Madonna Estate Winery

So we drove around Napa and Sonoma a lot. The scenery was beautiful and it was nice and relaxing. Again, it wasn't crowded at all, which really helped. Had there been traffic, I would have probably been annoyed. We tried to go to one particular winery, but it was closed, so we just happened upon this one towards the end of our visit because we figured we had to actually go into an actual winery. So we just sort of ended up at Madonna Estate.
It's family owned and they still do things very naturally. In fact, they don't even water their vines. It's only what comes down from the sky.
These barrels cost $1500 each or so. Just the barrels. Man, that's an expensive barrel. We got a nice tour of the facility from one of the workers, who happened to be totally laid back. We basically got a private tour since it was so uncrowded. It wasn't snooty at all and he wasn't trying to shove winey knowledge down our throat, which we really appreciated. Neither of us is very into wine so we really didn't care.
Look how cute these grapes are. We did buy a couple bottles of wine. They're much more expensive than any typical bottle of wine I would buy, but we totally were sold by the guy who gave us the tasting and the tour. He just won us over!

Ritual Coffee

So... there's a lot of coffee shops in San Francisco. And this may be an understatement. I thought there were lots in Seattle, but no, I think there are more in San Francisco. And while there are lots of chains like Starbucks, Peets, etc, there are many more independent shops, and small local chains. One of the better ones we discovered is Ritual Coffee. These pics are from their site at Oxbow. We also visited a shop in the Mission, located far down on Valencia.
They're serious about their coffee here. They pick their own beans, roast it on their own, and take painstaking steps in brewing the finest cup. Plus, we dig their logo and the aesthetic of their shops.
The menu options are few. You can also buy beans and paraphernalia to take home.A simple iced coffee, served in green cups. These are the ones made from corn, so they're completely compostable. These coffees are strong, but not bitter, and super smooth. They brew a mean cup. If I had to choose between Blue Bottle and Ritual, I think I'd have to go with Ritual. It's just a gut feel.

Oxbow - Fancy Food Market Napa Style

While in Napa, we parked at the Oxbow Public Market. What is it? It's like the Ferry Building, but smaller. But just as swanky and expensive. Definitely a place I would love to visit on a daily basis, if I was rich.
Fancy teas!
Fancy spices!
Fancy rotisseries!
Fancy oysters!
Fancy food related home decorations!
Fancy wines! Also fancy ice creams, fancy cupcakes, fancy groceries, fancy seafoods, fancy cheese, fancy coffee! You catch my drift. Need to win the lottery, stat.

Festing In Napa

On July 4, we decided to drive through the wine country. We figured it wouldn't be crowded since it was July 4th weekend, and we were correct! People warned us of traffic on weekends up here, but none was to be found. As we drove through downtown Napa, we discovered they were having a little outdoor festival. You know what that means. Festival food!

Uh... hello fresh roasted corn on the cob! I want me one of these here machines for my house. These were cooked amazingly well. I don't like corn when it's overcooked and mushy. I like the kernels to pop when I bite into it!

The pulled over husks proved to be the perfect holders for these giant ears of corn. And they dipped it into a vat of melted butter first. Heaven! And let me tell you, this was the most amazingly sweet corn, ever.

As we kept on walking, we saw people with giant turkey legs. Oh my. It brought back memories of renaissance faires and amusement parks. Turkey legs are the best parts about them!

So you know, we had to get one. This is the jumbo. Gah. It was slow smoked and grilled. So it tasted like ham. Yeah, seriously, like a big ham on a stick. I'm not gonna lie to ya, it was delicious. And I'll do it again. We didn't plan on only eating food you had to hold with your hand and then hunker down on to, it just ended up that way. That's how the best food is eaten anyway. With yer mitts and tearing into it with your choppers.