MrAndrewBradley

If you were to ask me how the last nine months have been, I would probably say pretty boring, but looking back at a few pictures it does look like I have done a few fun things since February after all and I cannot wait for what's ahead in the coming weeks.  1. Virtual Napa Marathon ... because of the swag (in July 2022 I'll be pacing a brand new WineShine Half Marathon ) 2. An Easter gathering in Lodi spent outside with family 3. I worked a lot, including running multiple virtual events across the country giving high school students the opportunity to learn more about a possible future career in healthcare by learning from oral surgeons, doctors, nurses, and others 4. So many virtual wine tastings, some of my favorite continue to be with Bogle and Rombauer (also I watched the horse Rombauer win the Kentucky Derby , so I had to bring out a bottle of chardonnay). 5. There was also wine tasting. Bogle (their new picnic and seated wine flights are both great), Heringer Estates ...

Evidently there was a world before the pandemic. I injured a toe on New Year's Day, so was stopped from running for three months, but overcame the injury and finished running every street in the city of Napa. There was wine tasting with friends and neighbors, there was the Napa Lighted Art Festival . There were meals out, including La Calenda in Yountville. There was a trip to the Bradley Lodge with family and since I was injured, I didn't get to run the Napa Valley Marathon , but I did get to volunteer at the finish line (I think I'll stick to volunteering in the future too). Then the pandemic hit. Grocery store shelves were empty, but I did get a few essentials and I began working from home. At first it was for two weeks, now it's been almost 20. My temporary desk started at the dining room table, but eventually with some online shopping moved to my master bedroom. Meetings, church, and happy hours are online now and I think the change has been pretty seamless. I...

The last part of 2019 was nearly a blur. I finished the year by running through a lot of neighborhoods (two of my running friends ran every street in Napa , I ran about half of them). My total runs for the year, added up to 2,500 miles. There were also many opportunities to enjoy some great wines in Clarksburg , Lodi , and Napa . I even joined a couple more wine clubs, including Scribner Bend and Fontenella , plus a mail-order wine club with NakedWines . Beyond that ... there were runs in San Francisco ( Bridge to Bridge 12K ), volunteering for the VineRUNNER Beer 5K, a couple of runs along the coast and through the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk . Ice cream at Marianne's in Santa Cruz, a few massive power outages thanks for wildfire concerns, and a very spooky neighborhood Halloween Party. I was also able to make it to a few of my favorite annual events including Blues, Brews, and BBQ , the Main Street Car Reunion , while also getting to the Napa Valley Model Train Museum for t...

It's been a fun last couple of months. First, there was my second marathon (26.2 miles is still a very long way) in Fremont . Then there was a run with beer and tacos at the finish line and the opportunity to see Aladdin the musical in Sacramento . There was a quick trip to the Bradley Lodge for Memorial Day ... we got snow! Work has been fun with two team building activities ... the first to Angel Island (on the same day my sister-in-law and nephew were there) and then to Driven Raceway (indoor go-karts). Fourth of July was also celebrated ... first with one of my fastest 10k's at the Kenwood Footrace , then the Napa Parade, followed by a concert and fireworks in the park. Wine was also a highlight (as always). I was able to visit Kunde for the first time before going to my second White Party at Chalk Hill , and got to see one of my original roommates at Azur . My neighbors and I also enjoyed some wine at our neighborhood park, plus two trips to The Village...

As I finished up my last few days as a full-time team member at the resort , I filled them with fun, exploration and more. First ... I ran my first marathon. The Napa Valley Marathon was a lot of fun, and it was great to have my family there at the finish line. It was even better to go wine tasting right after (we rode the gondola up to Sterling for wine tasting and to check out the beautiful views). Second ... There there were a few cooking classes at The Village . They're so much fun and it's amazing what a team can cook. I also tried a few of the spiked milkshakes (The Elvis and Irish Car Bomb) at Crush . Third ... A quick trip to the Bradley Lodge, complete with great food, amazing Napa Valley and Clarksburg wines, and a few runs through snow lined streets. Next a few wine tasting events ... an industry preview event at Louis Martini . The remodeled tasting room facility is stunning. I can't wait to do another tasting there in the future. It also helps that...

I'm going to blame opening a new resort with nine tasting rooms and a lot of events for not posting in nearly 5 months. We'll start with June ... 1. I went to the retirement sale for Bourassa Vineyards to get some great wines at a deep discount and lots of free wine barrels for my house, my parents and others. 2. Toured the brand new resort as I helped move boxes, clean, make beds and do a variety of other things to help get it open. 3. Saw an old friend at his new restaurant in Windsor , Tisza Bistro . 4. Went to Chalk Hill's Annual White Party ... so much fun (although I did cheat and had some red wine too).  5. My cousin flew out from Texas for the day for a Giant's game, so we took full advantage of the day, saw the game (with amazing seats), walked along the Embarcadero and indulged in ice cream at Ghiradelli Square . 6. Found my inner zen during Wellness Wednesday on the Vineyard Deck . See all the pictures here July and August didn't slow...

It has been another fun few months with new experiences, fun outings, lots of running, plus maybe a little wine and food along the way. Falconry demonstration at Bouchaine Vineyards Magazine release party at Wheeler Family Farms in St. Helena Easter Brunch for nearly 700, followed by Easter at Uptown with Hillside Church   A run followed by beer Two estate sales in Lodi, followed by wine and beer A Sac Republic soccer game A very muddy run Happy hour in the Rhine House at Beringer in St. Helena VineRunners 15th Anniversary, complete with wine and Paella  Three TV segments in Sacramento with three different chefs Yoga on the Vineyard Deck as part of a new Wellness Wednesday series Helped at the March of Dimes walk in Sacramento Two Sunday SF Giants games, one with amazing seats close to the field, the other in the Vintner's Suite , complete with food and wine (the Giants won both games) Comedy with David Spade at Graton Casino Trip to the Bradley ...

Living and working in the Napa Valley continues to provide endless opportunities for fun, while the holidays provided an opportunity to be with family at the Bradley Lodge. First there were photo shoots ... first at Vista Collina Resort (the new property we are building directly across the street from The Meritage), then there was yoga and painting on the Vineyard Deck of The Meritage. Before heading to the Bradley Lodge for Christmas, I was able to help with a holiday desserts baking class lead by our pastry chef ... including making homemade marshmallows. Once at the Lodge there were long runs through Big Trees State Park , a Christmas Eve Service at Chapel in the Pines , making noodles with gram, and lots of great wine was had while enjoying time with family. I had to leave the Lodge early in the morning, but for good reason ... a private tasting at Charles Krug for a winemaker dinner. I always love visiting wineries and Charles Krug, founded in 1882 is a favorite. 2018 s...

I've honest been overwhelmed over the last few weeks and months. It started our peacefully with a trip to my grandma's house and lunch at Pietro's in Lodi . Then it all changed with the fires in Napa and Sonoma County. I went to sleep on a windy night and awoke to smoke filled skies. I worked 18 hours most days, 23 hours on one day, but it was an honor to work for a hotel that did so much to help the community that we call home. It was an amazing experience to be able to serve our community and provide them a little slice of peace during an extremely difficult time. There were also wine tasting adventures and a birthday celebration that kept on going. It started with a quick trip to Orange County for meetings, then a locals tasting at Freemark Abbey , with quick stops at both Beringer and V. Sattui just to look around.  A FAM Tour with Hotels.com, we tasted at Trinitas , ran through Carneros and enjoyed an intimate dinner for 5 in our Estate Cave. The Napa Valley...

Living in the Napa Valley has its perks ... - Wine Tasting at Provenance Vineyards - Lunch in SF with a friend at a rooftop restaurant - Running through vineyards - A quick trip to the Bradley Lodge for 4th of July weekend - Biking and Kayaking through Carneros with with Getaway Adventures with stops at Saintsbury and Etude . - A visit to the Wine Train to learn about all the trips they now offer - Cal Poly Alumni Bochee Ball Tournament in Yountville - Wine tasting at Festival Napa Valley - Wine Tasting at Caymus Vineyards - Lunch at Rutherford Grill - Dinner with Paul Hobbs in the Estate Cave See all the pictures here .

It's been another couple weeks full of wine, food ... and something new ... I actually left Napa a few times. We had a fabulous weekend of events for Mother's Day with Veuve Clicquot including a brunch (complete with cookies). I tried out a new restaurant at the River Terrace Inn , Alba , that was really good, hopefully I'll be back with friends in the future, maybe for Taco Tuesday, I was there on Meatloaf Monday. There was also a little bit of wine tasting with a friend that makes his own wine with friends. There was also a meeting at JAM Cellars (think Butter Chardonnay ), a drive up to Calistoga to see the Napa Valley's version of Old Faithful , a 1 mile run in record time, and fish tacos . There were also a couple trips out of the Napa Valley. I headed to the Bradley Lodge where we raked and burned pine needles, but also had some fun. We hiked around Boards Crossing , walked into Big Trees State Park , went to a craft fair ... and had milkshakes at Giant B...

In the last month or so I've been to the Bradley Lodge to spend time with family (and find snow), to Santa Barbara for some time at Bacara , and have been able to enjoy some pretty spectacular wines while also keeping up with my cardio goals ... running lots. It started at the Bradley Lodge for President's Day Weekend, a family tradition that I haven't been able to go to for the last couple of years. Although we got we didn't have any fresh snow at the lodge, it was was nice to enjoy a beer while looking at snow out the window (it was a blizzard) at Bear Valley , and we had our share of wine and food throughout the weekend, including a trip to Murphys . With no snow I was able do some of the mountain runs that I love the most and was even greeted by my youngest nephew at the end of a couple of them. Back in Napa there were wine tastings, nights out, and some long runs. As part of our winemaker dinner series I often get to go to the wineries in advance for a tast...

It was a fun Thanksgiving at the Bradley Lodge . I took a few very long runs through Big Trees State Park (had to run off all the great food), we had fun at the Dorrington Christmas Tree Lighting , and we played in the snow. It was the perfect way to spend time with family before heading back to Napa for more runs and to decorate Fort Bradley II for Christmas. Link to photos .

I've been living the Napa life, which also means I've been in Orange County a few times (including once with family ... we even took a Duffy Boat ride in Balboa Bay ), and, of course, have had some fabulous food and wine. I've been fortunate enough to enjoy winemaker dinners with Opus One and Pride Mountain Vineyards , I've been to the mountains at the Bradley Lodge and Big Trees State Park with family from Georgia who had never seen trees quite that large, seen two SF Giants games (second row first base side and a suite ... so not bad seats), headed to Point Reyes , and worked on a few video shoots and TV segments . See all the Photos .

I celebrated Christmas at the Bradley Lodge with good food and good wine. From fried chicken to Cioppino and prime rib, we enjoyed the food with the wine, and ... 15+ inches of snow. There was also a day of skiing at Bear Valley , a few friendly games of Pinochle and walks along snow covered streets. On our way back to Sacramento we stopped in Roseville to visit with my cousins, then enjoy a fabulous salmon dinner (with more wine) at a friend's house. During dinner we decided we needed something to do the next day and decided on a trip to Lodi for wine tasting. LangeTwins and Oak Farm did not disappoint with their fabulous wines and friendly hospitality. For New Year's I headed to Napa to celebrate with 450+ of my closest friends at The Meritage. I started out 2016 right with a few days of wine tasting. Napa is always beautiful and the winter is a little less crowded, meaning more personalized service, less traffic, and still great wines. There was a stop at Rutherford...

  It has been a fun-filled (and food-filled) last couple of weeks. I've been to the Oakland Raiders training camp (takes place in Napa), enjoyed some fabulous food at The Meritage and around downtown Napa , including a winemaker dinner with Schramsberg Vineyards . Still in Napa, I also had the opportunity to taste wines at Hall and take a look at some of their famous artwork ... including the crazy jumping silver bunny (not to be confused with Sacramento's Red Rabbit at the airport - same artist though). My parents and I headed to the Bradley Lodge . My mom and I cooked up some tasty dishes, had great wine, and also mixed up some vodka infused orange juice for breakfast. We took a couple of field trips too ... one to West Point where we helped some friends net their vineyards (so the birds don't eat the grapes), before heading to Murphys for ice cream at JoMa's . We also headed east to Lake Alpine Resort for some appetizers and to walk around what is truly ...