Posts Tagged ‘Downtown’

Napa at Night… And the Morning After

April 9, 2013

After a great AM and PM of tasting in the Napa Valley last Wednesday, Kara and I checked into our room at the River Terrace Inn along the Napa River.

We had a dinner reservation downtown set for 8:00, and had a little time to kill, so we took a seat at the wine bar in the lounge to have a glass before walking over to the restaurant…

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I nice glass of Franciscan Merlot in the lounge. You know that I’m a fan of Franciscan.

After we finished our drink, we headed over to Morimoto Napa to have some Iron Chef quality Japanese food.

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This is a super tasty Shochu cocktail. I love Shochu.

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Here’s some dope Hamachi Tacos.

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A BIG Green Salad

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Here’s a little of everything… Wagyu Beef, Soft Shell Crab Roll, Shrimp Tempura Roll, Spicy Tuna, and Spicy Salmon.

After an amazing dinner, we had a quick cocktail at Fagiani’s Bar…

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Gin Martini

Before leaving Napa the next morning, we hit up the legendary Napa Valley Biscuits…

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For a hot cup of coffee…

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And a big ol’ plate of Chicken and Waffles.

Yum!

Thanks for the great time, Napa.  You know we’ll be back soon.

Stay Rad,

Jeff

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I’ve seen the View, and I like what I see.

June 18, 2012

Creekview Vineyards is a family owned and operated winery in San Martin, California.  I’ve been aware of their wines for a while.  They usually participate in local wine events, and I’ve even been to their tasting room in Downtown San Jose.

However…

I’ve never been to their actual winery.

They, like many Santa Clara Valley wineries that are located in residential neighborhoods, are only open for tasting on the third weekend of each month.

This past Saturday, Kara and I realized that they were open (thanks to our friend Barrel Bill), so we headed on over to the winery…

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Creekview Vineyards Winery / House

The winery is also the home of the owners, Greg and Teri Peterson.

After parking on the street, we followed the signs to the back of their house.

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This way…

As we walked up, we were greeted immediately by Teri and Greg, and were poured a taste of sparkling white wine…

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What a way to start the day.

After our first glass, the hits just kept on coming…

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Creekview 2010 Chardonnay

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Creekview 2010 VCR Merlot

While enjoying the Merlot, I took a peek around their backyard, which they have set up perfectly for wine club events…

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Creekview’s Kitchen, complete with a pizza oven.

When you’re there, it’s almost impossible to recognize any evidence that their house is a fully functioning winemaking facility…

Until you take a look beyond their outdoor kitchen…

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Yup… They make wine here.

Back to the wine…

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Creekview 2009 Melodious is their Bordeaux Blend.

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Creekview 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

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Creekview 2009 Old Vine Mourvedre

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Creekview 2009 Old Vine Zinfandel

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Creekview 2009 Syrah

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Creekview 2008 Zinfandel

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Creekview 2007 Late Harvest Zinfandel

I’ve gotta say that all these wines were really good.

Kara and I picked up a bottle of the 2008 Zinfandel.  It’s probably the best Santa Clara Valley Zin I’ve ever tasted.  Where many tend to be overly ripe and hot on the palate, this one is very reserved.

Do yourself a favor the next time you find yourself free on the third weekend of the month…

Head on down to the Santa Clara Valley and hit up some of the smaller tasting rooms.

You’ll be glad you did.

Stay Rad,

Jeff

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