Chimney Rock Winery

I’ve been on at least a dozen girls weekends. The destinations are always great: New York, Palm Springs, Chicago, Miami, the North Carolina mountains. But I’d not done a girls trip to Napa Valley wine country. I’m not talking over the top 5-star accommodations and 3 star Michelin restaurants; we were more budget minded (we’d rather have money for shopping). We ate and drank well, and even found a nice place to stay that was less than $200 per night (thanks Priceline!)

You probably don’t think of downtown Napa as a destination for style or shopping. People used to bypass Napa on their way to winery tasting rooms and St. Helena. Well things have changed. Now Napa is a must stop for great dining, wine tasting and shopping. Read more

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It’s the beginning of the wine social season if you will — Premiere Napa Valley. This past weekend trade and media descended on the valley to taste special barrel lots created by Napa Valley winemakers that are auctioned off on Saturday afternoon. It’s a chance to meet the winemakers and owners, and to network within the industry. There are winery open houses, dinners, wine and more wine. This is when you get a good feel for the vintage. Here, the 2008 reds made their debut. There were many issues with that growing season, including frost and fires. Yields were low. Winemakers who’ve been holding their collective breath can breathe a sigh of relief. Almost everyone I talked to is very pleased with the wines. To me, they are restrained but complex, with long finishes. PNV is also about buying wine. All the auction lots are exclusive to the Premiere Napa…

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An Ultimate Girls Summer Weekend in Wine Country

Drink – Premiere Napa Valley #premiereNV