A Birthday Pub Crawl in Napa/Sonoma

Even though it's been two months since all of this went down, I feel compelled to share this experience with you because it is often an overlooked aspect to wine country vacations.




Kara and I took a trek up to Napa and Sonoma for my birthday. Working in wine, and it being a celebration, I insisted that we keep the winery visits to a bare minimum. What did I want to do then?! Well, visit breweries, of course! We were fortunate enough to be staying in the guest house of our new friend Fritz, who owns Arietta winery. It was a beautiful little house right in downtown St. Helena.

Our first stop was in Healdsburg at Bear Republic. We dropped in for lunch and to drink through the line-up with some lunch. Their food in not particularly impressive and they miss the mark in many ways, but the beer is really good. In particular, the Racer X, which is their Double IPA was awesome. Unfortunately, they don't bottle it and make a limited amount of kegs. Overall, the beer was indicative of style and I would rate it highly for overall quality.

The real standout in this visit was a surprise. The brewery offered a couple of vintage bottles from 2002, only to be consumed on premise. I immediately ordered a bottle of the 2002 'Olde Scoutter's Barleywine'. It arrived with no label, was decanted for sediment and served in snifters. I thought it was drinking great. I would never really have thought to hold a barleywine for nearly ten years, but I would've bought a case to take home for after-dinner consumption, if they would have only allowed you to buy it.

We decided to relax at the guest house on that evening. A quick trip to Dean & DeLuca for some meats and cheeses (and some Pliny the Elder, which they have in great supply) brought us to the backyard. I also opened a slightly oxidized bottle of 1997 Chateau d'Yquem to enjoy. The color seemed a little dark for its age, but it still tasted like Yquem: honeyed apricots, citrus, orange marmalade and chamomille tea. Hard not to like even from a slightly-off bottle. I should also mention that the 1994 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was drinking beautifully and in its peak drinking.

For my actual birthday, after a hike with the dogs (who had tagged along for this trip), we drove over to Lagunitas. If this place were down the street, I'd be there all the time. It has a very Key West-feel with a huge patio and open bar. We tasted through the lineup here and I still really love their IPA and PILS. They're staples at my house, when I have the opportunity to get them.

And then my crowning moment of glory and real reason for the trip: Russian River Brewing Company. We took our seats at the bar and embarked on one of my favorite journeys - the Board at RRBC. Generally, it includes around 20 beers that are currently being poured on tap. My favorite surprise today was the 'Sound Czech Pilsner', which I brought home in a growler. They only brew this once a year in honor of one of their favorite bands. Pretty cool stuff! Like a true tourist, I left with a t-shirt, glasses, and growlers. Their pizza is pretty damned good, too.

We quickly dropped into our favorite little haunt in downtown Calistoga (that I can never remember the name of...) for a Bloody Mary or two. They really make one of the best Marys. I'm fairly certain they add some pepperoncini juice to the mix and use a hot sauce other than Tabasco. I'd highly recommend it, except that I can't even tell you the name of the place...

We did power through a few wineries' wines while we were there, of course. Pappapietro-Perry in the Russian River Valley was a nice surprise. I have traditionally liked their wines and they're very nice people. Any of the Pinot Noirs or Zinfandels are worth trying. In addition, we had some wines from Tor in Tor's living room. These are really nice California Cabernets, but perhaps a little pricey. And, of course, we tasted through verticals of Arietta wines. I've developed a new love for Arietta on this trip, having not had it for a number of years. They are nice wines, fairly priced, and their white wine called "On the White Keys" is really delicious.

It was decidedly one of our best trips to wine country ever. For the first time, Kara and I emphasized relaxing instead of working. I think I finally caught a glimpse of why the rest of the world comes to Napa and Sonoma. It's kind of nice. I'll have to make the effort again in the future.