Hellooo Napa!

At Domaine Caneros. Trench by Juicy Couture, scarf by Forever 21, denim from Urban Outfitters, boots by Frye, bag by Burberry, watch by Fossil, leather cuff by Flying Lizard.

Shrek and I ventured North on Saturday to Wine Country with a few friends. We were joking after these photos were taken that Napa didn’t want to let me back in after the last time I was there:

They eventually unlocked the gates and let me in

First stop, Acacia Winery.

I cannot say enough good things about this place! Our friends are members so we totally got the VIP treatment. Although, I think even had we not been with them we still would’ve received awesome service. The employees are just that great! Upon arrival, the little tasting room was packed so the “overflow” (meaning the 4 of us) were led back to the barrel room. There we had our own private tasting. Complimentary, too, since members and up to 3 guests taste for free! Love, love, love their Chardonnay! I actually found a bottle of their non-single vineyard Chardonnay at Costco for $12 last week which is a super find since it usually retails for $17+. Their single-vineyard wines, however, are a little more pricey starting at $30/bottle and can only be purchased at the vineyard. I’m already considering a return trip and even a membership to their wine club so you may be seeing a lot more of Acacia posted here in the future.

Second stop: Domaine Caneros.

Just up the road from Acacia, Domaine Caneros specializes in pinots and sparkling wines so the wines were pretty perfect for our group. Not so perfect? The setup and service. Both could use some work. It’s not clear upon entry that you seat yourself, so we ended up needlessly standing in a line until someone intervened and invited us to sit anywhere. We made a beeline for the fireplace which was lit making it nice and cozy since it was drizzling outside. Then I’d say we waited a good 15 minutes as every other table around us received service. I finally got up and on my way to the bathroom asked someone to take a our order by pointing out our table. Sheesh! What a difference from the last time I was here with my girlfriend — we got super attentive service and free pours. The view sure is nice but we’re doubtful we will be back with the lack of service and hundreds of other wineries calling our name!

Third and what ended up being our final stop of the day was Mustards Grill for a late lunch/early dinner. We actually came upon it by happenstance. Our group was game to dine at either Gotts Roadside Cafe, Rutherford Grill or Mustards, and Mustards ended up being the first we came upon. We stopped in around 3 pm and discovered it was PACKED. Note: reservations are a must at places like these in Napa. Had I known Mustards pork chop was Bobby Flay’s pick for “Best Thing I Ever Ate,” I definitely would’ve called ahead. Plus, we would’ve been able to squeeze another winery in during our 45 minute wait. Nevertheless, the wait went fast enough and we quickly discovered that the food is SO WORTH IT! Between the 4 of us, we had an amazing spread, including that pork chop!

Famous Mongolian Pork Chop, sweet & sour red cabbage, housemade mustard ($26.50); Slow Smoked BBQ Pork (ooo-eee!) ($13.25); 3-Cheese Mac & Cheese, crispy bread crumbs ($7.95); Smoked Sonoma Duck, mustard seed fruit conserva, grilled sweet potatoes, green beans ($24.95); Ahi Tuna Crackers, wasabi crème fraiche, soy vinaigrette ($18 for 4)

When they say, “locally grown” they mean it. Above, Mustards’ raised garden beds located steps away from the restaurant.

This was actually Shrek’s first trip wine tasting in Napa! The past few time I went, it was for a girls trip and the few times before that with my family, so it was nice to experience this with him, finally. And I’m glad he had such a great time — we are already planning our return trip! On the itinerary? Rombauer, Paraduxx, Duckhorn and Rutherford Grill. Which wineries do you recommend?