Washing Down the Wine...

One of the best times to visit the wine country is during the summer and early fall. Though wine can and SHOULD be enjoyed year round, the warmer months allow one to drink and be merry outside with the sun kissing your face. What could be better than that? Besides, it is at this time of the year that the valley is the most breathtaking. When you go after the harvest, usually sometime in August/September, vines start dying, and it just isn't pretty.

Clearly, you should still take the pilgrimage during the Winter months. ONE particular reason for the journey is because Thomas Keller (Chef extraordinaire) runs several AMAZING restaurants including the French Laundry, Ad Hoc, and Bouchon.

As I mentioned earlier, being a graduate student has its advantages... but it also means that I am poor, dirt poor. So I won't be blogging about the French Laundry anytime soon. Thankfully, both Ad Hoc and Bouchon are relatively affordable. Properly planned, you can even go to both in one day!

The whole early planning thing didn't happen this past weekend. After spending the early afternoon at Chateau Montelena (sipping on my favorite Cabernet Sauvignon) and Duckhorn, and washing down that wine first with dessert at the Bouchon bakery and with dinner at Ad Hoc, I can't complain.

No trip is complete without a stop at Montelena...

Chateau Montelena Library Tasting

Believe me. Their Cabernet Sauvignon is TDF! If you go, there are two types of tastings you can do. The first option is to do the current release tasting for $15 which features the Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Montelena Estate Zinfandel, and Potter Valley Riesling. The second option, which I recommend you do at least once, is to do the library wine tasting for $40. Inconveniently, you have to make reservations for the library tasting. Don't be late, you have to pay in advance and they will start without you. This tasting offers some of Montelena's best wines including two Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignons, a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a Napa Valley Chardonnay, and a Montelena Estate Zinfandel. 750 ml bottles of the Cabernet usually runs $130+ for the current year's release and go up the older they get. So crazy as it sounds, it is actually a pretty good deal.

Although it is true that you can get Montelena at the Press Club (current release tasting only) in SF or even Roy's Restaurant ($20 for a glass of the Montelena Estate Cabernet), Montelena is a must visit because it is the only winery that has a Chinese inspired Jade Lake. Moreover, they have a persimon tree AND swans!

Pagoda, Jade Lake, Chateau Montelena

You can usually hit up several wineries in a day, and this time we went to Duckhorn. Interestingly, they are the ones who started the whole critter (in their case a duck) on the label marketing strategy. It is why Yellowtail, with its kangaroo or whatever it is, got so famous so quickly. Apparently, people just buy wine because it has an animal on the label.


Unfortunately for you, I left my camera in my car when we stopped at Duckhorn. Like other wineries, they also offer several tasting options. If you haven't quite figured it out, I LOVE Cabernets, so I opted for the Estate tasting which was predominantly a Cabernet tasting. I wasn't in love with the wine, but I thought it was good overall. Though I usually don't like Merlot, it was surprisingly good here. So props to Duckhorn for that and their palate-cleansing almonds that are covered in goodness. As some of you may know, the Duckhorn Wine Company also owns Paraduxx. They are doing some interesting stuff over there (i.e. mixing grapes that aren't traditionally mixed). I tried one of their wines and I was not too excited, but was intrigued enough to want to visit on my next trip.

Too late to go to another winery but too early for dinner, AK, PK and I decided that it would be a good idea to start dinner with some dessert. What better place to go then Bouchon Bakery?

Bouchon Bakery, Yountville, CA

In retrospect it wasn't a very bright idea to have dessert first, but hey you only live once. Here is a sampling of what we got.

Chocolate Ganache Tarte

Hazelnut Macaron

Fresh Apple Tart

This definitely ranks up there with Tartine for best desserts...

The highlight of any day is dinner. Ad Hoc did not disappoint. Though you can find out what the menu is going to be ahead of time, I think it is fun to just walk in and be surprised.

Ad Hoc Restaurant, Yountville, CA

For $49 and on this particular day, they served the following:

Bread
broccoli di ciccio & burratta salad; crisp vegetable binaigrette, chili flake sesame seed and maldon salt flatbread.
snake river farms kurobuta prok rack with fried sunchokes and quince mustard
rustichella rigatoncini with veal-mushroom ragout
bellwether farms pepato; wild arugala and toasted almonds
crespelle torta; chocolate crepes with blood orange mousse

The highlight of the meal was definitely the main course. I can't say enough about it! The pork was tasty and tender. The sunchokes (roots of sunflowers), were like a lighter less starchy potatoes. Apparently, farmer's used to think that these tubers were just weeds. They must have been tripping because these were amazing! Double fried and they still felt semi-healthy! The biggest let down was probably the dessert. Maybe it is because we already had dessert. Truthfully, I think they layered too many of the chocolate crepes, or maybe it was just bad. Period. The crepes were doughy and the blood orange mousse was just okay. Either way, it was really good meal. Restaurant is simple yet elegant. Excellent place to take a date or a small group of friends.

Chateau Montelena: 5/5
Duckhorn Wine Company: 4/5
Bouchon Bakery: 4.5/5
Ad Hoc Restaurant: 4.5/5