CHLOE Magazine Spring 2016 | Page 86

Sparkling Wine: If you’re driving in from San Francisco, my first recommended stop would be at Domaine Carneros at the base of both counties. Modeled after a French Chateau and located on one of the most beautiful landscapes in Napa, you stop here more for the location than the wine. Opt for the Sparkling Wine tasting and cheese pairing. If that’s been there-done that for you, Schramsburg in Calistoga has a unique tasting and tour through the hundred-year-old caves where their wines are stored. Schramsburg Reserve is their top bubbly, aged for six years and has a fruitful but dry taste. Pair this with a main course such as fruit-stuffed veal, pork tenderloin, or roasted duck with mango. Chardonnay: My personal favorite Chardonnay is Cakebread Cellar’s Napa Valley Chardonnay from 2014. It has aromas of creamy golden apple, Asian pear and honeydew melon with complementary coconut and sweet oak scents. Since the Chardonnay is a bit richer and weightier than other white wines, it pairs nicely with Arancini with Fennel, Lemon and Crescenza Cheese. Rombauer has an equally impressive 2014 Carneros Chardonnay, buttery with a refreshing acidity. Pair it with a Nicoise Salad or Salmon dish.