Medieval Castle in Tarasp

This year we decided to go hiking in the Swiss National Park, which is located in the canton of Graubünden. We found the family owned Schlosshotel Chastè in Tarasp, located in Unter Engadin (Lower Engadin).

Believe it or not, the luxury hotel comes with its own castle that towers over the valley. Just kidding, but the hotel is located in the lower right corner and it's only a stone through away. Obviously, guests can see the castle from the hotel.
The rooms are lovely and the staff is outstanding. The Parzeller family who owns the hotel is proud to makes sure the service is impeccable and we can confirm it: it's impeccable.

Without a doubt, the tasting menu deserves one or more Michelin stars. The chef mixes local and seasonal specialties creating culinary delights, that is best enjoyed with a wine paring. They offer a great selection of local and imported wines.

The castle is owned by a Swiss artist called Not Vital. His art collection together with his own art are displayed in and around the castle. The beautiful castle is decorated with art from Andy Warhol, Picasso and others.
The moon in the castle pond, where they used to raise carp, is one of Not's sculptures.

The local architecture is unique and includes traditional engraving into the concrete facade, called Sgraffiti, paint would fade during the harsh winters with such an intense alpine sun.

Even though we drove through the Swiss National Park, we never made it on hiking boots. However, we hiked from S-charl along the river to Alp Astra and then back through Tamangur (National Forest). This is one of the oldest and Europe's highest ceder forest. It started to rain while we were in the forest and it just added to the mystical surrounding.

Napa Valley

There are so many wine makes in Napa valley, that one simply cannot visit them all during a single trip. This is our second time here and the goal was to taste different wines than last time. We also made a conscious decision to only visit one or two wineries a day and have wine pairings where ever they offered this service.

The cave from Pine Ridge Vineyards offered not just a home to wine barrels, but also to beautiful glass art.

You might think you are in England, but the phone booth holds an actual phone, which is used to call Newton Vineyards and they pick you up. The view from the top is wonderful, as long as the weather cooperates.

A welcome surprise was a picnic offered by Silverado Vineyards. The event was in the vineyard underneath a beautiful tree. The weather was nice and the wines were delicious.

One of the wineries we were looking forward to visiting was B Cellars. Friends of ours shared a bottle with us and we were hooked. The Cabernet Sauvignon is excellent with so many layers.
The art that is on display may not be directly linked to wine making, but we liked it a lot. It reminded me a lot of where I grew up.

Both of us are bunnies, the Chinese astrological sign of course and that is why we felt right at home at Hall Wineries. The bunny leads the way to the tasting room where we enjoyed wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon.

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The view from Joseph Phelps winery is so nice and it invites to sit outside and enjoy their Insignia wine. The old winery that displays a beautiful wooden construction is nowadays used for tastings. We were smart enough to sign up for the culinary experience and we were led on a journey that we won't forget soon.

Napa valley is know for its wine production, but it is also home to some great olive oil. Our favorite is the one from Round Pond. They offer a olive oil tasting, which we did a couple of years ago. 

Don't get me wrong, we love all their wines too, that is why this year we concentrated on their wines.

One winery is apparently not easy to find (our Lyft guy thought so), but it is well worth it. It's not just the art that goes into the label but also the wonderful wines (Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) that makes Sullivan Rutherford Estate a winner. The actual tasting was in the beautiful yard underneath red woods.