By Lauren and Haney

One of the most important—if not the most important—item on our minds during the entire planning process was to ensure that we value our guests, their time, and the resources they are using to come celebrate our union.  Some would classify our wedding as a “destination” wedding, because neither of our immediate families is home based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Because it is such a ways for most, we thought we would ask our guests what other things they would like to do while visiting the San Francisco Bay Area and what we could do to help.  Many had already visited before, but many also had not.  Many of our guests shared that they were going to make a vacation of the trip and were interested in an excursion to Napa, but weren’t sure where to start.

So we asked one of our groomsmen, who also happens to be a younger brother of the bride, to combine his extensive interest in wine with my—Haney’s—limited knowledge of Napa Valley to put together an easy-going and relaxed wine tasting trip for our guests.  And thanks to Ryan’s hard work, we have put together a trip that will take nearly half of our guests to California’s most famous wine country!

We start from our hotel in Palo Alto, and through California Wine Tours and Transportation, we get to spend time with almost fifty of our guests, doing something our guests wanted to do.  We asked Ryan to plan the day’s events with these big picture focus items in mind: we want our guests to experience a “celebration,” which of course means something sparkling; we want them to tour a larger vineyard where they could learn about the winemaking process; and finally, we want them to have an opportunity to visit a smaller—and perhaps more boutique-ish—winery where they could try something they may never have seen.

The itinerary is:
-    A customized sparkling tasting at Mumm Napa.  Ryan selected different bottles that are not on their typical tasting flights, so our guests get to celebrate something a little unique!
-    Lunch at the Oakville Grocery, known for its high-quality and fresh offerings.
-    A visit to a larger vineyard, Robert Mondavi, with a tour of the grounds and a guide who can teach us all a little about wine.  It ends with a private tasting.
-    And finally, a visit to Silver Oak, a smaller vineyard known for its Cabernet Sauvignon—the varietal that Napa Valley does so exquisitely!

And since we were able to build economies of scale by organizing this for everyone, it also came at a much lower price tag.  Transportation to/from the hotel + lunch + sparkling tastings + tour + two full wine tastings came out to $125 per person.  Some visitors pay that much alone just for transportation to Napa Valley from the Peninsula!

The best part is that we are saving our guests the time and hassle of trying to arrange a trip like this when they are already spending so much time and money to be with us.  We get the added benefit of spending more time with our guests so that we can chat and laugh in an informal setting doing something that our guests want to do!