Satisfy your senses at Domaine Chandon with amazing food and wine!

Although I have been to Domaine Chandon in Yountville quite a few times, this past Sunday was my first experience at étoile, the restaurant on the property. Seated with a unique group of authors, journalists, and wine industry folks, the lunch began with a bottle of Domaine Chandon 40^th Anniversary Cuvée Rosé ($40/bottle). This pretty pink sparkler has ripe strawberry and rose petal notes with bright acidity. It was enjoyed with lively conversation as the six of us got to know one another.

On pearl plates with a matching incandescent spoon, caviar was soon served and accompanied by fluffy blini and crème fraiche. The presentation was absolutely exquisite; the saltiness of the caviar paired impeccably with the slight sweetness of the sparkling wine.

For my main course, I enjoyed the artfully prepared arctic char, which was cooked to perfection and served over colorful beets and slivers of blood orange. This amazing dish was delicious with the bubbly!

The luncheon preceded my very first book event of 2014. Along with Lisa Mattson, author of The Exes in my iPod: A Playlist of the Men that Rocked me to Wine Country and Marketing & PR Manager at Jordan Winery; and Emily Brown, author of Stories of the Sisterwives: How I Survived Dating a Sociopath; I participated in a book chat led by Ian White of 7x7 Magazine.

With the exception of Ian, Howard Yune of the Napa Valley Register, and Emily Brown’s boyfriend, it was an all-female crowd. This came as no surprise; all three of the featured books are women’s fiction. Somehow, Lisa convinced Ian to read them and moderate the Q&A. Regardless of the genre, Ian enjoyed reading my novel and left a 5-star review on Amazon!

Coverage of the event was featured in the Napa Valley Register, which is the first time my book has been mentioned in print (yay!!). Read Howard Yune’s article here: bit.ly/1aO4zpx

After the book signing portion of the event, I wandered into the tasting room for a sampling of more sparkling wines. (I am partial to the Etoile Brut and Etoile Brut Rosé sparklers, which are always lovely). Between the beautiful lunch, an enthusiastic attendance at my event, and the delightful wines, this was an incredible visit that has left a lasting impression on me.

The next time you’re in Napa Valley, I strongly recommend that you plan to spend a couple hours dining, drinking, and taking in the views at Domaine Chandon; it will satisfy all of your senses!