The late summer/early fall 2023 wine harvest began slightly later this year due to rainy, cooler conditions in the late winter and spring – but we are now officially “in season.” This means an abundance of wine tasting, events up and down “the Valley” and unique “hands-on” tours, like grape-picking and grape-stomping. (Years ago in France, I was within inches of my toes of stepping and stomping in a mushy vat, but for some unfathomable reason chickened out at the last minute and have forever regretted it…)
In anticipation, we girlfriends started our own wine touring earlier in the summer, when the Napa days dawned with chilly fog and arced with crushing heat by afternoon. Even among the wide umbrellas, tall redwoods and shade-lending sycamores in vintners’ tasting gardens, wide-brimmed hats were definitely a good idea.
How to Make the Most of the Wine Harvest
If you are fortunate enough to vacation in a place where a girlfriend has inside connections, by all means use them and don’t think twice about it! Gone are the days of $5 tastings – now $50-$75 for an individual flight of wines is more like it. Napa is endlessly bountiful because it enjoys a warm, dry Mediterranean climate, with daily swings from coolest to warmest, which the grapes like. And, there are more than 100 soil variations in the geologically diverse region, its “terroir” providing more than 40 grape varieties and, thus, many options for wines.
Although Wine Country exudes promotion, the culture is also cloaked in hospitality, and with that discounts (or favors) abound, if you know how to access them. Napa and Sonoma residents typically have several different wine club memberships to take advantage of newly released wines and year-round events. Even if you don’t live there, it’s prudent to join at least one or two wine clubs (membership usually is free) – you drink much better wine at home and you can take advantage of the benefits when you’re in Wine Country.
- One quick tip is to become a wine club member in advance of your tasting visit, or during it, to reap the reduced price benefits (perhaps on a few bottles or case of wine to send back home) before you walk out the door. (Or invite friends who are wine club members to schedule and escort you.)
- Less-advertised wineries are another fascinating itinerary as the experience often is more personalized, and if you hit it right, comes with a tour of the vineyards or other insiders’ glimpses. Over the years I’ve consulted Back Lane Wineries of Napa, which focuses on wineries producing under 10,000 cases a year (versus the 35,000 cases and up of the major wineries). Taking this route is smart in September, when it’s especially busy in Wine Country.
- Cruising the back roads and dropping in serendipitously for tastings is more limited now, and smart to be sure to book ahead or at least check a vineyard’s website or call before making your plans to be sure you have the most up-to-date information. You might even stumble on a special promotion – or a slow day that brings extra features.
What you can expect in a top-rate tasting experience is a tray that starts with a sparkling wine and/or rose (depending on what they produce), then whites and reds, from light to heavier varieties, presented and described by a knowledgeable host server. While the vintner has selected a standard range, be sure to let your server know your preferences. I’ve found most tastings adaptable to my interests – after all, they want you to love the experience and buy wine. It’s smart to eat something before you go; at best, you’ll have nibbles during the tasting, and even what appear to be very small “pours” add up, especially on a hot day.
Preparing for Your Wine Journey
Two of my favorite stops while in Napa are the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone and the CIA at Copia in downtown Napa. While credentials from these organizations are highly prized in professional culinary education, they also offer single and private group classes and a wide assortment of events for the public. Be sure to check out their calendars to see what’s featured when you’re in the area. As the original Christian Brothers winery (sold in 1989), the vintage Greystone location up the Valley takes you back into Napa Valley’s history, with classes, displays and tastings. In downtown Napa to the south, the modern Copia, next to the Oxbow Market (foodie heaven) and the Napa Valley Wine Train depot, is its more contemporary incarnation.
At Copia, where food and wine art and culture meet the public through classes, bootcamps, lectures, dining, art and exhibits, statues of winemaker Robert Mondavi and his wife greet visitors high above the entrance, cheerfully welcoming you with a glass. On our visit (which was spontaneous), everything was closed except the Chuck Williams Culinary Arts Collection, thousands of housewares and cooking gear through history belonging to the Williams Sonoma founder. The extensive display was absolutely absorbing in its extensive detail, taking us back to inventions in culinary history, granny’s kitchen and home ec classes as well as the evolution of contemporary homestyle cookware.
Culinary and Arts Travel in Napa
With excellent wines comes excellent restaurants, compounding to a complete culinary adventure, and coupled with music, arts, shopping, bike trails, mud baths, hot springs and more. My “go-to” places include:
- Mustards Grill – it’s 40th anniversary year. One of Napa Valley’s “founding chefs” is Cindy Pawlcyn. After 40 years, Mustards, one of her restaurants, is still one of “the” places to go. Fantastic food and a more than ample wine list aside, it’s kept it’s character – a fancy, happy roadhouse still delivering on the feel of the original Valley – casual, warm and attentive service. Looking around, I saw a mix of family, date night, girlfriend outings, wealthy Napa entrepreneurs and the middle-class who keep the region going. There will be lines, so book ahead and be on time! 7399 St. Helena Highway, Yountville, CA 94558; 707-944-2424.
- Angele on the downtown Napa River Waterfront – Classic French countryside meets Napa Valley in an indoor-outdoor venue, where you can lounge outside under a canopy on a starry night, then walk steps to the downtown riverwalk, past several eye-catching shops, places to nosh and dine and tasting rooms. When I lived in the area, Angele was our group’s choice for Mother’s Day, birthday parties and date night. Completion of the riverwalk coincided with the city’s extensive flood management project to tame the river from insurgent floods that weren’t good for business, or everyday living.
- Napa Valley Opera House – The historic setting for performing arts in Napa since 1880, the Italianate Napa Valley Opera House has alternately closed down for decades, then been reborn under a new concept. The latest, since new owners purchased the historic landmark in 2021, is visually less appealing to me but certainly animates community life. During the early to mid-2000s, the stage, orchestra and balcony brought top jazz and theater, and the eccentric 1900s cabernet velour seats suggested the turn of the (2oth) century era when the Opera House was as its peak.
- Hotel Archer – the hip Hotel Archer in downtown Napa was a longtime coming, literally through floods, earthquake and fires by the time it finally opened. While I’ve not stayed in the rooms, the roof deck restaurant and lounge is a must stop for a Napa Valley day. The views are great, the menu delightful and comfortable seating makes you want to hang out all afternoon. If it’s Charlie Palmer Steakhouse is anything like Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg (northwest in Sonoma County) where I celebrated another birthday, I’d highly recommend it.
- Napa Valley Wine Train – a decadent throw-back with expensive food and fine wines, but a safe place for grandparents, parents and kids to kick back and party, and, bonus, lovely views of the Valley. The good news is that the vintage Wine Train preserves visually what started in 1864 for today’s customers. You can select different experiences – from the 3-hour lunch journey up and down the Valley to seasonal holiday rides – and it can be tons of fun.
- Oxbow Public Market – you know what’s good when the locals hang out there. This is it. Morning coffee, afternoon pizza and craft beers, the highest quality meats and fish to take home and cook to casual bar and restaurant settings from among the top picks in San Francisco’s North Bay (e,g., Hog Island Oyster, Gott’s Roadside, The Olive Press). If you’re passing through, after taking in the chocolate and cheese vendors, be sure to visit the primo Mexican taco restaurant in the area – C Casa, which started out as a small vendor and now is a full-blown restaurant indoors and out. Their fish taco is not to be missed!
- Stanly Ranch – Auberge Resorts Collection – we look a long walk through the trails of this luxury resort in southern Napa, which has an “eco travel” feel despite its pricey accommodations. The nearby Carneros Resort and Spa is an earlier version of these getaways that are appearing on reclaimed vineyards and farms in the region – with guestrooms, suites, villas, porches in many cases and, my favorite, the (private) outdoor shower. The ambiance rings culinary gardens, seating around outdoor fireplaces, rustic and fine dining menus – in my mind’s eye, Tuscany in Napa. For those of us who are seasoned travelers, these dreamy destinations are their own rewards!
Other resources:
Napa Valley – visitnapavalley.com
Sonoma Valley – sonomamag.com
Sidebar: Across the Mountain to the Kenwood Inn & Spa
Although the focus above is Napa Valley, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Kenwood Inn & Spa, a delightful boutique hotel and peaceful stopover in Sonoma’s “Valley of the Moon.” Situated along State Route 12, which goes from Healdsburg in the north to Glen Ellyn and downtown Sonoma to the south, this is my favorite spot for casual luxury and relaxing pools.
I took the twisting, climbing narrow Oakville Grade Road for the 30-minute drive across the mountain, and at times felt like a hairpin turn might send me down a precipitous slope. It’s also popular with cyclists and, I discovered, Teslas, so you have to keep your wits while also taking in the extraordinary views, thick redwood forests and occasional vineyards.
Napa and Sonoma are filled with wonderful resorts, luxurious beyond imagination, but what I like about the Kenwood Inn as a solo Womantraveler is its smaller scale and quieter voices-l0w atmosphere.
A delicious ample breakfast comes with the booking, and there are several excellent restaurants up and down the road not far away. Built into a hillside of streams and dense shade, the inn overlooks miles of Sonoma vineyards to the east. Thankfully the property was spared in the fires of 2017-2019, but you are reminded of the impacts of climate change in both the destruction and new growth across the highway.
