Enormous bottles of wine.
Day two started out just as early. By 10am I had my first glass of wine in hand. Can't every day begin like this? Maybe we should all trade in our morning coffee for wine. But I learned my lesson and paced myself so I would last through the day. We took a tour at Silver Oak and then sat in the morning sun finishing our glasses of Cabernet.
Our first selfie together.
Silver Oak Winery - The sky was really that blue...every day.
Billy drinking his morning vino.
Next up we were off to Sterling Vineyards. I really wanted to steer clear of the big, touristy wineries but we served Sterling wines at our wedding and since it was our anniversary it seemed like a must. The grounds were so pretty and we had to ride a gondola to reach the winery at the top of the hill. It was a bit impersonal with TV monitors welcoming you and ushering you through a self-guided tour but it was quiet and we were able to leisurely stroll through the property stopping for tastings along the way.
Billy drinking again at Sterling.
We were pretty well behaved for the morning but it was still time to take a break. Downtown Calistoga was nearby so we drove into town, browsed through some stores, and had lunch at the Hydro Bar & Grill...turkey burgers and lots of water.
Fed and rehydrated and we were off for more wine! Chimney Rock was recommended to both of us by many people so that was our destination. The location was beautiful and the wine great. Unfortunately, the staff was less than impressive. It was very clear they worked on commission and their openly competitive and catty behavior was a big turn-off.
Sunset was early...around 5pm. Through another recommendation we ended our day at Domaine Carneros. The Chateau sat high up on a hill and they served wine outside on the patio where there was a great view of the sun going down.
The Chateau at Domaine Carneros.
I liked this place...they were very generous with their pours.
For dinner, we were super boring and headed back to the Oxbow Market. Bill loves to go to the same places over and over. The compromise was that we could go to the market but we had to eat at a different place. We agreed upon Kitchen Door and enjoyed pad thai and spicy noodles in the warm, cozy open-kitchen space.
One of the best things about going back to the room? Our jacuzzi tub, L'Occitane soaps and a cute rubber duckie.
Coming up next...Sonoma Valley!
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