Napa Nights

Sixty something wines, awesome food stands, plus free entertainment, all added up to a great night with friends in St. Helena, Napa Valley.

On our last trip to St. Helena, I noticed this poster for a "street celebration" of sorts, held every first Friday of the month from August til October and I casually mentioned to Gerard that it might be fun to do. Dubbed "Cheers! St. Helena", I mentioned it to some friends too and we made plans to meet up in Napa Valley to check it out.

35 dollars gets you a bracelet, a plastic cup, AND unlimited wine tasting of wines from all over Napa Valley. Not a bad deal, if you ask me, especially if you're into wine. Sadly, I've been steering clear of it as I've been prone to migraines lately so I was after the FOOD! And I was not disappointed.

Check out my photos.

First tasting, a sweet Rose.

Gerard having another pour. Notice the fancy shmancy wine bus. 

You can book it for private tours.

Entertainment provided by The California Repercussions.

There was also a great acoustic band tucked away in a corner.

This is what I was after! Yummy Tri-Tip Steak Sandwich!

And the grilled corn was super sweet!

And of course, dessert! Lemon and Blood Orange Gelato. 

Nothing beats Gelatissimo though!

At the Cheer! St. Helena website I found out that you can get a season pass for $75. This would be worth it if we lived nearer the area but I think I'm ok with once or twice a year visit. 

The St. Helena Main Street is very pretty and they've got a lot of promising restaurants and cute stores. One of my favorites was Olivier Napa Valley, which sells gourmet oils and specialty food. I've been dying to buy a bottle of their truffle oil and the spinach artichoke dip we sampled was super yummy!

Photo from Oliviernapavalley.com

St. Helena is definitely on my list of places to take friends and guests too. I love quaint little main streets like theirs, which aren't too bustling but full of interesting finds.

All in all, my first Cheers! was a great evening and I'm definitely coming back to St. Helena for more.