Sensational Stony Hill Vineyard

Recently we had the pleasure of visiting Stony Hill Vineyard in St. Helena. This long time Napa favorite produces great wines.

The winery was founded in 1952 by Fred and Eleanor McCrea. The stunning 160-acre property produces world class Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, White Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Semillon.
In 2018 Stony Hill was acquired by Long Meadow Ranch. From the web, Stony Hill President Sarah McCrea said, “we consider this as less of a traditional sale and more of an integration of two family businesses to make a stronger whole.”

Our knowledgeable host today was Whitney who bubbled with excitement explaining Stony Hill’s great wines.

We began with the Riesling that was fresh and fantastic. Then we enjoyed a side by tasting of the 2011 and 2017 Chardonnay. Both lived up to their many kudos.
After that, we enjoyed a side by side tasting of 2011 and 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon.
To finish this spectacular day, we enjoyed a 2017 Semillon dessert wine with flavors of apricot, plum and licorice.

For lunch, we enjoyed the nearby Farmstead restaurant that offers an extensive menu and upbeat atmosphere with great service to satisfy any ‘foodie’ palate. It is located on a pristine piece of property that features a General Store, outdoor bar, Castroville wood grilled artichokes, fresh oysters, cheddar biscuits and St. Louis ribs.
For dessert, the beignets with Carmel sauce are a ‘must do’ to complete any meal.

For more information and to make an reservation go to; https://www.stonyhillvineyard.com/

Protea: Must Do Carribean Cuisine In Charming Yountville

Recently we had the pleasure of dining at a restaurant in the charming town of Yountville named Protéa.

Yountville is also the home of famous chef Thomas Keller’s French Laundry and Bouchon Bakery. This was our first dining experience since the lockdown during Covid 19.

Protea is defined as a beautiful South African plant or sugarbush. The restaurant offers outside seating and also roof top service. We chose to dine on the roof enjoying a stunning, sunny Napa day.

The menu changes daily and offers high level slow cooking techniques.

Chef Anita has a bubbling and warm personality. She prides herself serving great Carribean cuisine at reasonable prices complimented with outstanding service. Her son Adrien is the sensational sous chef.

We enjoyed an order of Puerto Rican Beef empanadas with a golden crust and seasoned to perfection. We also shared an order of Jamaican Jerk Shrimp slowly cooked, marinated and served over Bomba Rice. Finally, we had the Ramen Stir Fry.   It is fresh Ramen noodles tossed with seared pork belly, onions, topped with adobo soy sauce. They were all outstanding.

We  also enjoyed a bottle of Trefethen Riesling that paired beautifully with the cuisine.

We look forward to returning soon.


To Make a reservation go to: http://www.proteayv.com/