Across the Bridge and July Guest Posts

Do you take time to explore your city?

Since my return back to the San Francisco Bay Area, I feel more like a tourist than a native, seeking local entertainment, places to eat, and exploring the nooks and crannies of nearby cities. Now that I’m older, I can actually appreciate a visit to the Napa Valley wine country.

It’s been a while since I’ve been to Napa. The first time was with my parents and we rode the Napa Valley Wine Train. I don’t remember much about the trip but I was 10 and uninterested in wine. Oh how time changes things and now, I’d love to improve my wine tasting skills and figure out what wines I like.

The summer weather is picking up and there is never a lack of visitors in Napa during this season. With sunny skies and wide open spaces, a trip over the bridge is worth the trouble for spectacular views of the vineyards.

This place reminds me of the French countryside and it makes me long for the days when I can go back. I’ve only been to Marseille and Provence so far. What I remember most was its picturesque landscape, simple and so sublime.

At the Castello di Amorosa, we took a tour of the grounds and a wine tasting session. The antiquated castle facade along with the rustic scenery made for a pleasant experience where you are almost transported to another place and time.

I learned a lot about how grapes are pressed, fermented, and eventually decanted as wine into those familiar bottles. It’s interesting to discover how mechanical the whole process has become since the days of grape stomping. I’m sure there are still several wineries that still do this manual process and I can’t help but wonder, does it improve the taste?

I was ill-equipped to be in front of the camera that day, but my sister’s outfit is kind of perfect, no?

She’s always one to have her pulse on the latest trends.

Gott’s Roadside was the final pit-stop before leaving wine country. Though it’s mostly known for its burgers and fries, I found their fried calamari to be better than the fast food staples.

I’d love to go back and check out more wineries so if you have recommendations for places to visit or wines to try, I’m willing to experiment.

On another note, I’m looking for bloggers to write a few guest posts on my blog during the month of July. Email me (stylepint.musings [at] gmail.com) if you’re interested!