Recently in Napa Category

by Courtney Cochran

When it comes to inspiration, wine country is about as alluring as it gets.  And so it is that wine country art - especially the kind you can meander amongst, on walking tours - takes on especially vivid expression. Whether it's made or just displayed in this lovely setting, it's more than worth a gander. Please allow us to steer you towards some rewarding walks.  

Napa: West End
Encompassing an approximately 6-block area in this once sleepy wine country seat, Napa's West End is a neighborhood offering arts of various intriguing sorts. From traditional art galleries - First Street's Quent Cordair comes to mind with its substantial collection of romantic realistic works - to tasting room installations to a fully restored, circa-1937 Art Deco theater, the Uptown, Napa's West End offers much to see on a stroll. Chris Isaak and Rusted Root are among the top-notch performances that can be seen at the Uptown, along with its colorful (original!) neon marquee. Or, come Saturday night, stop into Ceja Vineyards' tasting room for a rotating selection of artworks in addition to pours, then dance the night away via the spot's free salsa lessons.  

Need some mementos? Pick these up at the West End Napa gift store inside the contemporary Avia Hotel building. It's also where the neighborhood "living room" can be found, natch. The area is couched in the western portion of downtown Napa, approximately from School to Randolph streets and from First to Third streets.

Napa ARTwalk Momentum: Art that Moves (Us)
Arts Council Napa Valley (ACNV) and the Napa Community Redevelopment Agency have announced the return of the Napa ARTwalk interactive public sculpture exhibition and tour in downtown Napa. The second ARTwalk, titled "Momentum: Art that Moves (Us)," launched on October 19th 2011 and will be on exhibition through April, 2013 in downtown Napa. 

Art works - which hew to a new theme each exhibition - are selected with the help of CaFE (callforentry.org) and a panel of local art administrators, artists, and city officials.  The cost is free, and exhibits can be accessed throughout the day, 365 days a year, at visitors' leisure.  Download a map here, and for more information, call 707-257-2117.

EVENT UPDATE!

Please CLICK HERE to see details for 2014 Napa Truffle Festival!


Past Event Details
World class cuisine meets cutting edge truffle science January 13-16, 2012! Featuring everything truffles--culinary, tastings, science, cultivation and more.

Truffles! Not the chocolate kind, black Périgord truffles - aka "black diamonds." These rare and delectable fungi will be the center of attention at the second annual Napa Truffle Festival, January 13-16, at the Westin Verasa Napa where they will be discussed, examined, probed, prepared, demonstrated and finally, paired with wines and feasted upon for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The Festival begins with a Friday night reception where you and fellow truffle-lovers will hobnob with your hosts Chef Frank Toque of La Toque, and Robert Chang and Dr. Paul Thomas of the American Truffle Company. You'll also have a chance to meet the Michelin Star Chefs - sans toques - who have come from as far as Chicago and Italy to cook and demonstrate for you throughout the weekend. The next morning, you'll attend a breakfast with keynote address by distinguished food and travel writer, and former editor of Bon Appétit, Barbara Fairchild. Saturday and Sunday feature culinary and scientific programs - cooking demos, truffle orchard tours, and winery lunches, tours and tastings. Truffle dogs will also be on hand to sniff things out with dog training demos (petting allowed)!

The highlight of the Festival will be the Saturday night Truffles & Wine dinner at La Toque featuring a multi-course truffle menu and wine pairing (see last year's menu.  Each course will be prepared by a Michelin Star chef, including Michael Cimarusti of Providence in Los Angeles; Suzette Gresham-Tognetti of Acquerello in San Francisco; Marco Gubbiotti  of La Bastiglia in Spello, Italy; and Andrew Zimmerman of Sepia in Chicago.

The Festival concludes on Monday with a scrumptious Truffle Brunch at Westin's Bank Café, followed by a lively Napa Truffle Festival Marketplace at Oxbow Public Market  showcasing local wines and artisanal vendors with their specialty food products.

NAPA, Calif.-- Arts Council Napa Valley (ACNV) and the Napa Community Redevelopment Agency have announced the return of the Napa ARTwalk public sculpture tour. The 2nd ARTwalk, titled "Momentum: Art that Moves (Us)", will launch on October 19th 2011 and will be on exhibition through April, 2013.

Downtown Napa's first-ever interactive public art exhibition and tour first launched in July 2010, and received an unprecedented amount of local support and media attention. Due to the success of the inaugural exhibition, the 2nd Napa ARTwalk will feature 13 new sculptures (an increase from 10 in 2010), as well as last year's People's Choice winning sculpture, "Fish On", by artist Terrence Martin (pictured to the right). One of the most familiar pieces in the 2010 exhibition, "Fish On" is a metal sculpture of a largemouth bass; it will also remain on view until 2013 . Napa ARTwalk's 2011-13 new artists include: Marissa Carlisle, Andrew Ferrales, Eric Furman, Matt Gil, James Haire, Loren Madsen, Ulises Meza, Robin Murez, C.J. Rench, Patricia Vader and Jeff Zischke.

The Napa ARTwalk will give the public an opportunity to vote on favorite sculptures online at www.napaartwalk.org throughout the 18-month exhibition period. Tour brochures, featuring a sculpture map, will be available year round in several downtown locations, including: Napa City Hall, The Goodman Library, Napa Valley Welcome Center, Artists of the Valley Gallery, and the Napa City-County Library. 

Rock the night away and into the New Year!  Parties are happening all around Napa Valley. Grab some friends and join the festivities. Below are just a few of the parties that caught our eye, but check out the full events calendar HERE!

December 31 -- Carnival - New Year's Eve Celebration at Domaine Chandon
Holiday, Celebration: Ring in the New Year at Chandon. Tickets to the etoile Restaurant for a five-course tasting menu paired with Chandon wines is already SOLD OUT. But there are still tickets available for the afterparty featuring a live band, DJ and dancing in the lounge and a complimentary toast at midnight! Tickets are selling out fast! Buy Tickets Online.
Location: One California Drive, Yountville CA
Fee: $75; Time: 9 p.m. - 1 a.m.; Number: (707) 944.8844

December 31 -- Napa Valley Wine Train - New Years Eve Masquerade Party
Celebration: Let's send this century's first decade into the memory bin in style with softly lit vineyards, mysterious masked faces and spirited celebration at our Venetian-style masquerade. Mask yourself when you arrive, and reveal the new you with the New Year. Experience the now, put the past away, dine and dance. Reserve Online.
Location: 1275 McKinstry Street, Napa CA 94559
Fee: Dinner & Party $225-$255/Party only $55; Time: 5 p.m. - 1 a.m.; Number: (800) 427.4124

December 31 -- Candlelight Dinner at the Calistoga Inn
Holiday, Dining: The Calistoga Inn Restaurant & Brewery will be open New Year's Eve and serving dinner by candlelight! The PUB will also be open for late-night fun & dancing during the holidays.
Location: 1250 Lincoln Avenue, Calistoga, CA
Fee: Varies; Time: normal restaurant hours, but dancing in the Pub from 10pm to 1am.
Number: (707) 942.4101

By Deirdre Bourdet

Cold wet weather makes me want to hole up at home with a bottle of red wine and some truffle mashed potatoes.  Home is easy, it's warm, it's reasonably attractive, and it almost always has some really good wine on hand.  But when I dragged myself out on a random weeknight for pre-dinner drinks at the AVIA Hotel's Riddling Rack, I discovered another comforting nook in town with these same attributes--one that's also way cooler looking, and has vintage Dom Perignon by the glass.  

Imagine this: You and your special someone are floating 2,000 feet above mist-shrouded vineyards bathed in early morning light, with no sound to accompany your reverie except the soft whistling of the wind itself.  As you turn to your companion to remark on the unmatched beauty of the spectacle below, you realize that you've never been suspended so high in the air with just a simple wicker basket for support - and also that you've never felt so blissfully removed from the frenetic pace of your life.  

Pampering is in order. And these spas in the town of Napa are ready to deliver an hour or more of relaxation and soothe away all the cares of the day. Check out these special spa offers, many of them being offered through the end of the year!

Sometimes planning a trip around an event is the best thing to do! If you're wondering what's going on in the town of Napa for the Fall and Winter months, see the events below!

SEPTEMBER
September 17  -- Oktoberfest at JV Wine & Spirits
Wine Education: Come join in the Friday night Winemaker Tastings for lively conversation, good fun, and a taste of some of the best wines in the world. This Friday we celebrate Oktoberfest! Must be 21 years of age to enter JV's tasting room. JV Wine, 301 First Street, Napa, CA
Fee: $5.00 tasting fee per personTime: 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Phone Number: (707) 253.2624

September 24  -- Live at Silo's - The Kevin Russell Band
Live Music: Blues: The biography of Kevin Russell "a true guitar man." Motor-City-born and raised, Kevin Russell has mastered a unique blend of rock, blues and soul -Kevin says; "you see, it's a Motor City thing!". Silo's at the Napa River Inn 530 Main Street Napa, CA 94559
Fee: $20 Advance $25 at Door (Club Members $14)Time: 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. Phone Number: (707) 251.5833

September 26  -- Margaret Cho at Uptown Theatre
Performing Arts: "Mature Content". Margaret started performing stand-up at age 16. Soon after, she won a comedy contest where first prize was opening for Jerry Seinfeld. Margaret' new tour, Cho Dependent, will feature new stand-up and a few live performances of songs. 1350 Third Street, Napa, CA
Fee: $50/60Time: Doors: 6:30 p.m. / Show: 8 p.m. Phone Number: (707) 259.0123

By Deirdre Bourdet

When I moved to Napa from San Francisco a few years ago, everyone warned me I was entering a nightlife dead zone. Everything shuts down at 9:00pm.  While that may have been true in the past, a slew of newcomers and new ventures by long-time residents has kicked things up a notch around here.

After nearly a decade of tortuously slow renovation, the Uptown Theatre re-opened its doors this May to reveal its newly restored deco-fabulous style. Fresh faced and fully equipped with all the modern amenities, the Uptown offers an unbeatable combination of historical charm and contemporary sophistication. 

The restored original ceiling murals and light fixtures custom built to replicate the originals radiate classic 1930s style, but the sound system and the seats are 100% modern--21-23 inches wide, as compared to the original theatre's 16-17 inch seats, and staggered to ensure there's not a bad seat in the house.  Even the nosebleed seats have perfect unobstructed views of the stage and perfect acoustics. A full bar offers patrons their choice of libations, including local wines and bubbly by the glass.