Wine Country: Frog's Leap Winery, Rutherford, CA

Black Lace Midi Dress// Sandals c/o 

Black Leather Handbag// Sunglasses

Tank Watch// Cable Bracelet 

Pearl Studs// Monogram Signet Ring (similar, similar)

This post is really photo heavy, so if you made it down this far, welcome! First of all, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who left such warm and heartfelt comments on yesterday's post and instagrams/tweets/etc,! My dad and I enjoyed reading each one and I appreciate you all taking the time to check out the post! We had so much fun shooting it!

Today I am sharing our visit to Frog's Leap Winery located in Rutherford, CA! Before I went to Napa, when I told people that I was headed there, almost everyone suggested we visit Frog's Leap and now I totally get why! 

The grounds are so picturesque-- it almost felt like we were in another country. The house where you enter looked like something out of a Restoration Hardware catalogue. Part rustic farmhouse, part industrial... it was perfect. Not to mention, the wrap around porch where we had our tasting was idyllic.  

We tasted all different wines, and while all were good, I think the atmosphere was even lovelier than the wine itself! I wore this gorgeous lace dress which is well under $100. I had actually also worn it to dinner at Bottega one night, too (see photo here), because I love it so much. It fits so beautifully (true to size) and the skirt drapes elegantly. The fabric is light and airy but doesn't feel cheap and I love the unique straps up top.

I wore the dress casually with the most comfortable (and cutest) sandals ever. But this dress could most definitely be dressed up with heels, a bold lip, clutch and gorgeous earrings for a night out or even a wedding! Be sure to check out my other Napa posts here and here... more to come! 

Wine Country: Domaine Chandon, Yountville, CA

Bow Shoulder Tank// Lace Skirt (also available in navy)

Sandals// Sunglasses

Tank Watch// Cable Bracelet

I just got back from spending a few days in Napa and San Francisco. Some friends and I headed to Napa to celebrate Krista's birthday! It was such a fun-filled girls weekend! This was my first time to Napa, and I'm already itching to go back. Absolutely everything was so beautiful and picturesque. 

We went to many wineries, however, we started off at Chandon! I will use Napa as a blanketed term for where we were, but Chandon is specifically located in Yountville which is the most charming town! We actually stayed in Vacaville and toured all over the area from St. Helena to Rutherford, etc. If you have been reading Summer Wind for a while, then you'll know that Chandon makes my favorite affordable sparkling wine. I'm a huge fan of the brand and was so excited to visit. Our tour guide was amazing. She walked us throughout the grounds and taught us all about the sparkling wine making process. I've always thought that wine making was an art (and it is!) but I also didn't realize how extremely scientific and precise the process is, too. It's amazing how much time and effort goes into just one bottle of sparkling wine! 

In the photos above you can see the large containers where the wine is stored-- I don't remember the exact figure that they said during the tour, but to drink one of those containers, it would take 150+ years! The girls from New York joked that the containers were larger than their apartments! We got to taste all of the sparkling wines as well as their wines (I didn't know they made wines!). My favorites are the brut, blanc de noirs, and the rose. Luckily, these are always available at my local state store, so I always have them stocked up! However, my top favorite is the Etoile, which is not as readily available. It was dry with lots of fine bubbles-- just how I like it! 

Funnily enough, our first tasting could have been our last, too. By the time we were done at this tasting, we had already drank our fair share of sparkling wine and giggled all the way out and onto our next winery! It was so lovely to be able to sit out on the patio area and enjoy the warm sun and beautiful atmosphere. We also snacked on meats, cheeses, olives, etc. This was my favorite wine tour experience of the entire trip. They really treated us well and took the time to teach and explain the entire process in detail. They went above and beyond by sitting with us at the tasting (which lasted longer than any of the other tastings we did) and going through each wine and how it is made.

The weather was just about perfect, so I wore this striped bow shoulder top (under $80). I had seen it online and ordered it right away. I am pretty sure it is my favorite top in my closet now! The grosrgain bow on the shoulder is the cutest. I wore it tucked into this gorgeous lace skirt, but it also looks great with white jeans (as seen here), too! I received so many compliments on the white skirt. Lace is really having its moment right now and this lace skirt is a showstopper (check out this Boomerang of it in twirling action!)! Can't wait to continue to share more of my Napa experience in upcoming posts! 

Hot Air Balloon in Napa, California

Watch my SF/ Napa Video Here 

Cashmere Cableknit// Lace Midi Skirt

Wicker Handbag// Sandals

Sunglasses

Hot air ballooning in Napa was definitely the highlight of the trip... but was not without a few hiccups! We had woken up at 3am to make it on time on Friday morning. By the time we traveled to the meeting spot and waited around for a little while, we got a text saying it had been canceled due to strong wind. 

Since we were far from our home but close to our winery tour, we decided to wait around, rather than travel back home. Since it was only around 5am at this point, we waited around for about 4 hours just hanging out until Bouchon Bakery was open! 

Finally, Saturday morning we tried again and were successful! While waking up at 3am is not exactly my definition of good old fashion fun, this was sooooo worth it. Seeing the sunrise from the balloon high above the vineyard felt like something out of a storybook. I had never done this before, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but you are quite literally in a large wicker basket. 

Seeing the balloons being blown up was also incredible. The balloons themselves are absolutely huge; it's incredible. As we waited for our balloon to be ready for flight, we were able to watch the other balloons go up. Seeing a ton of colorful balloons dip and rise throughout the morning sky was stunningly beautiful and definitely a sight I will remember forever! 

See my other posts from this trip:

Chandon// Bouchon// Salvestrin// Frog's Leap// Bottega// San Francisco // Del Dotto

Napa Wine Country: Del Dotto Vineyard and Cave St. Helena

Polo Shirt// Striped Skirt

Ankle Strap Sandals// Cashmere Cableknit

Sunglasses// Wicker Bag

This is the second to last post from my Napa trip (the last one will be hot air ballooning!). You can watch my YouTube video about the trip, here. Today's post is about my visit to Del Dotto winery in St. Helena, CA! Krista's sister had set this tour up and we got the full VIP experience!

This was the prettiest winery we visited. Everything was so over-the-top and jaw-droppingly gorgeous. The owners had everything shipped over from Italy to create the beautiful architecture and feel of the place.

Once we were inside, we were greeted in a gorgeous 'lobby' type area and then escorted into the caves! The 'caves' aren't really what you think when you think of caves. As you can see in the photo above, the cave was beautifully done and even had chandeliers!

We got to stop at barrels where our guide siphoned the wine right from the barrels and into our glasses. I loved that! My two favorite that I tasted was the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Family Reserve. Totally dry and silky smooth with a punch of flavor. I could drink it every day! 

After our tour, we got situated in a beautiful area where we were served meats and cheeses and then wild boar sliders that were out of this world delicious! All-in-all this is a must-see winery if you go to Napa. I couldn't recommend it more! 

It was overcast and actually ended up raining, so I made sure to pack an extra layer with me. Really, if you are headed to Napa, you should always have an extra layer with you wherever you go because the temperatures change on a dime! Just as an FYI the skirt I am wearing runs a little big. I am in a 2 (the smallest size available) and definitely recommend choosing a smaller size than you would normally wear! 

See my other posts from this trip:

Chandon// Bouchon// Salvestrin// Frog's Leap// Bottega// San Francisco 

Wine Country: Bouchon Bakery, Yountville, CA

Blush Dress// Rebecca Minkoff Blush Crossbody Bag

Nude Strappy Sandals// Sunglasses 

Cable Bracelet // Pearl Studs

You saw my Chandon recap on Wednesday, so today I am recapping, not a winery, but something just as amazing: Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery. You've probably heard of Thomas Keller. He's also known for French Laundry (in Yountville, which we sadly did not make it to! Next time!!!) and also Per Se in New York. Bouchon and Bouchon Bakery are both his creations, too, but are located in several cities around the country! I had actually meant to go to Bouchon Bakery while in LA, but we never made it so I was really glad to be able to go while in Napa! 

I don't eat baked goods often because I know they are not 'healthy'. Plus, in Pittsburgh, the best baked goods are from La Gourmandine, and you have to wake up at the crack of dawn on the weekends to get your hands on anything. So I also don't have too much access to incredible baked goods (both a blessing and a curse). When I travel I always indulge and try anything and everything. I made sure Bouchon Bakery was on our 'must-visit' list. 

We had woken up at 3am that morning to go hot air ballooning. After an hour and a half drive to the meeting spot, we had received a text message saying that it was canceled due to wind. We were majorly bummed. But it being only 4:30 am, we had nothing to do but just to hang out (literally nothing was open). However, lucky for us, bakeries open up early! So once Bouchon Bakery was open, we headed over. 

If you are in Napa, you must visit even if just for the branding. The entire place in done in green and yellow pastels which makes for the most charming branding. It almost reminds me of Maison Kayser in New York but I loved Bouchon even more! 

The actual bakery itself is tiny (no indoor seating) but plenty of cute umbrella tables outside! You can get your order to-go or take it and sit outside. I saw a lot of people ordering to-go packages, but we were happy to sit outside and enjoy the morning. I got a black coffee, ham, egg, and cheese croissant, and a salted caramel macaron (my favorite flavor that I order at every macaron place). 

The macaron was huge in comparison to say, Laduree or Gaby et Jules. It was delicious in its own way. The filling was brown and delicious, but definitely different from any other macaron I've had. Gaby et Jules still has the best salted caramel macaron in my book! The croissant, oh my goodness, it was amazing. I mean buttery, flaky, melt in your mouth goodness. I felt like I was in Paris. I could eat one of those sandwiches every day for the rest of my life. Amazing. 

I wore this comfortable blush midi dress. The dress is made from a stretchy jersey material, so it was really easy to be in all day. I wore the heels for the morning, but when we headed off to vineyards, I switched into flats!

The Rebecca Minkoff crossbody bag was key during this trip. The bag is slim and the blush color goes with everything. When I would carry a larger bag, I would just toss the little bag into the larger bag so I didn't have to deal with switching out my stuff. I love Rebecca Minkoff, and the selection at Nordstrom for spring/summer has been great-- I had been looking for a small blush bag and the color and price were just right! You can shop more of my favorite Rebecca Minkoff picks above! Thank you to Nordstrom for Sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own. 

Napa Wine Country: Salvestrin Winery, St. Helena, CA in Blue Tile Dress

Dress// Sandals

Wicker Bag// Tank Watch

Cable Bracelet

I think outfit-wise, this is one of my favorite posts that I have ever done. I am sooooo in love with this dress! Talbots sent me some things for my Napa trip and this dress was one of them. As soon as I put it on, I was SO excited. I had been lusting over the Dolce and Gabbana Majolica tile print dress when it came out but it was way out of my budget. This dress looks so similar and fits like a dream! I am in a size two, I would definitely size down if you are in between sizes!

I am also loving this wicker and leather bag. It looks super luxe and is a classic that I will have forever. I love wicker bags during the summertime. They are so easy, yet really complete an outfit, too!

I wore this look to Salvestrin Winery in St. Helena (in Napa). Salvestrin is setted into a gorgeous space surrounded by vineyards and mountains far off in the distance. The barn area is where sat out on the patio and had our tasting. To say it was picturesque is an understatement. We went at the end of the day and we were all fading fast, but Salvestrin took great care of us! I ended up falling in love with the Cab Sav and joined their wine club. I was so happy that they ship to PA. If you're in Pennsylvania, you'll know it's so hard to get any wine/liquor etc. shipped to PA. A lot of times, I would go to the wineries and want to buy a case or join their wine club, but the laws prohibit shipping to PA!

That night, post-wineries, we ended at a local taco joint and then headed home to an early bed time because we had to be up at 3am the next morning for our hot air balloon ride! Can't wait to share about that fun experience next!