Napa, Day Two: VIP Tours, Big Views & Bubbles

May 21, 1998
Our second full day in Napa was packed from morning to night: three winery visits, two journal entries, and one unforgettable dinner.

We kicked things off with breakfast at the B&B, hazelnut coffee, blueberry bread, and boisenberry French toast with a cream cheese layer. We both agreed the 1801 Inn was officially growing on us.

From there, it was off to Sterling Vineyards for a VIP tour, thanks to one of Scott’s liquor distributor connections (from working as a clerk at Whitehouse Liquor in Rochester). The tram ride up the hill offered panoramic views of the valley. It felt surreal. We tasted a solid lineup of wines. It was a great start to our first day of wine tasting.

After Sterling, we grabbed a quick lunch (BBQ chicken for Scott) and headed to Beringer. The grounds were stunning and felt like something out of a European estate. But the tour itself was underwhelming, and the wines didn’t wow us. We ended up eating our lunch in the car like fugitives, thanks to the many No Picnicking signs posted all over the grounds.

We wrapped up the day with a tour and multi-course complimentary tasting dinner at Domaine Chandon. This was the highlight. Their sparkling wine facility was massive, and the tour taught us more about méthode champenoise than we thought we’d ever need to know. Now that I’m studying for the WSET 2, I wish I’d paid more attention!

The dinner, hosted by Chandon and Southern Wine & Spirits, came with a complimentary bottle and five incredible courses: foie gras, lamb loin, and a chocolate tart with hazelnut cream. Each was paired with a different sparkling wine.

It was extravagant, indulgent, and slightly over the top — in the best way possible.

In Our Words: Journal Snapshots

From Niki:
“Today was a very nice day… beautiful panoramic view of the valley! We tasted some really good wines... toured with a couple from Wisconsin who owned a liquor store.”

From Scott:
“The best thing about Sterling was the view. It is on top of a hill in the Upper Napa Valley... What a view!”

Here are some pages from our journal. Scroll through to read them.

Photo Highlights

Here are some photos from Sterling, Beringer, and Chandon. Scroll to view them.

The next honeymoon post will be about Day 3, when we visited Simi and Silver Oak. For the full honeymoon itinerary, check out this post.

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Cheers from the lake!
—Niki and Scott