We just ended a six-week, 5,000-mile driving trip to northern and southern California and a tour of Arizona. One highlight was a day trip to Napa Valley and a picnic at Diamond Oakes Winery. We made a stop at Dean & Deluca’s and picked up some picnic goodies and drove to Diamond Oaks, we bought a bottle of their 2006 Chardonnay from the Chalk Hill vineyard and enjoyed a great picnic with the best view of Napa Valley in their oak shaded picnic area. If you go to Napa, the Oakville grocery is another long time favorite spot to pick up sandwiches or supplies for your picnic, but get your wine at the winery as the grounds are for their customers. One word of caution, lots of yellow jackets, so bring a peace offering for the yellow jackets and set it about 10 feet from your table, preferably something smelly and damp. Ours was the container for our marinated shrimp and a few shrimp tails, they loved it.
