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Napa Valley
Carneros, Napa, Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, Calistoga
Best Culinary Excursions
Nestled along the banks of the Napa River in downtown Napa, Copia is a cultural center, museum, and food and wine haven for both visitors and tourists alike. During a recent visit, Copia played host to wineries of the Napa Valley, where my husband and I were treated to the best fruits of the valley. The center hosts weekend festivals; houses the fine dining venue, Julia’s Kitchen (a homage to Julia Child); and is open daily (except Tuesday) for culinary art exhibits and a variety of food and wine tastings. Further north in St. Helena, you’ll find the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus. The beautiful stone building, overlooking the colorful Napa valley vineyards, is home to the culinary school, which also offers cooking demos to the public. Set just above the valley, the solar-powered, 650-acre Long Meadow Ranch produces some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon in the valley, as well as two organic olive oils loved by America’s top chefs, grass-fed beef, and heirloom fruits and vegetables. If you’re unable to visit the ranch, most of their products are available online. Contact Copia, (707) 259-1600, www.copia.org; CIA-Greystone, (707) 967-1010, www.ciachef.edu/greystone; Long Meadow Ranch, (707) 963-4555, www.longmeadowranch.com
Best Place to Escape from it All
Napa Valley’s newest luxury resort, Calistoga Ranch located just up the road from its sister property, Auberge du Soleil, provides a secluded haven for those seeking wilderness and luxury all rolled into one. Their “suites” are more like lavish flats, with luxurious indoor and outdoor living areas, an outdoor shower, and a beautiful cedar deck from which to breathe in the fresh air. The Bathhouse offers local Calistoga specialties like the Calistoga Ranch Mud Wrap, an extravagant combination that includes eucalyptus mud to detox and a bay laurel massage to boost immunity and relieve aches and pains. The spa also boasts its own thermal mineral water soaking pool for relaxing and taking in the lush, wooded landscape. Private two-bedroom owner lodges are also available for those who wish to make the Ranch a true home away from home. Contact (707) 254-2820 or visit www.calistogaranch.com
Best Spa & Golf Getaway
Golfers will be delighted by both the courses and the post-golf treatments at Silverado Resort. The never-ending 1,200 acre property features private cottages that overlook either the gardens, the Southern plantation-style mansion, or (for the real golf fanatic) one of the two 18-hole Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed courses. After a round, visit the Roman-style spa for some serious relaxation. The spa offers both Western therapies (like the Golfer’s massage, which utilizes deep tissue techniques) and Eastern therapies. For something different, try the healing Tui-Na massage, a Chinese therapy that incorporates vigorous massage techniques, acupuncture, and stretching to move Qi (your vital energy). Replenish at the newly opened Grill at Silverado, which offers a unique Asian-inspired twist on traditional Wine Country fare. Contact (707) 257-2867 or visit www.silveradoresort.com
Best Bites
In the southern part of the Napa Valley, you’ll find cooler weather and less crowded (although still popular) tasting rooms. Before going wine tasting, have brunch at the Boon Fly Café located down the hill from the Carneros Inn. The brunch menu includes the popular Boon Fly donuts and a cuppa joe as well as heavier breakfast entrees like the Boon Fly flambe breakfast pizza with two baked eggs, bacon, caramelized onions, and fromage blanc. There are so many fabulous, world-renowned restaurants in the Napa Valley that it is almost as difficult deciding where to dine as it is to taste. The French Laundry, a Yountville icon owned by celebrated chef Thomas Keller, promises to delight, especially after your two-month wait for a table. (Yes, call way ahead.) Keller, who has frequently been named the top chef in America, makes use of local purveyors for everything from cheese and figs to snails. Try the vegetable menu, which features Red Wine Poached Sierra Bounty Apples, with a “fondue” of Belgian endive, red beet essence, and “Huille de Noix.” Always exploring new tastes and combinations, a meal at Thomas Keller’s French Laundry is one you’ll never forget. Pilar, owned by husband and wife team Didier Lenders and Pilar Sanchez, offers an intimate Napa dining experience. Once inside the celery green restaurant, you’ll feel at home feasting on their unique Spanish and French-influenced California cuisine. If you manage to save room for dessert, try the hazelnut ice cream crepes with chocolate sauce and toasted hazelnuts—an indulgent way to end an exquisite day in Napa. Contact Boon Fly Cafe, (707) 299-4900, www.thecarnerosinn.com; The French Laundry, (707) 944-2380, www.frenchlaundry.com; Pilar, (707) 252-4474, www.pilarnapa.com
Best Suite
Located in quiet Carneros, the southern point of the Napa Valley, is the modern Carneros Inn. As you drive up to the hilltop entry, you’ll get a glimpse as to why the owners chose this location for their property. The vineyard views and rolling hills are enough to make anyone sigh in relief as if they’ve finally arrived at their own personal oasis. The suites are actually little row houses with corrugated tin roofs and shady front porches that offer Adirondack chairs, making the area seem more like a quaint neighborhood than a lavish hotel. Inside you’ll find hardwood floors with radiant heat, deep, brown leather armchairs, and a bathroom you could spend an afternoon in (alternating from the deep soaking tub and the indoor and outdoor shower, which pummels you with a pizza pie-sized showerhead). After settling in to your room, head to the spa for the Royal Thai Massage or to the hot tub for two, which offers perhaps the best views in all of Napa Valley. Contact (707) 299-4900 or visit www.thecarnerosinn.com
Best Couples Treatment
Frequently named the most romantic retreat in the Napa Valley, it should come as no surprise that the most sensual spa treatment can also be found at Auberge Du Soleil’s Spa Du Soleil in Rutherford. Spend the afternoon in the Melisse Suite, where you’ll relax next to a warm fireplace while gazing at the wineries dotting the landscape below. The Auberge massage, which utilizes firm massage techniques, lulled me to a state of blissful relaxation. Afterward, refresh with a glass of sparkling wine and a cheese and fruit platter from their chef. Soak in your private hot pool, located on the deck outside, breathe in the fresh air, and revel in the solitude. Contact (866) 228-2490 or visit www.aubergedusoleil.com
Organic and Sustainable Vineyards
The sustainable wine business is slowly blossoming into a worldwide trend. In the Napa and Sonoma valley’s you’ll find several winemakers that are proving you can produce environmentally friendly wines with great flavor. To help you navigate the natural vineyards here are a few essential terms to know:
• Organically grown wines are made without the use of synthetic or chemical pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or fertilizers but may contain sulfites.
• Organic wines must be grown and produced organically and no sulfites can be added during processing.
• Biodynamically grown wines are produced with a special emphasis placed on the soil. Biodynamic agriculture employs such practices as using homeopathic sprays and harvesting according to the moon and planetary cycles; wines are produced in a holistic fashion. While most biodynamic wines are organic, there are some that use sulfites.
Organically grown:
Bonterra, Ukiah, www.bonterra.com, (415) 444-7410
Fetzer, Hopland, www.fetzer.com
Frog’s Leap, Rutherford, www.frogsleap.com, (800) 959-4704
Robert Sinskey, Napa, www.robertsinskey.com, (800) 869-2030
Staglin Family, Rutherford, www.staglinfamily.com, (707) 944-0477
Yorkville Cellars, Mendocino, www.yorkville-cellars.com, (707) 894-9177
Organic:
Coturri, Glen Ellen, www.coturriwinery.com, (866) 268-8774
La Rocca, Forest Ranch, www.larocca.com, (530) 899-9463
Biodynamic:
Frey, Redwood Valley, www.freywine.com, (707) 485-5177
July/August 2005
