Have you seen the weekend weather forecast? Did you notice that temperatures in some places are going to slide past the 70º degree mark? Did you happen to note that Napa might reach 79ºF on Friday and Saturday?
The message is clear: this is the day to play hooky and get out of the office early. Go ahead; you know you want to. You’re sitting at your desk, staring out at an impossibly blue sky. After weeks of cold, it’s actually approaching t-shirt weather out there. But it won’t last long; the clouds are going to roll back in on Sunday and the rain might return by mid-week.
Hurry! Escape! Locate your giant sunglasses, the ones you bought last summer, put the convertible top down, and head straight for wine country.
On your way, dial Swanson Vineyards (707-967-3500) and make a wine tasting appointment. No, silly, this isn’t one of those places that looks like a faux-McBurgundy mansion. It doesn’t have artfully distressed stones or intentionally scratched floors. The tasting room is pink. Yes, pink. It’s decorated with seashells and flowers. The paper they wrap the bottles in has tiny little hearts printed on it!
Does the name “Swanson” sound familiar? Might it conjure memories of yellow cardboard boxes filled with frozen fish sticks? This is the same family. They’ve come a long way. If you leaf through your collection of old 7x7 Magazines, you’ll notice that one of the Swansons appears in the glossy social scene section nearly every month; her name is Alexis (now Alexis Swanson Traina, as she recently married Trevor), and you’ll also find her name on one of Swanson’s best offerings, a proprietary blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah.
I first tasted Alexis (the wine, not the woman) about three years ago, and loved it. People told me that their tasting room (or salon, as they call it) was fabulous, but it took me a while to get there. I’ve been twice now, and I think it’s well worth a trip. My new favorite is the sangiovese; I think I like it even better than the Alexis (shhh, don’t tell). You must make a reservation if you want to stop by; the Salon is guarded with a heavy wooden gate, and they don’t accept walk-ins.
The tastings are intimate affairs. They are conducted at a large octagonal table that dominates the center of the room. The table is made from Moroccan wood inlaid with stunning agates in shades of periwinkle and lavender. Along with the wines, they serve their own chocolate bonbons, which are dusted with a curry powder blend. You can choose from two different tasting options, one of which involves cheese and chocolate, and one that incorporates the new Swanson-label caviar, with they sell in pink tins. So much pink! The girl in you will be pulling out her pom-poms.
The hardest part about going to Napa is deciding Where to Eat. After you’ve spent a lovely afternoon sipping wine and eating chocolate, you’ll need some sustenance. I’ve already told you how much I love Bistro Don Giovanni, but if you’re in the mood for something more of-the-moment, you must try Ad Hoc. Everybody loves it, and rightly so: it’s that good.
The dining room is spare and bright, with a minimum of detail. The dishes come out family-style, in heavy crockery that thumps satisfyingly on the table. Last Sunday, there wasn’t a single female server on the floor; all were men, most under 30, dressed in the uniform of blue jeans and boxy brown shirts with the words “Ad Hoc” printed on the back. The result was an earnest “Yes, ma’am” vibe, a throwback to another time. I loved it.
Our starter was a soup of cannellini beans, carrots and escarole hearts, drizzled with olive oil and topped with a wad of paper-thin prosciutto. A simple soup, but each ingredient was exquisite. The main was a casserole of assorted mushrooms and onions studded with seedless red grapes and topped with thick Fra’Mani sausages. Again, the preparation was rustic and straightforward, and it was utterly delicious.
The cheese course was a Vella Dry Jack, served with a quince paste and toasted almonds. Can I say that I’m tired of quince paste? I am. But the almonds were divine. They were not Marcona almonds, which I’m also weary of, but rather California almonds toasted to perfection, skins and all. Color me happy. Dessert was panna cotta flecked with vanilla beans and served with a tiny pitcher of tart-sweet pomegranate syrup.
Do you need another reason to leave work immediately? I didn’t think so.
Just go. The sunshine beckons.
