Day Trip to Napa Valley

Happy Memorial Day, America!

We spent the day wine tasting at the Robert Mondavi winery, thanks to Jason, my husband's high school classmate and best friend took us there for some Napa Valley experience. This was our first, and we were excited!

{The entrance/reception area of the Robert Mondavi winery}

We took the 45 minutes wine tasting walking tour and paid around 18$ each after the discount. We were a small group of ten and the tour guide was very articulate about the history of the Mondavi farm. 

{Baby grapes of a mature vine}

They created this paved pathway specifically for the wine tour goers as the number of visitors has significantly increased over the years. The walking tour allows you to take pictures and walk through the vineyards to see them up close. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes. I suggest rubber shoes or ballet flats as it can get really pebbly and little rocks and soil particles gets in your shoes.

 It was a bad idea for me to be wearing my wedge sandals on walking tour. A girl must endure in the name of fashion. LOL.

{I'm wearing: blouse - H&M, trousers - H&M, sandals - Franco Sarto, Bag - H&M, watch - vintage casio}

{Seating area for large group of walking tours}

{mature vines)

The 31-acre To Kalon vineyard originally planted in 1868 is recognized as one of the first-growth vineyards of the world. To kalon means "the highest beauty" in greek.

{Interesting fact: they use GPS locations to map and plant the vineyards to achieve this perfectly straight line}

{Oak tanks where the grapes are fermented for two weeks after crushing}

{I forgot what they call this machine. But this is what they use to crush the grapes}

The wine cellar is temperature and moisture controlled where all the oak barrels are stored and the wines are aged for a year or so. Robert Mondavi believed that using the oak barrels significantly improved the flavor of his wine thus using these barrels which  were ordered and shipped from France.

{Interesting fact: each oak barrel contains 300 bottles of wine}

We had three kinds of wines during the wine tasting. I understood now why people had to swirl the wine in their glasses and smell it before sipping. You have to smell the aroma for you to determine the kind of wine even before tasting it.

I was feeling it like the real housewives of Orange County. LOL.

Some random guy from the group was asking me where I was from and started chatting with me and asked me the weirdest question of the day "are you going to make your own wines in the Philippines?". I smiled and said no and that we're only there as a tourist. In the back of my mind, sure, I wish. I mean do I look like I can afford to have my own vineyard? You tell me. Haha!

{Who wouldn't want to be the daughter or Mr Rober Mondavi}

Maybe I had too much to drink during the wine tasting. I particularly liked the sweet Moscato wine and the Sauvignon Blanc. All I know is at the end of the tour, I was too confident to make my own ANTM (America's Next Top Model) photo op in the middle of the vineyard. Way fun!

I love long weekends and spontaneous road trips! What did you do today?