We went to Rainbow's house at 11 to meet so we could carpool. Thomas surprised Cindy with a Hello Kitty cake and it was absolutely hilarious to watch her cut it because you could tell she really didn't want to. We were able to just take two cars initially, and Vinh and Annie met us there later on. The drive wasn't bad at all, I think because Rainbow and I had the most ridiculous conversations in the backseat. At one point, we had a ten minute conversation about two entirely different topics without even realizing it until our comments stopped matching up. Then we laughed until we cried, and those moments come few and far between. Eventually we laughed so hard that we ran out of energy, but by that time we were already in Napa!
The trip began at St. Helena's V. Sattui, where we sampled then bought picnic food and ate in the outdoor area. We had so many delicious and delightful things! Triple cream Rougette brie was my favorite cheese, the prosciutto and salami were also delicious, and the two different sandwiches were yummy as well -- chicken pesto and tri-trip! The sauteed prawns were spectacular, and we finished off two bottles of wine with our picnic lunch. The artichoke cream cheese was also notable, and there were so many other varieties of food that we didn't even get to try! The weather was gorgeous and our picnic was SO relaxing. I already fell in love with Napa then.
After we were all stuffed to the brim, we visited the Castillo di Amorosa and wandered around. We took pictures and just enjoyed the sunshine some more. The view was stunning, and luckily the winery wasn't overly crowded. We browsed the shops and had our wine tasting. The winerista was witty and charming, and he had many great recommendations. After he asked us if we liked sweets, he started us off with the lighter reds and whites. We were only supposed to get 5 samples, but I'm sure everyone got at least 8-9. Some people tried everything and got more than 10 different samples. The guy was pretty awesome, and he was rewarded handsomely when we purchased 12 bottles from him. It was truly a wonderful experience, and I think I just really like trying different wines and learning a bit about each one. My fave of the day was the Fantasia, which I'm pretty sure translates to phantasy. ;]
After the tasting, we enjoyed the sun as it was beginning to set and saw the mating ritual of a couple of peacocks which were on the castle property. It was pretty cool, like watching Animal Planet but in real life.
We had dinner reservations at 6 in downtown Napa, at Celadon. The food was well prepared and very tasty. We had a round of birthday cake shots for Cindy's birthday, then everyone got their own drinks. The Blackberry Mojito was the best! Michelle, Amy and I wanted to try multiple things so we all ordered together and shared different dishes. The lamb and seafood pasta were both rave-worthy. And the desserts, oh the desserts! Banana creme brulee and chocolate gooey cake with ice cream! Two of my absolute post-dinner faves, but with a nice twist to each.
Overall the day was a success, and I thoroughly enjoyed Napa. Fantastic weather, excellent company, and overwhelmingly delicious food. On the drive back, I was laughing to tears again. Nothing went wrong today, at all. No one irritated me and there wasn't a moment where I was unhappy (this doesn't happen often). Pure bliss, and I am elated <3 -- check out the goods from today's conquest!
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