At the end of August 2019, Bob and Rita Yirsa were surprised by their children, as well as their daughter and sons-in-law, with a trip to Napa Valley, California, in celebration of their combined 85th and 83rd birthdays respectively! Siblings Ken Yirsa, Debbie Kittredge and Patti Nichol and their spouses conspired to plan a 4-day retreat for themselves and their parents to the wine capital of the U.S in late October of 2019!

Coincidentally the surrounding valleys bordering Napa were experiencing roaring wildfires and unpredictable power outages at that particular time. The group vigilantly watched the local news for updates on the fires before their departure, but in the end, they decided to brave the trip!

“The weather was beautiful…it was cool in the morning, never cold and warm in the afternoon,” commented Rita. Surprisingly the fires did not affect the temperature of the valley. “We never smelled smoke,” continued Rita. Nor was the group affected by the surrounding power outages.

Located 50 miles northeast of San Francisco, the Napa Valley region was made famous in the late 1970s, establishing itself as a world-class wine destination. Since then, it has become home to more than 400 wineries and more than 150 restaurants, many of them Michelin star rated. People have flocked to this famous locale to enjoy their year-long near-perfect weather, its beautiful countryside vistas, relaxing spa treatments, and of course, their amazing wines and food pairings.

The group began their trip visiting the historic city of Sonoma. This town has a charming downtown district complete with 19th Century ornate colonial architecture, alluring shops, and restaurants, as well as some interesting historical sites such as Mission San Francisco Solano dating back to 1823. Here the group enjoyed a tasty lunch and the first of many wine tastings. “It was a very cute town…I could’ve spent more time there,” commented Brenda Yirsa.

The next day they commenced their trip to Napa by taking a wine tour aboard a restored historic train that made stops at three local wineries, including the famous Robert Mondavi, Charles Krug, and an Italian family-owned winery named V. Sattui. The train offered locally sourced hearty breakfasts, mouth-watering lunches, and delectable snacks. For lunch, patrons were given a choice of filet or chicken. “It was a nice presentation and delicious food…the steaks were excellent,” stated Rita. As an after-lunch snack, the group was invited to enjoy ice cream out on an open-aired car on the back of the train, where people could take in 360-degree views of the surrounding vineyards. “I enjoyed the train!” said Ken, “…part of what I enjoyed was the slowness of the train ride… it went about 20 mph…so you could easily visit and eat and drink wine, with good views, and you get to see the whole valley.” The only apparent downside for Ken was the fact that the train was on a strict schedule. “We had 1 hour in each winery, and after the tastings, you had about 10 minutes to make a purchase…it felt rushed,” recalled Ken. However, the consensus of the entire group was that they absolutely would recommend this tour for any first-time visitors to the area. “It is a good way to get introduced to the wineries and see all the country,” recommended Rita.

The following day the group enjoyed a slower-paced chauffeured limousine wine tour. They visited a third-generation family-owned winery, a producer of small lots of Italian inspired handcrafted wines and a vineyard that dates back to 1862! The surprising favorite was the oldest vineyard and sister winery to the Schramsberg brand, named Davies. The Yirsa clan, to their amazement, delighted in tasting champagne. Rita especially marveled at the process of the production, and Ken was astonished by the taste! “One thing that surprised me is I’m not a champagne person; however, the difference in higher quality and aging changed my thinking,” exclaimed Ken. Bob Yirsa was especially impressed by the smaller-scaled Italian winery, Benessere, adding that it was, “probably our nicest and friendliest tour.” Again the group was generally in agreement in that this was the popular form of transportation based on the fact that it was a more leisure schedule tailored to the group’s liking. Furthermore, the tastings and tours themselves went more in-depth and provided a more intimate place to enjoy all of the wines offered.

The biggest take away was the educational aspect of the entire trip! “It was all very interesting,” stated Bob. Aside from learning the proper technique to taste wines, each person learned the process and even backstories to the families that began cultivating these vineyards. “All of the tour guides had a different portfolio of knowledge that they would share with you,” stated Ken. As a farmer, he was especially interested in learning about the difference in soil and how that directly affects the taste. As the valley floor goes up in elevation, the soil changes despite it only being about a 2° temperature difference. Thus they have found that different grape varieties flourish in their specific niche of the valley. Another fun fact learned was that a tiny percentage of each wineries’ grapes are used in their wines. Instead, wineries blend a large portion of grapes that are harvested by local farmers. “What struck me was how clean the vineyards were, there wasn’t a weed in sight!” recalled Bob. However, the most important discovery for the entire group was, “you drink what you like,” exclaimed Ken. Everyone’s palate is different; therefore not everyone will like the same thing. Each winery appears to know that and does there best to provide a good assortment of varied tastes to appeal to everyone.

Overall the group gave the trip rave reviews, and all pledged to one day revisit the popular wine country. The group had plenty of recommendations for people of Big Sandy thinking about making the trip! They encourage those wanting to visit the region to take the train or a chauffeured limo tour rather than worry about driving from place to place! Ken jokingly added that it is best to split the wine tastings and not schedule two full days back to back, but rather to insert a leisure activity in between such as sightseeing or visit the nearby hot springs. Also, “…you taste so many different wines it would be best to take notes…”, such as a wine journal to document what it is you truly like before purchasing. Speaking of purchases, Ken recommends that tourists do not buy at the wineries, but give your email and wait for the winery to send special discounts; this way, you get the bottles at a marked-down price, and you don’t have to carry it with you on your flight!

All in all, it was a very memorable birthday celebration filled with fun, laughter, and plenty of cheers!