We head south to Dean & DeLuca and embark on a frenzy of cheese tasting and purchasing. We ogle the sizeable selection of charcuterie, pates, smoked fish, beautifully displayed produce, elegant prepared foods and every delicious thing we can imagine under one roof. Their collection of favorite Napa Valley wines includes hard-to-find large format bottles and the occasional bargain from an older, overlooked vintage. When we tire of looking at food and wine, we browse their house wares, which include some of the best tools available for preparing and serving memorable meals.
Dean & Deluca
607 South St. Helena Highway, St. Helena
(707) 967-9980
Open daily 7am – 8pm
http://www.deandeluca.com/
Our next stop is von Strasser Winery, located on Diamond Mountain, where Hospitality Director Pete Hicks creates a casual, informal atmosphere for tasting these seriously delicious and elegantly complex wines. We are led on a leisurely stroll around the property and through the caves, which is home to new wines in barrel as well as a few library wines aging in bottle. Afterwards, we return to the small tasting room for an entertaining and intimate tasting of their current releases. It is a rare treat to sample the different styles of Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon that von Strasser produces.
von Strasser Winery
1510 Diamond Mountain Road, Calistoga
(707) 942-0930
Tours & tastings daily by appointment only
http://www.vonstrasser.com