ON THE BLOG//

the wine country.

To preface this post, Jase and I are not big "wine" people (enter laugh emojis). We like it on occasion, and my dad has taught me a lot about it, but we still have not developed a big desire to enjoy it often. Enter the wine country + I am going to tell you what won us over.Living in the beautiful state of California has so many benefits, one being the stunning destinations within hours of our backyard. We have heard the most lovely reviews of Napa Valley and the charming little towns surrounding it, so we decided that we would escape for a week early celebration of J's birthday and our two year anniversary. December is always so full of the most wonderful festivities!Jase and I flew into San Francisco and had the most beautiful drive to the wine country. Side note: our trip started out on an extra good note because I noticed an R&D Kitchen when we were starving and nearing our hotel. It is one of my favorite restaurants in all the land. After a fun dinner, we drove into our home for the next few days - the magical Auberge du Soleil. They totally spoiled us with a room upgrade for the special occasion, and we slept like babies in the coziest bed. P.S. Their bathtub was a dream, and the bathroom floors were heated. Those little details made the weekend extra special and relaxing.On the first day, we had the yummiest breakfast at the hotel overlooking the valley. Then we adventured to Del Dotto winery first. We had a dry-humored tour guide who made the excursion and wine tastings extra fun and informative. It was such an experience to try the wine from aged barrels that were stationed in a cave. We then went to Cakebread. The sweetest man took us on such a lovely tour; it was extra special, and their wine is delicious. What I love most about the wine country is the stories behind the wineries and the families that started these farms so long ago. We ate at Press that night, and it was such a sweet time together, and it was the coziest atmosphere accompanied by the most delicious food.Day two was our most favorite. We went to Nickel & Nickel and had the time of our lives. Our tour guide, Walt, was so passionate about wine and grapes and people + he was an absolute blast. We were with a group of Georgian dads who go every year and knew Walt well, so it was such a bonus! I was so thankful for our time there. We laughed our hearts out and cancelled our next winery because spa time at Auberge sounded just perfect. After a restful afternoon, we indulged in the most wonderful Italian food at Bottega. We couldn't recommend it more.Day three was our final day, and we loved the outdoor infinity pools and steam rooms too much to part. We each had the most incredible massages, packed up, and explored the darling town of Yountville. Also, I must say the wine country has extra delight in the holiday season. Beautiful wreaths, fully lit trees, and the comforting smell of garland only added to the stunning scenery of these farm towns. We had so much fun making this trip our own, and we are already excited to go back soon!Save

12/18/15 12/18/15

perfect gifts for your bff with lauren sims

Hello loves! Lauren Sims here from laurenkaysims.com. I'm so excited to be posting for LOLO Mag today and giving you some great gift ideas for your best friend! For those of you who have been following me for a while, you might remember that I toured Sterling Vineyards in Napa back in the Fall. When people ask me now what my favorite wine is, I always say a Sterling Cab. With intense fruit and well-integrated oak, the 2012 Sterling Cab is a powerful expression of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is a 10 in a 10 and would truly make the greatest gift for your best friend, or a hostess, or your husband, or basically anyone else in your life.A few other gift ideas for your best friend: you can't go wrong with holiday pj's. I recently got a set myself and actually live in them. Like, when I'm home, I'm in my Christmas pajama set! And how adorable are these Kate Spade wine tags?! This is such a cute and creative gift that's under $20.Also, let's just talk for a second about wine and chocolate. You just can't go wrong with those two things, ever. And these chocolates from Lux Maggie Louise Confections are just as pretty as they come! (Let me tell you, they also taste as good as they look too).Another no fail gift: a cashmere scarf. I love this blush pink one because it's feminine yet classy, and will go with everything in your (or your friend's!) wardrobe.If your bff is really into wine, I think this Wine-inspired fragrance set from Kelly and Jones is such a lovely and thoughtful gift! Don't worry - you won't end up smelling like wine. The fragrances smell so fresh and floral and are very subtle!Thanks for letting me share these gift ideas with ya'll today! I'd love for you to follow me along on instagram or via my blog! xx

I am working in partnership with Sterling Wines and I am being compensated for my participation in this campaign. All thoughts/opinions are 100% my own. Wine is intended for those whom alcohol is legal and appropriate. Please Drink Responsibly!

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9/28/15 9/28/15

sterling vineyards

If you follow me on instagram, you probably saw that I got the opportunity a week ago to take the trip of a lifetime to Sterling Vineyards in Napa. Words cannot describe how beautiful this vineyard is, and it was hands down the best wine I have ever tasted in my life. I wanted to recap my experience for ya'll today!Before I go through the amazing tour we had - I wanted to share a bit about Sterling - so you can fully comprehend how amazing it is (and so if you're ever in Napa, you'll know why you need to visit Sterling)! Sterling Vineyards is one of the most iconic and celebrated wineries of Napa Valley. The winery itself is an architectural icon - it sits 300 feet above the valley floor and provides the most stunning views of Napa Valley. Sterling Vineyards was also the first winery ever built with the visitor in mind, and the only winery in the world with an aerial tram! (You have to take a gondola up to see the view!)We started our tour with a private viewing of sorting at Reserve Winery with the winemaker. We got to see the grapes being "de-stemmed", the process of punching grapes, and so much more. It was so cool to see this process - and everything smelled amazing! After taking the gondola up to the top of the winery (which was the most beautiful gondola ride I've ever taken), we got to see the winery behind the scenes: see the tank pump overs, sample wine from the tank, and learn all about the process. We also spent a good amount of time in the barrel room and learned how different types of wood/barrels can give wine different flavors. We enjoyed the most beautiful lunch and tasted 3 different wines with our meal: platinum chardonnay, platinum proprietary white, and platinum cabernet. They were all amazing but my favorite was the Chardonnay - it was so refreshing on such a hot day!Next we took the gondola back down for grape stomping! It felt very "I love Lucy", and I loved it!After the grape stomping, we spent the afternoon and evening at the Rutherford House. If you're ever in Napa, I highly recommend visiting this house. One of the most beautiful houses and properties I have ever experienced!Side note - this is my friend Courtney from A Thoughtful Place - definitely check out her blog! She is amazing! One of the highlights of this trip for me was getting to meet her and get to know her.We had the most equisite dinner you could ever imagine at The Rutherford House. We got to do an interactive dinner prep with Chef Joey Altman which was so much fun! With dinner we tried 3 different wines - a 2012 Reserve Chardonnay, a 2012 Sterling Carneros Pinot noir, and a 2009 Platinum Cabernet. The cabernet was my favorite hand's down. It had such an intense fruit taste with well-integrated oak.Stay tuned for more posts featuring Sterling Vineyards' wines and inspiration from them! I highly recommend this winery to anyone planning a trip to Napa. It's definitely a "bucket list" trip in my book!