A Guide to Napa Valley - as compiled by Illinois visitors

Greetings LTH-ers. I have received special dispensation to post a collaborative "Guide to the Napa Valley" based on visits by the Davoodas and many of our central Illinois friends in recent years. Enjoy:

Overview

Napa Valley is about a :90 minute drive from San Francisco airport or about an hour from the Oakland airport. It is only about 5 miles wide by 35 miles long. The entire region is easy to navigate and very scenic. Obviously, the main attractions to the region are the wineries. There are over 396 wineries, a culinary arts school, and many cultural and recreational activities.

Accommodations

Harvest Inn, St. Helena – www.harvestinn.com 1-800-950-8466
The Harvest Inn has a French countryside feel with lots of gardens and fountains. It’s very romantic, but a little pricey (approx. $300.00/night). A very nice breakfast buffet is included. There is no on-site gym and spa services are limited. They have a great concierge. Rating: 5 stars

Villagio Inn and Spa, Yountville – www.villagio.com 1-800-351-1133
Villagio has a Tuscan countryside feel. It is also pricey, but well worth it. The price includes a breakfast buffet and afternoon cocktails. There is a concierge that will take care of everything for you. The service is top notch. The spa is nice. There is no on-site gym, but guests can use a local gym nearby. Rating: 5 stars

Napa Valley Lodge, Yountville – www.woodsidehotels.com 1-800-368-2468
Our friends stayed here and they recommend it. The price includes a complimentary Champagne Breakfast Buffet and it has a fitness room and pool. Rating: 3 Stars

The Inn at Southbridge, St. Helena – www.innatsouthbridge.com 1-800-520-6800
We didn’t actually stay here but I toured for our future trips. It is a very nice inn with a great spa and health club. Rating: 5 Stars

River Terrace Inn, Napa – www.riverterraceinn.com 707-320-9000
The property was built approx. 2003 and has both regular rooms and suites. Lots of complimentary amenities like valet parking, room refrigerators and free DVD rentals. The complimentary breakfast is excellent, and the terrace facing the Napa River is perfect for an evening cocktail and/or stogie. Add a pool and fitness center, bar and room service and you have it all! Our rate was $145.00 per night booked via Expedia. You can get to either Route 29 or Silverado Trail in minutes.

Napa Valley Dining

Bistro Jeanty, Yountville – www.bistrojeanty.com 1-707-944-0103
Bistro Jeanty is a French restaurant across from Villagio. Lots of locals eat here. It was OK, but definitely not our favorite. Rating: 3 stars

Brix Restaurant, Oakville – www.brix.com 1-707-944-2749
Brix serves seasonal California cuisine and is located in the heart of Napa Valley. It has great food and service. Recommended for dinner. Rating: 4 stars

Mustards Grill, Yountville – www.mustardsgrill.com 1-707-944-2424
Mustards Grill is intimate and cozy. The food and service were great. Although there are linens on the table, it has a casual feel. You do need reservations or you can sit at the bar. A great place for a higher-end luncheon. Rating: 4 stars

Rutherford Grill, Rutherford - 1-707-963-1792
IMHO, this restaurant is as good as Mustards. It has more capacity, lots of big screen TV’s and a great party atmosphere for lunch or dinner. This is one of a few Napa restaurants that don’t have a corkage fee, so you can bring your own bottle to enjoy with your meal! Friendly waitstaff compliment the wide-ranging menu. Rating: 5 stars

Domaine Chandon, Yountville – www.chandon.com 1-800-736-2892
This restaurant would be best for dinner or Sunday brunch. We enjoyed the beautiful views. Plan to arrive 45 minutes early for champagne tasting. It is well worth the $15.00 fee. Reservations are required. Rating: 5 stars

Martini House, St. Helena – www.martinihouse.com 1-707-963-2233
The food here was great - if you don’t mind waiting for it. This was a three-hour experience. Rating: 3 stars

Bouchon, Yountville - 1-707-944-8037
Thomas Keller, who is the chef that started The French Laundry Restaurant in Yountville, owns Bouchon. The food was great! Rating: 4 stars

The French Laundry, Yountville. We've never been able to get a table so cannot report a first-hand personal experience.

Le Toq - another place we haven't been able to try but it gets rave reviews from locals.

The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant, St. Helena – www.ciachef.edu 1-707-967-1010
This restaurant is located at the Culinary Institute of America. Highly recommended. They bring lots of food to try. The service & views were great! Reservations are required. Rating: 5 stars

The Market, St. Helena – www.marketsthelena.com 1-707-963-3799
The market is a small, casual restaurant comparable to Robbie’s. It’s a local hangout. The drinks are strong! Rating: 4 stars

Taylor’s Refresher, St. Helena
This is a good lunch spot, with thin, crispy-edged hamburgers. It’s basically a burger & shake joint with outdoor dining. You can also buy alcohol here. Rating: 4 stars

Auberge du Soleil, Rutherford – www.aubergedusoleil.com 1-800-348-5406
This is a formal Mediterranean style restaurant (jacket & tie required). I did not eat here, but it is suppose to be one of the premier 5 star restaurants.

Zin’s Valley, Napa – www.zinsvalley.com 707-224-0695
This is where “the locals dine” and one of the few restaurants we found that waive a corkage fee, so BYOB and live it up on the patio! Outdoor dining is definitely the allure for this place. It’s a short drive west on First Street from downtown Napa, and reservations are recommended.

Picnic style dining:

 Dean & Deluca, St. Helena - great deli and great wines
 Oakville Grocery, Oakville - Picnic tables on site.

Wineries

Far Niente, Oakville – www.farniente.com 1-707-944-2861
It costs $40 for the tasting. They have high-end cabernets, $100-150 per bottle. The Dolce (a sweet late harvest white) is excellent. The late owner, Gil Nickel, has a large collection of antique and racecars on display on the tour. Call ahead to schedule a private tour and your name will be displayed at the entry to the visiting/tasting room. Ask for our host, Zack Stockton. Rating: 5 stars

Nickel & Nickel, Oakville – www.nickelandnickel.com 1-707-967-9600
The partners of Far Niente founded Nickel & Nickel in 1997. It is open to the public for tours but tasting is by appointment only. I believe it’s $30 per tasting. Rating: 5 stars

Silver Oak Cellars, Oakville – www.silveroak.com 1-707-944-8808
Silver Oak is a Cabernet lovers dream house. Our guide, Deke Holman, was excellent. He’s a retired WW2 pilot and very interesting. Silver Oak is one of the few wineries that use american Oak for storage. Rating: 4 stars

Caymus Vineyards, Napa Valley – www.caymus.com 1-707-963-4204
Many find the tasting room to be pretentious. This is a “high end” wine we recommend if you’re a Caymus Cabernet fan. We probably wouldn’t return to this winery. Rating: 2 stars

Honig Vineyard & Winery, Rutherford – www.honigwine.com 1-707-963-5618
Honig is next door to Caymus. It’s a small “boutique” winery that is known for Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet. I love these wines. They are high quality and affordable. Call for a private tasting and try to meet Michael Honig – one of the nicest guys in the wine business. Rating: 4 stars

White Hall Lane, St. Helena - www.whitehalllane.com 1-800-963-9454
A visit here only cost about $10.00 and it’s well worth it. It’s a casual setting at the tasting bar, but lots of traffic. They have great Cabernet and it’s conveniently located right off Rt. 29. No reservations required. Rating: 3 stars

Staglin Family Vineyard, Rutherford - www.staglinfamily.com 1-707-944-0477
Staglin makes great big wines, high end Cabernets. Call for an appointment. Ask for Victoria. Rating: 5 stars

Steltzner Vineyards, Napa – www.steltzner.com 1-707-252-7272
Call to schedule a private tour. The wines are affordable – under $30.00. Located off Silverado Trail. Rating: 3 stars

Robert Craig Wine Cellars, Napa – www.robertcraigwine.com 1-707-252-2250, ext. 2
Robert Craig has a tasting room in Napa only, the vineyards are way off-site. It’s only worth the visit if you’re really into great Cabernets and Chardonnays. Rachel Miller, the sales director was very helpful and knowledgeable. Howell Mountain cabs are killer. Rating: 3 stars

Schramsberg Vineyards & Cellers, Calistoga – www.schramsberg.com 1-707-942-2414
This is our personal favorite! They specialize in sparkling wines & champagne. There are over 2 miles of caves for wine/champagne storage. The tour is phenomenal. If you join their club (for a fee) before you go, you get special treatment. Winery tours and tastings are conducted 7 days a week, and are by appointment only. On certain Saturdays they have a big party with tastings and food pairings. It’s lots of fun. Our host was Richard Gambatese. Request him if you can. Rating: 5 stars

Reverie on Diamond Mountain, Calistoga – www.reveriewine.com 1-707-942-6800
This vineyard is north of Schramsburg. It’s small, only about 60 acres of grapes. It was recommended to me by Michael Honig @ Honig Wines. The wines are very affordable – under $30.00. We had a lot of fun here, tasting under redwood trees. Rating: 3 stars

Diamond Creek Vineyards, Calistoga - www.diamondcreekvineyards.com 1-707-942-6929
This vineyard is very exclusive and not open to the public. If you can get a private tour, it would be worth it. The founder smuggled in Bordeaux vines from France. The wines cost from $400 - $600/bottle! As the website state, “We create Cabernet Sauvignon wines exclusively, for a very fortunate few.” Unfortunately, we haven’t been here!

Rubicon Estates, Rutherford www.rubiconestate.com 1-707-968-1161
This estate is formerly known as Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery. It is very much a tourist attraction and there are lots of people. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re into Coppola or those little cans of Sofia Champagne. Rating: 2 stars

Robert Sinskey Vineyards, Napa - www.robertsinskey.com 1-800-869-2030
They have wine tasting daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the RSV Wine bar. No appointment necessary. Rating: 3 stars

Regusci Winery, Napa - http://www.regusciwinery.com 1-707-254-0403
Known as a “ghost winery” because it is one of a few remaining early Napa Valley wineries that were in existence between 1860 and 1900. It’s small, neat and laid back. The tasting room is older. Reservations are not required. Rating: 3 stars

Prager Winery & Port Works, St. Helena - www.pragerport.com 1-707-963-7678
This winery is next to The Harvest Inn. They have all ports and desert wines. Tasting costs $10.00 and is well worth it. You’ll have a good time and get a souvenir glass!

Spottswoode, St. Helena www.spottswoode.com (707) 963-0134
Hard to find, bur definitely worth it – and the tasting is free! This vineyard represents a dream come true for owner Mary Novak and her late husband Jack. You get your glass and your first sample at the winery, then walk a couple blocks to Mary’s home for the cab tasting and to meet Murphy, the black lab. The home is awesome, as are the wines! They make two wines, a Sauvignon Blanc and a Cabernet Sauvignon, none of which makes it to retail outlets. You have to join their mailing list or find one of the few restaurants they sell to in order to enjoy Spottswoode. The cab is phenomenal and the Sav Blanc is strong too. Tastings are Tuesdays and Thursdays only at 10 am. Call well in advance! Rating: 4 stars for the wine alone…there isn’t a lot of atmosphere.

Other Tidbits of Information

Driving on Route 29 can be a real bear, especially when trying to get through St. Helena which can be a troublesome bottleneck. We have used the Silverado Trail quite a bit as it parallels Route 29 and seems to have much less traffic. It's also more scenic and affords access to all the wineried in between Route 29 and the Silverado Trail, but you have to pay close attention to the crossroads.

If you like book stores, visit River House Books in St. Helena. It’s a nice place to just “hang out”.

Downtown St. Helena has great shopping, including many boutiques and Goodman’s, which is probably 100-years old with lots of original store fixtures and wide plank flooring that squeaks when you walk. If you like Nat Nast and Tommy Bahama, this is the place for you!

Vintage 1870 in Yountville is also a good place to shop. It’s a conglomeration of boutiques inside an old warehouse that’s been totally update. Located on Washington Street equidistant to the two Yountville exits off Route 29.

If you plan to hit more than 3-4 tastings in a day, a driver is a good idea. Here are a couple of services we've used:

 California Wine Tours, Napa – www.californiawinetours.com 1-800-294-6386
 Alegro Private Tours, San Francisco – www.alegropvttours.citysearch.com 1-415-668-1864

Wonderful introductory guide. Thanks for posting.

A few things to add:

1. While there are many excellent restaurants in the wine country, two of my favorite ways to eat during the day are to buy a selection of meats, cheese, bread, etc and have a picnic. You mentioned the Oakville Grocery, which is an incredible place (picture Dean and DeLuca, not Jewel). Second, there is a public park not far from Route 29 (the main drag in Napa) that has built-in grills, much like those dotted around Lake Michigan (but in better condition), and we've had a lot of fun grilling meat after a day of wine tasting. (I can't remember the name of the park right now...I'll do a little digging around on-line to see if I can find it.)

2. Don't completely write off the big-name wineries. They have something to offer that is completely different than the smaller ones. The big ones are more touristy, but many have amazing properties, excellent views, and well-developed tours. Many have small tasting rooms for their high-end wines, away from the crowds. If there are some in the group who aren't familiar with how wine is made, or who have never been to a vineyard, it can be a lot of fun to include a stop at one of the "big boys". It's been a while since I've been there, but my recollection is that Beringer was particularly good.

3. Remember that many of the vineyards don't have tastings after 4pm. If you are coming from the Bay Area in the morning, it is shocking how quickly the day goes by.

4. Many vineyards do not sell their wine in retail stores, and so the only way to get it is either at a restaurant or at the vineyard. One of the great thing about going to the wine country is the ability to taste wines that simply aren't available here. Also, wines that are available at retail are usually more expensive at the vineyard (I'm sure this isn't always true, but when I lived out there, my rule of thumb was not to buy anything at the vineyard that I could buy in a store.)

5. One of the other great things about visiting the wine country is learning about the different areas: Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino counties, subareas within these, such as the Silverado Trail area, the Russian River Valley, etc. Each area features different varietals. More interestingly, IMO, is that varietals from one area can be completely different from the same varietal in another area. You can really get a sense of this by buying a map, paying attention to where each area is in relation to the others, in relation to the ocean, to valleys, which areas get really hot, which don't, etc.

6. Some tasting rooms are by appointment only. It can be fun to just wander around (by car) and go to places to come across. But if there are specific places you are interested in visiting, be sure to check their hours and drop-in policy. Some vineyards charge a nominal fee for a tasting (and many refund the fee if you buy something).

7. One of my favorite vineyards is Cakebread Cellars (http://www.cakebread.com/tours/tours_tastings.cfm). They do private tastings, which means our group of four people were assigned to a single employee who gave us a short tour of the property, set up a table in one of their wine aging rooms, and gave us a wine-by-wine tasting of many of their offerings. The wine is excellent, but the private tasting was incredibly fun.

Another place to stay is the Calistoga Ranch in Napa. Expensive but amazing service and beautiful as well.

As far as Schramsburg- here was my take- The tour was very good but the crowd was terribly annoying. I asked a question about fermentation and while I got a very good, yet at moments snarky answer, the crowd seemed mad that I had taken 2 seconds away from their tasting. Not like we drank any less.

Thank you for such a wonderful guide to Napa!

I will definitely second the recommendation for Calistoga Ranch. We were there in October and I would love to go back.

http://www.calistogaranch.com/home.htm

I will also second the recommendation for Cakebread. Because we were with a small group, after we did the winery tour our host lead us to a small, private patio where they had wood-fired ovens. The host continued pouring samples for us while the chefs cooked up some wonderful appetizer size pizzas. Next we were lead to an area in a small grove of olive trees and were served a 3 course lunch. It was a gorgeous fall afternoon and just so beautiful.

Another of our favorite wineries was Kathryn Hall in Rutherford. Her wine caves and tasting room are absolutely gorgeous and we ended up having some of her Merlot and Cabernet shipped to us.

http://www.hallwines.com/site/hall-rutherford

Kwe730 wrote:Another of our favorite wineries was Kathryn Hall in Rutherford. Her wine caves and tasting room are absolutely gorgeous and we ended up having some of her Merlot and Cabernet shipped to us.

http://www.hallwines.com/site/hall-rutherford

Thanks for this recommendation. I actually have some of her wine in my cellar, though I haven't tried any of it yet.

Great to see there have been *many*replies already with many additional suggestions! That is what we hoped would happen as this has been a ongoing collaboration with a living document that is amended/updated with each trip.
I feel badly because I left out Cakebread. We visited in July 2007 and had a nice tour and tasting - but I must have not saved that update to the guide - my bad! Our guide was quite knowledgeable and engaging and also led us to the firepit area for additional pours. Cakebread was Mrs. Davooda's fave Sauvignon Blanc before we went to Spottswoode. I think Spottswoode nails the California flavor profile to a tee - and can understand how those who prefer New Zealand or South African SavBlancs could be underwhelmed but it. Though it is now the Davooda family fave, at $35/bottle the Spottwsoode is something we have to save for special occasions. Honig is a close second.
I also didn't intentionally diss the big wineries - it's just that we wanted to try the smaller ones first because our friends told us the experience was more personal and less commercial. Honig is a perfect example; we arrived :20 early for a tasting (their first scheduled of the day) to find the staff in a meeting. They broke it up when we arrived and Michael Honig introduced himself to us and began to pour and talk. I got his business card and we have exchanged emails several times. He has agreed to speak to my Rotary Club the next time he finds himself in central Illinois (probably 2009).
Thanks for sharing guys - keep it coming!
Davooda

I think that Duckhorn Vineyards in St. Helena is worth checking out if you're in the area. I'm quite a fan of their Merlots (good body, and just the right amount of balance for my palate), and I find myself inexplicably attracted to the aesthetics of the estate.

To digress a bit, I've heard that it's *possible* to obtain Spottswoode wines from the Uncork It wine store opposite Fox & Obel. I asked about it sometime last year, and was told by their wine manager that they have gotten it in, but vineyard yields have been poor and thus no shipments have been received recently... haven't checked back since.

Darren...FYI the Cab and Merlot that we got from Hall were both '04. Thank you for the additional great tips about visiting Napa. I think your point about not buying wine at the vineyards that you know you can find at home especially valuable. We're big fans of Far Niente, but since we didn't taste anything that we couldn't get here, we didn't order anything they were offering.

I also liked your other point about not neglecting the big wineries. The first time we went to Napa was about 17 years ago, it was suggested that we visit Mondavi. They gave a very educational tour and we came away feeling that we had gained some practical knowledge. Our host also tried to de-snobbify any notions we may have had about wine and to be comfortable drinking what we like as opposed to what Robert Parker (or whoever) tells us to.

Puppy - when we were last at Spottswoode the tour guide informed us of the limited availability outside their mailing list so I took that as gospel. Perhaps she was trying to steer us toward joining the list/club

jpschust - I am sorry to hear about your less than positive Schramsberg tour. A couple images I will never forget 1)those bottles stacked 12-feet high, 20-feet wide and 90-feet deep in one of the lateral tunnels and 2) the HUGE oval-shaped oak barrels with all the intricate Schramsberg carving that were something like 150 years old. And the wine is pretty good too!

I would also like to add that Mrs. Davooda and I found a nice shaded spot on the crossroad near Opus One where we "tailgated" under the oaks for lunch one day while enjoying a recently purchased bottle of Staglin. I saw numerous others doing the same thing here and there. I know we were risking contact with the local gendarmerie, but it was refreshing to be able to enjoy such an impromptu al fresco feast.

We can't wait to go back, and thanks for the tips on the wineries not mentioned in the guide - there are many we have yet to visit!

Davooda

I wouldn't say it wasn't a good tour, just the people on the tour kind of sucked and that one answer was less than pleasant, but that said, I'm not there to hear snark, I'm there primarily to taste your wine and get a feel for how you produce.

Another place I'd suggest is Corison- Cathy makes great wines that are the hallmarks of CA Cab production.

Davooda wrote:jpschust - I am sorry to hear about your less than positive Schramsberg tour. A couple images I will never forget 1)those bottles stacked 12-feet high, 20-feet wide and 90-feet deep in one of the lateral tunnels and 2) the HUGE oval-shaped oak barrels with all the intricate Schramsberg carving that were something like 150 years old. And the wine is pretty good too!

This bit about the wine "wall" sparked my memory about my own tour of Schramsberg. Someone said to the guide that she tends to get a headache when she drinks Champagne. The guide replied that many cheap champagne tends to have more sugar (and possibly other aspects that I don't remember) and this contributes to headaches. She went on to say that it is important not to drink to much at one time. The crowd laughed and someone yelled out "So you're calling her a cheap lush!". It was very funny.

sulfites + high sugar = headache for a lot of folks. it's a constant complaint amongst the european folks- that americans like their wines too high in alcohol content and it ruins the wine

Bistro Don Giovanni needs to be added to the restaurant list. Great Cal Italian cooking, much of it in a wood burning stove, and moderate prices.

Bouchon bakery is wonderful for an inexpensive breakfast alternative.

Add Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena (they also manage Mustard's Grill and Go Fish).

Our company had a strategy meeting at our west coast office, and lunched there as part of a team-bonding/wine-tasting day (yeah, yeah, but the rest of the week was 11-hour days followed my more biz talk at night -- and the wine tasting was merely Beringer).

Cindy's was chosen partly for their ability to take a table for 25, but we were certainly not disappointed with the set menu they gave us. Greaty crusty bread (sourdough, iirc) started the table. I started with the salad, glazed pecans and pears, quite nicely dressed. Others with the seafood soup (calamari, fish, tomato broth) were quite happy too. Of the three entrees I picked the winner: Meatloaf with a horseradish BBQ sauce. Nicely spicy, with mashers and some greens (kale?) -- a huge portion for lunch. The coq a vin was enjoyed, but the fish dish was deemed bland.

Desserts were an apple crisp (granola topped, meh), and a Campfire Pie (think smores, quite enjoyable).

Other items on the menu look very interesting, but probably too exciting for someone picking out a corporate menu: Rabbit tostadas, curried chicken salad, mushroom tamales, chinatown duck burger... I'd try it again if I'm in the neighborhood.

We loved Napa when we were there in 97?

I'll have to hook up where we stayed but it was a lovely B&B a mile or so off the main road in St. Helena.

Our most outstanding meals were at TraVigne and at the tapas bar at the CIA.

We loved touring Kornell champagnes

Rutherford Hill had amazing caves that went back into the hillsides, not to mention awesome wines.

Also great wines at Kunde

will check my files and edit this post

Last January I was out in Nappa and had a really great time.

We were only there 2 full days, so we didn't see a lot but I'll add the places we did see. We stayed in Calistoga.

Wineries:

Vincent Arroyo. A very small winery outside of Calistoga. Very personal tour (3 people). As someone who doesn't know much about wine, I was able to learn a lot. The wines we sampled were excellent also They also had their dogs out and about, any place that loves dogs and lets me pet theirs, gets bonus point.

http://www.vincentarroyo.com/

V Sattui. This place was much bigger than Vincent Arroyo, and a lot more people were there. They had a ton of wines to sample at the tasting bar and the Italian Deli attached to the tasting bar had some really good food. We had a nice little picnic on the grounds, which are lovely. Didn't take a tour, just walked around.

http://www.vsattui.com/


Lodging:

Washington Street Loding. The lady who owns this place was really nice and the off season rates are excellent. It is not a 4 star place, but it is comfy and homey. We enjoyed relaxing here and it was a block fom the main street in Calistoga. We would go back.

http://www.washingtonstreetlodging.com/

Food:

Busters BBQ. This is how a BBQ place should look, no indoor seating, just a big smoker going in the parking lot area and a shack like place to sellt he food out of, with a covered outdoor eating area. I thought the BBQ was excellent and the portions were huge. The "sandwiches" were just as big as the dinner servings, you just get one less side. I'm not even sure there was bread on top.

http://www.busterssouthernbbq.com/index.html

The other places we ate in Calistoga were ok, but apparently not good enough to remember the names.

Since our trip I have learned a lot more about the area and the restaurants available. Next time we are out there we will be hitting up some of the better places.

Thanks so much for starting this thread, Davooda, and posting all the information. I'm headed to SF in August and will use the stuff in this thread to plan a free couple of days in the Napa Valley.

I was just in Napa Valley several weeks ago, and am frequent visitor. To add to this list of places to go, I'd offer:

Angele-- an excellent French restaurant in downtown Napa that is very small with fantastic food and a killer winelist. Many of the bottles on their list, naturally, are from area wineries that we do not get here.

Also, in terms of winery tours, do not miss what is simply known as "The Castle Winery" located in Calistoga. It is owned by V. Sattui and just opened in April after 13 years of construction! It is a 107 room caslte that was built by Sattui as part of his dream (although I will say the moat is not impressive). The $10 entry fee gets you full access to the grounds and to wander through the many rooms, plus a tasting of five wines. On the day we were there, they were not busy and we learned so much. These wines are only sold at the winery, so this was a find. They produce a relatively small amount--only 8,000 bottles--and each wine I tasted was delicious. The official name of this winery is Castell di Amorosa. I plan to return. Even if you are not a wine enthusist the grounds are beautiful and the architecture and access you have to the various rooms is well worth the price of admission.

For a good lunch either before or after you hit the wineries, I'd suggest Silverado Brewing Company. Their mussels in ale are killer, and so are their sandwiches. It's definitely a pub that draws on locals, but I've had great meals as pubs go each time I've been.

Angele
540 Main Street
Napa, CA 94558

Castell di Amorosa
Highway 29
Calistoga, CA

Silverado Brewing Company
3020 St. Helena Hwy
St. Helena, CA 94574

I'm going to Napa for 3 nights for part of my honeymoon at the end of May. These are great suggestions that are much appreciated. We're probably going to Sonoma for a day, as well. Any similar advice on Sonoma? We're big fans of Zins and Syrahs. Thanks in advance.

tmccarthy wrote:I'm going to Napa for 3 nights for part of my honeymoon at the end of May. These are great suggestions that are much appreciated. We're probably going to Sonoma for a day, as well. Any similar advice on Sonoma? We're big fans of Zins and Syrahs. Thanks in advance.

Honeymoon at Calistoga Ranch if you can swing it- it's far and away one of the most beautiful places I've ever stayed including many of the Peninsula hotels.

tmccarthy wrote: We're probably going to Sonoma for a day, as well. Any similar advice on Sonoma? We're big fans of Zins and Syrahs. Thanks in advance.

I was lucky enough to be in Sonoma last summer with the Wivs. We stayed at the Vintage Inn and it was lovely. Great, central location. For a splurge, the Mars Hotel looks great, as well as the Healdsburg Hotel.

Dry Creek Kitchen, located in the Healdsburg Hotel, is Charlie Palmer's place and it would be my number 1 choice for dinner. Cyrus is wonderful for a splurge. Willi's Wine Bar, 5 minutes from the Vintage Inn, is a great restaurant to go order a ton of little dishes. Zazu & Girl and the Fig are also worth a trip. A great place for lunch is Bovolo, a small place in the back of a store on the Healdsburg plaza. The cure their own salumis and have other delicious items.

Martinelli is a must. The winemaker is Helen Turley, and the property is adjacent to her Marcassin vineyard. Prices are much less and the only way to buy wines are at the winery, if they are in stock. Rafanelli has terrific Zins, but you need to make an appointment. I also like Rochioli.

OK, here's one of the more arcane suggestions you'll get, but it's based upon wonderful visits to this place when I was in grad skule at Davis, and, from what I hear, this place, little-known but to the afficianados at the enology dept at UCD, is still fun.

Cadenasso Winery

4144 Abernathy Rd.
Suisun City, CA 94585
United States

Phone (707) 427-3345

Drive south on 12 till you hit I-80 East. Go east and take the Hwy-12 East exit. Double back a block or two under the freeway, and start looking for Cadenasso's place. The winery is in his barn. The wine profs at UCD lived for his grignolino (can you believe that?), and his chenin blanc is who knows what, but it's wonderful.

Authentic, real, small, what else can I say?

Report back... pls!

Geo

tmccarthy...I TOTALLY agree on Calistoga Ranch for a honeymoon spot. I believe I posted a link to their web site, so if you haven't already, do check that out. Instead of staying in rooms in a single building, everyone stays in individual "lodges" which are very spacious and beautifully decorated. The bathrooms are gorgeous, but you also have a separate and very private enclosed area off the bathroom with an outdoor shower. The way the property is run really helps get you away from the hustle and bustle of what's going on in Napa. They really strive for an atmosphere of peace and relaxation.

Kwe730 wrote:tmccarthy...I TOTALLY agree on Calistoga Ranch for a honeymoon spot. I believe I posted a link to their web site, so if you haven't already, do check that out. Instead of staying in rooms in a single building, everyone stays in individual "lodges" which are very spacious and beautifully decorated. The bathrooms are gorgeous, but you also have a separate and very private enclosed area off the bathroom with an outdoor shower. The way the property is run really helps get you away from the hustle and bustle of what's going on in Napa. They really strive for an atmosphere of peace and relaxation.

Funny what you mention about bathrooms. As we figure out where we're going to be after our lease is up (whether we'll be buying in the Chicago area or holding off for a few years) we have already decided we want to model our master bath off the design of those at Calistoga Ranch.

We were fortunate enough to have a unit with a detached living room where we spent new years with a few too many splits of wine. One of my favorite new years of all time by far.

jpschust...We had the same sort of place. I forgot to mention that indoor/outdoor fireplace. That was pretty darn amazing, was it not? Btw, I catch your drift there.

Thanks for all the great tips. Unfortunately the Calistoga Ranch won't happen because we already have a time share deal in Napa that we're going to use. Between this thread and the San Franciso thread I've found some restaurants and wineries that I can't wait to try. Brix, Mustard's, Gary Danko, Dry Creek Kitchen, Chez Panisse Cafe, Rutherford Grill, Swan Oyster Depot, etc, etc. It's going to be great.

FYI folks - I just received my latest Travel and Leisure and apparently there is a new market in downtown Napa.

http://www.oxbowpublicmarket.com/

From the website, it appears that one could procure all the goodies needed for a nice picnic, so I thought I would share a new alternative to Oakville Grocery and Dean & Deluca.

Oxbow Public Market
610 First St
Napa, CA
707-963-1345

Cheers,
Davooda

Napa - 9/21-9/24

Just returned from a fan-fan-fan-tastic trip to Napa and Sonoma (I’ll post about Sonoma separately). Tasting wine all day and eating well at night? This was a trip that was right in my wheelhouse. Below are some photos and my impressions of the various wineries I visited. (Note: I’ll be adhering to the Davooda star rating scale in my reviews.)

September 21

Reverie on Diamond Mountain – http://www.reveriewine.com
1520 Diamond Mountain Road, Calistoga, CA 94515
(707) 942-6800

Went straight from the airport to try the red-heavy Reverie in Calistoga. This is off the beaten path and to get to the winery, you’ll turn off onto one of the secluded roads leading up the mountains. It is a small vineyard, about 60 acres, and was purchased in the ‘90s by a Jersey expat. This was a fun tasting; you hike around the property and taste under the redwoods. Reservations are required, but we got a very personal tour as a result. One uniquity about Reverie is that they produce a 100% petit verdot that we were able to try. Now, I don’t suggest you buy this musty, heavy wine, but it’s fun to taste this grape alone, which is used to blend and balance out most cabernet sauvignons. They make some really quality red wines. Purchasing/Tasting notes: If you believe them, the even-numbered years will produce more intensely flavored wines. I tried the newly-released 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and preferred the 2006 Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. -- 5 stars




Reverie’s “tasting room” under the redwoods

Clos Pegase -- http://www.clospegase.com/
1060 Dunaweal Lane, Calistoga, CA 94515
(707) 942-4981

Clos Pegase is an estate winery, so all wines are made from grapes grown on the grounds. In terms of appearance, the winery adheres a bit too much to that faux-Tuscan look, but I thought the wines were quite good. I especially enjoyed the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. -- 3 stars


Clos Pegase Estate Vineyards


Courtyard leading to tasting room

Sterling Vineyards -- http://www.sterlingvineyards.com/home.aspx
1111 Dunaweal Lane, Calistoga, CA 94515
(800) 726-6136

Hands down, the most corporate winery I visited. It is right down the street from Clos Pegase, which is why I visited. That, and the tram that suckered me through the gates. It’s an expensive-ish tasting, but there are coupons on-line that provide for $5 off, provided you visit before 12:30 (which I did not). The tour is self-guided, which shows me how little they really desire that I focus on the wine. Instead, the visit is purely about the (1) the tram up the mountain; and (2) the view from the mountain, respectively. Tasting room is all faux Alpine, what with the huge Teutonic fireplace. Oddly, I noticed that every single St. Pauli girl working the tasting room at Sterling was a scantily clad, heavily makeup’d women of d’un certain age. Strange. Tasting Notes: Not my type of wine. Mass produced; a pharmacy/grocery store wine. Severely oaky Chardonnay. (At the Chardonnay tasting station, I smelled the oak, took one sip out of politeness and dumped. My companion smelled the oak and dumped.) -- 2 stars (one for the tram, and the other for the view)

Welcome to Euro Disney . . . er . . .Sterling Vineyards!



Just as I reached the top of the mountain, church bells rang, as if they were summoning the monks to prayer. As I turned the corner, I realized that was indeed the case, as evidenced by St. Dunstan‘s Room; St. Dunstan, of course, being the patron saint of Oaky Chards.



Anyhow, these huge vats should give you a sense for what this winery’s focus is:





And, as if to discourage you from visiting their tasting room, they placed it at the top of these stairs:


And these stairs:


But, the view from the top is stunning:



Accommodations for September 21 & 22

Chelsea Garden Inn http://www.chelseagardeninn.com/: Located on a side street in Calistoga. Very comfortable B&B with a lovely grounds and gardens. A little chintzy for my decorating style, but it was immaculately clean and maintained. Very lovely and private in-ground pool. Personable, knowledgeable owners (and former Chicagoans, natch) who love food. I was visiting Napa with a friend, so the two bedroom “Palm Suite” suited us perfectly. Half-sized refrigerator convenient for storing food and wine. Excellent WI-FI.

Dinner in Calistoga

Calistoga Inn Restaurant & Brewery

As it was my first night and I had been up since 4:30 am, I didn’t want to stray too far from my hotel for dinner. (The downside to Napa is the amount of driving that can be done.) Upon the recommendation of the pourer at Clos Pegase and my hotelier, we dined at Calistoga Inn Restaurant and Brewery, which, I was told, is where the locals dine in that area. Calistoga Inn is a real inn and a real brewing company. I didn’t try the beer, but the food was quite good – nothing earth-shattering—and it certainly doesn’t reach for the more explosive touristy, high-end experience that a lot of the Rutherford or Yountville restaurants aim for. I could see why the locals like this place; that, and its verdant, low key garden and service, as well as the live music they put on nightly.


Shrimp Martini a la Mexicana

To start, my friend had the “Shrimp Martini a la Mexicana,” which is basically a grilled shrimp cocktail. She liked the flavors, but thought the shrimp could have been prepared better.


Chicken Abruzzi

The "Chicken Abruzzi" was a semi-boned, roasted half chicken with kalamata and picholine olives, rosemary, tomato, pan sauce and soft polenta. While the chicken had been marinated and was very tender, it could have used a crispier skin. The pan sauce, a balanced sauce that was richer than it looked with a good hit of lemon, was a delicious accompaniment, and the “soft polenta” was soft and fluffly indeed with just enough butter to make it feel decadent, but not so much it overwhelmed the cornmeal. Although I was disappointed to see the ubiquitous asparagus accompaniment, I was encouraged to see that the kitchen at least took the care to toast the corn. The whole roasted garlic cloves also added to the dish. Overall, a flavorful, satisfying and well-executed dish and, between the well-executed sauce and unexpected touches like two types of olives as well as roasted garlic, showed that the kitchen put some thought and preparation into their dishes.


Country Paella

The “Country Paella” was not so much a paella in that as perhaps a risotto with seafood in it. My friend had the same complaint about the shrimp preparation in this dish as she did the shrimp cocktail, but otherwise liked the flavors.

I wouldn’t make the Calistoga Inn a destination unless you were actually staying in sleepy Calistoga. But if you do find yourself in the area, it offers a nice change of pace from the big touristy places.

September 22

This day started with a crack-of-dawn balloon ride, which terminated on the grounds of Envy vineyard. In short, my wine tasting this day commenced at about 9:30 am and ended at about 5:15 on the dot, when we closed Freemark Abbey. An exhausting, but fun day.

Envy Wines Estate Winery -- http://www.envywines.com/
1170 Tubbs Lane, Calistoga
(707) 907-4670

Envy is a joint venture between winemakers Nils Venge and Mark Carter of Carter Cellars. Mark Carter was pouring wines when we were there that morning. This place would have been totally off my radar had the balloon not landed there. It is a very small operation; the cellar is small and while we were there, two guys were crushing tempranillo grapes that were being funneled into one of about 2 or 3 fermenting tanks. Because it was so small, this winery was fun to visit and the people there are extremely friendly and happy to see you. Tasting Notes: Perhaps because this was such a surprise, I actually enjoyed the wines; in particular, a very strong Merlot from Carter Cellars was notable, as well as the Sauvignon Blanc. (Reservations not required.) – 3 stars


Envy’s tasting room


Envy’s cellar


Tempranillo grapes getting crushed at Envy

Vincent Arroyo Winery - http://www.vincentarroyo.com/
2361 Greenwood Ave., Calistoga
(707) 942-6995

I enjoyed Vincent Arroyo a lot. We reserved ahead and took a tour with the winemaker, who led a small group of 4 around the winery, which is not that big at all at 89 acres. Vincent is a former engineer but has been a winemaker now for many years. He was there and we chatted with him during the tasting. The winemaker, at first, was a little blowhardy and white-towerish in his spiel-making, but once he figured out that you liked wine, he climbed off the tower and spent a lot of time conversing with us about the various wines at Arroyo and wine in general. There was probably a little bit more of a sales push here than at other places; but I liked their wine a lot. Tasting notes: I enjoyed their big, dry farmed petite syrah and the Rattlesnake Estate Petite Syrah in particular. The port was nice as well. Really not a dud in the bunch of approximately 7 or 8 wines we tasted. (Reservations required.) – 4 stars


Petite Syrah grapes harvested at Vincent Arroyo

Chateau Montelena -- http://www.montelena.com/
1429 Tubbs Lane, Calistoga
(707) 942-5105

Chateau Montelena (a contraction of Mount Saint Helena) arguably put Napa on the map for wine. For those of you who don’t know, Chateau Montelena’s Chardonnay was the winner of the 1973 “Judgment of Paris” blind tasting. (See story here.) If you didn’t know that before you went into the tasting room, they will tell you there. In fact, while I was tasting I heard that 1973 contest mentioned no fewer than 16 times by the pourers. This is a place that feels like, in some respects, it’s riding on a reputation; this is also evidenced by the fact that they actually allow you to taste their $150 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon as part of the tasting. The grounds and estate are beautiful. The pourers were friendly and generally unpretentious – I hear that’s a new thing. Tasting notes: The rest of the wines were generally forgettable (including the Chardonnay), but the signature Cab was quite good. Go there once to say you’ve been. (No reservations required.) -- 2 stars


Jade Lake, adjacent to tasting room at Chateau Montelena


Entrance to tasting room at Chateau Montelena

Schramsberg – http://www.schramsberg.com/
1400 Schramsberg Road, Calistoga (sharp right off Petersen)
(800) 877-3623

This was my absolute favorite tour and tasting of my entire vacation. The drive up the winding road past ravines and woods deceives you into thinking that the prestigious Schramsberg sparkling wine house cannot be located in such a low-key, secluded location. In fact, as you approach, you pass a cute but somewhat modest house on the left with “Slow: Children at play” signs posted nearby. I later learned that is where the founders’ son and current Schramsberg president, Hugh Davies, lives with his wife and three sons, right on the property. His mom, Jamie, co-founder of Schramsberg in the ‘60s, passed away just last year and resided in the grand old house adjacent to the winery which dates back to the late 1800s and the original owner of the property, Jacob Schram.

For me, the tour struck the right balance between being informative and personal. I feel like the Davies and Schramsberg is the stuff that [my] dreams are made of. In short, Napa actually had a wine heyday in the late 1800s through Prohibition when the heyday came to an abrupt end. But, that initial heyday was started in part by Jacob Schram, the original owner of the Schramsberg property, the Beringer Brothers and Charles Krug, who were all good friends and colleagues, and incidentally, German. For some reason, the wine industry lay dormant through the ‘60s when people like the Davies (who migrated from Los Angeles) came up to Napa and started purchasing properties for the purpose of establishing or re-establishing the old vineyards. In the case of the Davies, if you believe the Schramsberg schtick, they stumbled on the Schram property, which was in serious disrepair and was no longer growing grapes, but like almost anyone else who has two seeing eyes, saw the picturesque, mountainside property and the original great house, and saw the potential that was there. (I couldn’t get out of the tour guide how much they paid for the property; my sense is that it wasn’t cheap, but was still a good deal.) So, the story goes that, the Davies not only wanted to make wine, but wanted to fill a niche by making sparkling wine, which nobody else in Napa was making at the time, knew nothing about making wine, but were very intrepid and quick studies on the Méthode Champenoise. Add in the great luck to have a California president be elected to office shortly thereafter (Nixon), Schramsberg sparkling wine gets served at 1972 Toast to Peace in Beijing, and is the first American sparkling to be served in the White House, and the rest is history.

Anyhow, this was an easy sell for me because I already loved Schramsberg sparkling wine before this visit. But I loved touring their cellars (which are HUGE) and hearing about Ramon, the riddler, who hand cranks every single bottle of Schramsberg sparkling, which is under intense pressure at this point, in order to ease the yeast out of the bottle. There’s also a good story about the old Jacob Schram barrels.


Cellar at Schramsberg


“Live” bottles cellared at Schramsberg

Moving on to the beautifully appointed tasting room at the end, you taste four sparklers and one red wine. All excellent. I’m thinking about joining their wine club. I ♥ Schramsberg.


Wine tasting at Schramsberg

(Incidentally, with all their high-falutin’ cellared wines at The French Laundry, Schramsberg’s Blanc de Blancs was what they offered to pour for us as we were waiting for our table there.) -- 5 stars

Freemark Abbey -- http://www.freemarkabbey.com/
3022 St. Helena Highway North, St. Helena
(800) 963-9698

With a parking lot shared with other businesses right off the main highway, Freemark Abbey, despite its tranquil-sounding name, feels like it’s in a strip mall. There may be tours, but I just went in for the tasting. We were the only ones there. The tasting room is perfunctory, the adjacent, but tucked-away Abbey is picturesque, but they are making some damn fine wines. It’s cool that FA was built and operated by Napa’s first female winemaker, Josephine Marlin Tychson. Tasting notes: I liked their complex Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. We had fun chatting with the pourer; he’s a cool dude. (Reservations not required.) -- 3 ½ stars


The “Abbey” at Freemark Abbey

aschie - we have been members of Schramsberg's Cellar Club since before our 2006 visit (I wanted to leverage the free deluxe tasting and it was worth it!) and we feel it's the best value of any in which we had enrolled. We have left several since then, but keep with Schramsberg because they don't insist on sending you too much, they send a nice variety, and shipping is either free or (more likely) included in the price with the wines discounted to make it up. It is always at least the same price as I can buy the wine locally or slightly cheaper.

Also - I received an email from Schramsberg's marketing manager this past week indicating the winery is using temperature controlled trucks to "get their wines from CA to the UPS hub nearest you" so as to permit more timely deliveries in the hot summer months. They say there will be no extra cost for this.

Love the reports and photos! Reverie looks like a "must-do" when we return to Napa.

Cheers,
Davooda