When your day starts at 3:30 in the morning, you’re probably on your way to the snow. But it’s June, so Rachell & I had long since turned in our snowboards for the year. Instead we ate grapes Rachell fed me grapes while Ottmar serenaded us on the drive to Napa to catch a sunrise flight on a hot air balloon.
From over 2,000 feet up, we floated over the Napa Valley with breathtaking views; learning all sorts of things about balloons that will give us lots to talk about at parties. A delicious champagne brunch followed with our pilot, Ferrel Gray, and the rest of our flight. Bob Barbarick and his wife Cindy from Balloons Above the Valley, were kind enough to let me barter some consulting for the ride.
We worked off our full stomachs with a quiet stroll through downtown Napa before heading to Cakebread Winery; our first tour of the day.
Instead of dropping by several vineyards along Route 29 for tastings, we opted for more involved tours and special tastings for this special day. At Cakebread, Tim Gratchen gave us a mini-tour of the winery and gardens before serving up four fabulous recipes paired with four wines. Rachell took notes on how the components of the wine and food create an epicurean harmony, while I worked to refine my palate eat all the food. We both highly recommend you sample some Cakebread for yourself next time you’re out. She liked the reds… And I even liked the whites.
About a mile down the road is Niebaum-Coppola Winery, where David Liniak, the son of Rachell’s co-worker, Carolyn, was gracious enough to set us up with a complimentary tour and tasting. We learned all about why the Director of the Godfather makes such great wine.
All day I had been trying to forget that I’d later be getting down on one knee. After all, I couldn’t let on that this day was somehow more significant than I had been letting on. But in the midst of Kevin’s eloquent recitation of the history of the winery, my mind began to drift to the importance of the day, and of my love for the beauty beside me. It was truly a blessed day, with a blessed woman.
After taking advantage of David’s employee discount with a few more tastings and a few bottles of wine, we took a stroll through the vineyards. I stole a kiss from Rachell in one of the vineyard gardens and the surpise made for a great shot. But we still had more adventures for the day, so we left the vines for our last tasting…
Set high on a hill in the heart of the Carneros appellation stands the majestic Domaine Carneros chateau overlooking the Napa Valley. The setting truly is remarkable.
Walking up the grand staircase Rachell spotted the small balcony on the top floor with the table set for two.
“I wonder what sort of pretentious people get to sit up there?”
Rachell thought to herself
Needless to say, soon after arriving we were escorted up the stairs, through a long hallway, and up to the balcony with the table set for two. In order not to show my cards just yet, I acted just as blown away as she was. This wasn’t difficult, because it really is a remarkable setting, looking out to all of the Napa Valley from the top floor of a beautiful chateau, above our loyal subjects.
Our private server, Jude Cassel, treated us to three sparkling wines and three pinots complete with crackers, cheeses, fruits and nuts. After nearly two hours, Rachell and I shared our last toast accompanied by hand-crafted chocolate truffles. We stood overlooking the valley as I began sharing more about my love for Miss Rachell.
One thing they never tell you is how hard it is to actually transition to getting to one knee. I had played the moment in my mind a thousand times, but when you’re actually there, it’s far more difficult than imagined. When else is a particular set of words so tied into a body movement?
After many attempts, I finally told her once more of my love for her, stepped back, knelt, and looked up. I hope to recall that image of Rachell in my mind forever. She was so beautiful, so surprised, and so happy. Suddenly the words came easily, “Will you marry me?”.
The rest is a bit hazy, as my mind was racing faster than ever. Rachell cried and nodded and smiled and cried… From the balcony with the table set for two, in front of everyone in Napa, I hugged my beautiful fiance for the first time. With ring in hand, I finally stepped back to place the ring on her finger, sealing the deal. The guests and servers below cheered as we shared our engagement with the crowd.
We spent the last bit of our time at the chateau on the terrace, sharing stories of the day and taking pictures. And just before they locked the gates for closing, we escaped to Sonoma for our last adventure for the day. Following Jude’s advice, and with very full stomachs, we exchanged our picnic plans for a “short” hike to the Sonoma Overlook, where we watched the sunset over the Sonoma Valley.
May God be praised for weaving our lives together, and for orchestrating a day that was truly from the pages of a fairytale.
