative about the wine but, spoke incredibly fast for us to digest the information completely. Additionally, he would leave the entire bottle on the table after pouring which was interesting but, after 10 minutes he would snatch it off the table as if he anticipated we were going to sneak a second helping….very odd.

We started Saturday off around 11 AM at Darioush winery, which is known for its Bordeaux style wines and was founded by Darioush Khaledi. His Persian culture and hospitality can be enjoyed the moment you enter the winery, which evokes Persepolis, the capital of ancient Persia. By Invitation Only is Darioush’s private tour and tasting where one can sample wines of the Darioush private cellar. Food pairings accompany the wine tasting all enjoyed in a beautiful table setting with your very own place card. If you think you pay for the extra treatment, you’re right! At $150 per person, By Invitation Only should read By Invitation and Credit Check Only… That being said and thanks to the generosity of our wonderful host, the entire experience was wonderful and if you don’t want to drop that kind of money you can always visit the beautiful grounds of Darioush, sample their wines, and purchase selections at their general store.

For lunch we couldn’t resist leaving the spectacular Darioush grounds and decided to have a picnic on the grounds. On the menu -  burritos from the famous La Luna Market. The burritos from La Luna are delicious and it was nice to enjoy the beauty of our surroundings with a casual lunch.

Switching gears we headed to Erna Schein located high on top of Spring Mountain in Napa Valley. Owned by Les Behrens and Lisa Drinkward, Erna Schein doesn’t grow grapes but collect their grapes from selected small and low yielding vineyard sites. This wining combination has produced “hand-crafted” unfined and unfiltered wine since 1993. Upon driving into the entrance of Erna Schein, which is a far cry difference from Darioush, one is immediately relaxed by the rustic surroundings and amazing views of the Napa Valley. Robin Cooper, our tour guide, greeted us along with Lucy (picutred left), the owner’s dog with a warm and friendly greeting. She encouraged us to have a seat at their new gazebo-like tasting table that they had recently built to welcome guests. It was a hot day and Robin immediately pulled out a large cooler filled with about a dozen wines for us to try. She immediately began pouring wine and talking about the Erna Schein passion for making great wine and infusing each bottle with personal meaningful art label from their personal collection. I picked up a bottle of their 2005 “Ode to Picasso” which I’m waiting to share with someone special…

It seems that some of the best and hidden gems of wine are all located at the tops of Napa’s mountain regions. Our next and final wine stop for the day was no exception, which brought us to Viader located just northeast of St. Helena on Howell Mountain.  Established by Delia Viader in 1986, Viader is known for its Petit Verdot blend and Viader Syrah. Additionally, they produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Frac, Tempranillo and Rose all under their DARE line of wines which collects grapes from select vineyard sources across Napa Valley.

For dinner we headed to Martini House, which is brought to Napa Valley by designer Pat Kuleto and Chef Todd Humphries. The duo created a natural setting that reflects the wine country and Native American culture.  Inside the vibe is warm and cozy showcasing 3 fireplaces with the outside reflecting a beautiful garden complete with fountains, trellises and plenty of outdoor seating.  With a name like Martini House, one would assume they serve sumptuous martinis, and they do however the origins of the name have more to do with the original owner of the craftsman style bungalow which used to be owned by Walter Martini back in 1923. That being said, Martini House places cocktail cards in front of each guest, which are different from the list in front of your neighbor. The idea is to pass the cards around to find the right cocktail that speaks to you. That same whimsical nature is apparent on the menu as well. The menu featured a favorite dish of mine, Braised Beef Short Rib and this one included Braised Radicchio, Sweet Potato, Puree in a Beef Glaze – yum! My friend ordered the most original entree, which was entitled, Steak and Eggs – Grilled Prime Tenderloin with a Soft Centered Egg and Spinach Ravioli, Sautéed Button Mushrooms, Pearl Onions and Hobbs Smoked Bacon Lardons Carbernet Glaze. The presentation of this dish was true art and should be inspiration for the next season of Top Chef, which by the way premieres this Wednesday!!

We all returned to La Residence to watch SNL before one by one we all nodded off to get some shuteye before our final leg of this marathon. By the way, La Residence features a full breakfast menu each morning serving the best coffee including to go cups for the addicts out there…. like me!

On Sunday, our final day, we made our way to Round Pond located in Rutherford, which is equally known for its Cabernet Sauvignon wine, as well as producing some of the best olive oil. Once again we were treated to amazing grounds and views while enjoying our wine. Unfortunately, our wine was supposed to be paired with specific food pairings but the food came out so late that we practically finished our wine tasting. We were also running out of time, as we had to make a lunch reservation.

Our final restaurant stop was The Farm located at The Carneros Inn and owned by the Plumpjack group. I think this was my favorite spot of all, although every restaurant we ate at was excellent. I was really intrigued by the grounds of The Carneros Inn, which incorporated luxury chic with rustic charm. There was a fresh glow that encapsulated the high ceilings and decor of The Farm.  We were still able to order off the Brunch menu but, I had heard that the Farm Certified Angus Burger with crispy fries was excellent and to my delight it was! My good friend Michael decided to indulge in the Burger as well as we ended our Napa adventure with a smile. I would definitely come back to The Farm and even consider staying at The Carneros Inn.

After our fabulous lunch we had one final wine stop to Jarvis winery which is located in the Vacas Mountains four miles east of the town of Napa. The winery is built into a man-made cave that houses the entire winemaking process at Jarvis and is an ideal structure for barrel aging the wine they produce. Inside the caves you notice a natural underground water system complete with streams and waterfalls that add to the mystique of the winemaking process. The humidity that the water produces helps in aging the wine while in the barrels. We tried the Jarvis Vintage Tasting Tour which included 6 Jarvis wines with cheese and crackers to accompany the tasting. All of the Jarvis wines are stellar but, my sister and I really enjoyed the 2006 Estate Chardonnay and took home a couple of bottles to enjoy. I’d have to recommend Jarvis wines but, the tour guide who conducted our tour was slightly abrasive – completely efficient but, definitely not warm and inviting the way many of the other wineries seemed to conduct their tours.

Alas it was time to say goodbye to our Napa extravaganza. We had all crossed the finish line of this Food and Wine marathon as we all earned a couple of extra pounds that would await us upon our next gym visit but, it was all worth it. Thank you to Frank for organizing this dream getaway and putting together a group that could eat, drink, laugh (sometimes at each other) and enjoy very stimulating conversation as well as frivolous. This was one memorable trip!