I am so excited to tell you about the past four days! I feel like it may have been a dream?
When I received the invite to attend Kendall Jackson’s Sip, Bite Blog, I literally re-read the email five or six times. I rarely get invited to anything blog-related, and when I do I often turn it down because I really just like this little relationship you and I have got going on here… I tell you about recipes and weird life stuff and you tell me that I’m not always crazy and that seriously, I can’t call “crack brownies” crack brownies because I’ve never tried crack. You know.
But seriously, who could pass this up? I just feel so honored and lucky and blessed to have been asked on such a trip of a lifetime.
We began Friday night with a reception, and by reception I really mean a food and wine pairing.
I can hardly wait to show you the rest of my meals this weekend that were prepared by the amazing culinary team at Kendall Jackson. You know how I love when the passion for food oozes out of someone’s soul? Yeah. This was perfect. It was probably some of the best food I’ve eaten. Unfortunately I forgot to grab the menu for this first tasting, so bear with my sensory-overload mind.
We sampled a wine with each dish.
Fried green tomatoes +
buckwheat crepes that included a bit of apple butter…
…smoked fennel and tomato soup + a sweet tea-brined pork belly slider + a baby taco which I will remember the name of five minutes after I publish this post…
…and with the dessert wines, a vanilla bean panna cotta with strawberry gelee…
…and famous homemade caramel corn.
At this point Lori turned to me and said “uh, Jessica? I don’t think you’re actually supposed to drink all of the wine.” Oops.
So after eating seven courses, we ate dinner.
We had wood-fire pizzas and these amazing vegetables which even I devoured.
And then we had this.
Tiramisu trifle. That was pretty outrageous.
Tomorrow I’ll tell you about the rest of the trip. I’m currently holed up in a San Fran airport hotel all by myself, watching a Boardwalk Empire marathon. I’m in wine withdrawal.





















I’m Jessica and this is where I share my stuff. You will find a balance of healthy recipes, comfort food and indulgent desserts.
Again…soooooo jealous. But I can’t wait to read more!! ;-)
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Looks like you had an amazing time! :) That caramel corn (and everything else) look so, so good! Cannot wait to hear about the rest!
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Wow..Amazing!
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WOW! That looks like a food dream come true!
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Unreal… and i’m really jealous.
Was that taco called Al Pastor?
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these pictures are stunning… in other news, i just drank half a bottle of vino and really want dq… not because of the vino.. because it’s sunday and that is what we do.
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Glad you enjoyed my hometown :) Teaches me to keep up with my blog reading more closely…I didn’t know you were headed out this way!
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Oh my GOSH… SO jealous! That panna cotta looked AMAZING!
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That pretty much looks like a dream trip! I can’t wait to hear about the rest!
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Wonderful and beautiful! I have been following yours and Lori’s instagram photos…what a wonderful experience. Can’t wait to hear more! :)
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Oh my goodness, this looks amazing! What a fun and interesting invite! All the food (and wine) looks delicious!
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Tiramisu trifle?! Yummm! :-D
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“uh, Jessica? I don’t think you’re actually supposed to drink all of the wine.” Oops.
That makes it official, I definitely know I would be friends with you in real life :)
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Please tell me that trifle thingy was shared…among 15 OTHER PEOPLE.
That thing is bigger than my head.
Actually, let me rethink this.
I hope you had that trifle all to your head. I MEAN SELF.
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Yum, that looks amazing!
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FUN!! Totally jealous.
And like you, I would have drank the wine. ALL the wine.
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Beautiful pictures!!! All of the food looks amazing.
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I’m just going to say this:
luckyyyyyyy!!!!
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I went through wine with drawl when I left too— Don’t worry, you’ll make it out alive. It may not be pretty but it won’t be pretty though ;) ….I suggest you buy a bottle to seven to take home to help with this…
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Will you please post a recipe for your own version of a Tiramisu trifle?! That looks AMAZING! What a beautiful way to end summer!
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Is this real life, seriously?! So beautiful. So delicious looking.
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You take gorgeous pictures, fyi….the one of the white wine by itself on the table, slightly backlit by the sun?? Money shot…
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I’m overcome with jealousy and an extreme craving for wine… and tiramisu.
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that sounds so awesome, would have loved to see the pizza.
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So cool! Ive been reading your blog for a while, and I just have to say how awesome your photos gotten. These pictures are stunning.
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This is literally like my dream blogger event. I am such a huge wine fan (my boyfriend and I are in the process of planning a weekend trip to do a wine tasting!) and I’ve been watching your Instagram picture posts with not-very-well-disguised envy. :) I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! And I do hope you tell us about it in great, great detail so I can pretend I was there…
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Wow, it looks so magical ;)
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So jealous of your weekend! Looks beautiful and tasty!
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I miss it already. I just looked in my fridge at home and wondered where my caviar and steak tar-tar are? Our jeans will never fit again. Posting this on my Noble Pig Facebook wall too.
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Sounds like a delicious experience! Wow! Happy for you!
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We did this exact sand food and wine pairing while we were in wine country a few weeks ago!! The 2nd photo in this post is chef Matt (I think). He was the same one who did our food and wine pairing a few weeks ago!!
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Wow. I really want to dive head first into that tiramisu, and then into one of those glasses of wine. Or maybe the wine first and then the tiramisu? I’m so glad you got invited, you deserve it and this way we get to experience every bite and sip and the beautifulness of Napa Valley vicariously!
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That looks like SO much food, I can’t believe the size of that trifle! Looks amazing though!
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So much fun! Holy, I’d be full after the first two courses! At least you all were well fed!
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Omg I wish I was holed up in San Fran with you. The fun we could have! I love that city!
Anyway…Tiramisu trifle. Wow.
And I can just hear Lori saying that about the wine…not supposed to drink it all. lol
But I would have done the same thing as you did.
Not getting invited to things and re-reading the email 5 times…your number came up. And what an event it came up FOR. Worth the wait, I’d say. Congrats!!!!
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Yes I want to read more! What a fun opportunity!!
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Wow…wish I were there! I can’t wait to read more about it!
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That sounds like heaven. I would so be game for an event like that too!
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Jessica~
What an honor for you to be invited.
What an honor for them that YOU attended. ;)
KJSBB was a perfect “pairing” for you.
Loved following along via Instagram.
Your pics are beyond lovely…just like you!
I loved our recent trip to CA~ There’s just something about California~ #dreamy.
Don’t even know how to respond to the lovely~ness of the food.
Delighted you had such a great experience~
Hugs~I know you’re happy to be home.
xoxoxo
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i can see why you had the panna cotta twice :) everything looks incredible!
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Don’t you just love the Sonoma/Napa area? And I guest we’re amateurs too because when we were there last month we drank. every. last. drop in our tasting glasses!! And some places gave refills when asked!
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Jealous!
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It’s amazing some of the opportunities bloggers have. So jealous…everything looks amazing!
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This looks like heaven – I’m so excited for you/jealous that you got to be there!
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That first pic looked so heavenly and the pic of that Tiramisu trifle! Ahhh heaven! I know what you mean about blog invites. Sometimes I have to read them a few times cuz I don’t believe what I’ve been invited to as well. I’m glad you went & had a good time!
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Oh man oh man, that tiramisu trifle. I want! I’m totally on detox today. I miss winecountry/you!!! Excited to see part II. xo
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absolutely amazing! so jealous of this experience. i visited kendall jackson last year when my hubby and i toured sonoma for a long weekend. their wines are fantastic and the food pairings spot on. beautiful pictures!
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I was in Napa and Sonoma this weekend too! It was for a bachelorette party and I thought I’d never come home. The weather, food, scenery….all amazing.
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Jessica — September 26th, 2011 @ 9:04 pm
Man, I wish my bach party was there!
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I wish I had known (and wasn’t out of town haha) – I live about 6 minutes from the airport… I would have loved to meet you :-)
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so jeal of this weekend….everything on every plate looks absolutely perfect.
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