Left Coast Vacation 2010: Day 3 - Opus One Winery, Bouchon and Schramsberg Vineyards

Our third day was filled with even more tours and tastings at wineries and incredible food. What an arduous vacation! We began our day at Opus One Winery. Since Robert Mondavi is synonymous with Napa wines, MW suggested we visit his most prestigious venture. Although the actual size of Opus One paled in comparison to the Robert Mondavi Winery, conveniently located across the street, we enjoyed our tour. Fortunately, the tour concluded in the tasting room as MW an I savored our wine on an outdoor terrace where we were able to enjoy the view.

Left Coast Vacation 2010: Day 2 - Domaine Chandon, Bottega Napa Valley and Chappellet Winery

After an incredible meal at The French Laundry, our second day started early (thank God for still being on Eastern Time). We dragged ourselves out of bed for a hot air balloon ride above the Napa Valley... or at least that was the original idea. But mother nature had plans, and a combination of blustering winds and fog resulted in a delayed departure from Healdsburg. When we finally got up in the air, the balloon ride was a zen-like experience as we hovered over 2,000 feet above ground. I only wish landing was as peaceful as flying. Persistent winds forced us to land in an open field far from major roads which meant we had to wait about a half hour to be picked up. All in all, the experience was certainly unique and one that I'd recommend doing once.