Beignets and Bubbly

Happy Wine Wednesday! How about a post about our adventures in wine country? I promise, I only have a few more to go. And I have to admit, I wish I had many, many more. I love writing about this stuff more than anything.

Let’s rewind a bit, shall we? On a warm, sunny Sonoma Saturday morning, my husband and I had breakfast, set out for massages at a spa on the Sonoma Plaza, and then hit the road to meet our friends over in Yountville. Before we went wine tasting, we had to fortify. Technically we had already eaten, but when invited to the sleek, swanky, and LEED Certifed (one of three hotels in the US) Bardessono with a Napa Valley local and other fun friends, you just don’t turn it down.

We’re no strangers to Yountville, and so we ended up arriving early and wandering around for a bit. The lines out of Bouchon Bakery were bananas, and in general the little town was bustling. You just can’t beat a blue sky day in Napa Valley.

On the way into the property, I snapped a photo of their sleeping vines, just waiting for bud break.

We checked out the beautifully designed patio, a great place to grab a cocktail after work. Bardessono is a spectacular property;  I hear the rooms are incredible, though I will likely never see the inside of one; I did a quick search and the cheapest room was $800 a night.

Our friends were inside having brunch, so we joined them and each had a glass of Schramsberg Blanc de blancs. We were going to stick with just that, until we learned that the special of the day was freshly made beignets. Now, I am not one for a sweet breakfast, at all, but luckily the egg and bacon sandwich, banana, and yogurt I had eaten earlier were my breakfast. Beignets? Just a little snack.

The hot beignets were coated with sugar, offering a satisfying crunchiness as we bit into the hot, soft centers. The beignets were served with strawberry jam, chocolate sauce, and caramel. Not a crumb was wasted. And, of course, they went perfectly with the Schramsberg.

Relaxed and happy, we moved on to Ma(i)sonry, the next stop in our day, to taste wine in the sunshine. It had to be done.