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| Walking around the vineyard at Brix |
Google translator says: Personne qui fane les foins (or "person who fades hay"), so... there's that.
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| Rose garden and vineyards at Brix, Napa |
From my experiences with Les Faneurs members and their activities, I would define them as: a group of French families and friends who enjoy traveling, eating well, meeting new people, and drinking lots of wine! Lucky for me, that perfectly describes me also and I fit right in.
On Saturday morning, June 21st, Casey and I drove to Vallejo Marriott to wait for a pick-up from the Peninsula Tours charter bus company. The large bus had already stopped in South San Francisco and was mostly full, but the 20 French members climbing aboard at this location had no trouble finding seats. We found two comfy spots near the front and slightly reclined our plush chairs.
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| Buses in Napa |
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| Comfy foot rests, very comfy bus! |
After getting onto Hwy 29, Monsieur Colby passed around delicious, homegrown organic plums. They were sweet and tart and juicy! It was followed by a bottle of brandy, which I passed on until our ride home (I hadn't had breakfast yet!) We soon arrived in Napa, being fortunate to not hit much traffic as we drove near Sonoma, where NASCAR weekend was just kicking off at the Sonoma Raceway (formerly Sears Point). |
| Napa Wine Train Tracks |
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| Domaine Carneros |
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| Domaine Carneros |
We found a table for our group to sit in the shade, and 100+ members of our group dined together on olives, meat, bread, and cheeses. We started with two champagnes choices and ended with red wine, leaving the winery smiling at 11:30 after over an hour of fantastic food and bubbly beverages. The staff was very attentive, walking around and keeping our glasses full, as well as replacing food items as they disappeared. There was lots of seating, both in the sun and also under shady umbrellas.
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| 100 + Les Faneurs members |
Last year's annual luncheon also began at Domaine Carneros, but we continued to St. Helena's luxury resort, Meadowood. It wasn't a long drive and it was beautiful the entire way. This year we stayed in Napa and enjoyed an even shorter drive along the beautiful Napa Valley vineyards, arriving at Brix for lunch.
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| Chef Robert (Brix) |
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| Gardens at Brix |
Our lunch began with a singing of God Bless America as a group, followed by a song in French. One of the neatest things about the lunches and dinners with Les Faneurs is all the wonderful singing before and after the meal! It's very positive and uplifting to sing as a group.
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| Salad |
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| Filet mignon |
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| Grilled salmon |
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| Chocolate buttercream cupcakes |
Following the salad we were each served a portion of salmon over a grilled green, as well as filet mignon and asparagus. The proteins were cooked perfectly, both rare, and the greens were wonderful! I traded some of my meat for the veggies from plates around me. By the time cupcakes and coffee arrived I was full!
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| Domaine Carneros |
Everything about our afternoon was wonderful! From start to finish we were treated first class and it was a great opportunity to get to know some of the other members a little better. Once again, I was thrilled to get to hang out with my husband's family, and enjoy a weekend afternoon drinking wine in the sun. Napa Valley is a wonderful retreat and only and hour from home. The afternoon there felt like a true resort experience! I can't wait for the next annual luncheon!
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| French Flag |
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