Christmas in Napa with Michel Foch and Silver Oak

We headed up to Napa on Christmas Day afternoon. The ride was uneventful and we grabbed a snack at the Hotel Villagio bar at the Estate Yountville. The decor was festive and it was nice to have a warm, dry spot since it was raining quite heavily. We stayed at Lavender, a bed and breakfast that was quite nice. We upgraded the room so we had an outdoor hot tub that we sat in while it drizzled. This is nicer than it sounds, I promise! For dinner, we went to Lucy at the Bardessono, which had delicious food and modern California luxury interior aesthetic.

The next day was a rainy, lazy day. We had one tasting at Silver Oak, which was nice. We really like the Silver Oak Sonoma tasting room, so wanted to try Napa. I recommend, but it’s not a must do. I was a fan of their wine bottle Christmas tree. We got a nice picture at the end since the clouds were finally starting to break up.

That evening, we went to Bistro Jeanty, which was exceptional. The food was so tasty and even though we were “outside,” their patio is enclosed with really thick canvas panels that keep the heat in and drafts out. It was warmer than the interior of the restaurant! I had the cassoulet, which was amazing. SMS had the mussels, which were also quite good. But for me, the cassoulet wins since the meat component (duck confit, pork belly, and sausage) were a pretty decadent, well-cooked accompaniment to the dish, which would be difficult to replicate as a home cook.

The next day, we did a 4 mile hike at Skyline Wilderness Park. It was nice to do something outside after two days of rain. The hills were so green and the views were fantastic. The trail is a rocky, packed dirt road that a 4×4 could go down, although the ride would be rather bumpy. There wasn’t a lot of mud and the inclines were present but manageable. I’m so glad SMS found this park and we’ll definitely be back!

Prior to the tasting, we had lunch at Contimo Provisions. Unfortunately, they only had one biscuit left so we changed our order from two biscuit sandwiches to one with pimento cheese, a chicken sandwich, and bean salad. For drinks, we each got an Arnold Palmer. It was absolutely delicious and we will definitely be back.

We had an excellent Michel Foch champagne tasting, which is the latest offering out of the Hall portfolio. It is grown in Champagne, although the winemaker is Mike (“Michel”) Reynolds who worked at Schramsberg for many years. The Foch is after Avenue Foch, where the Halls have an apartment. As US magazine would say, the Halls, they’re just like us!

The tasting was amazing. We tried Michel Foch Brut, Brut 2013, Rosé, Blanc de Blancs 2015, and Blanc de Blancs 2011 late disgorged. My favorite were the 100% chardonnay grapes in the Blanc de Blancs. The late disgorged BdB from 2011 was exceptional. The nose was almost Parmesan like, but the taste was smooth, creamy brioche apples. We bought a bottle for a special occasion. PJ and John were both very nice at the Walt Tasting room across from Oxbow Market. It’s a great location and we love the pinots there, too.