Recently in Napa Valley Category

Napa has a rich history of supporting the arts and now from the Opera House to the Hess Collection, from public art installations to downtown gallery owners, Napa is fast becoming an art lover's destination. The many active studio artists in Napa are adding to the mix with their annual Open Studios self-guided tour organized by Arts Council Napa Valley.

Linda Cordair of Quent Cordair Gallery on First Street has been very happy with her move to Napa. Quent Cordair Gallery opened on July 4, 2008 after 13 years in Burlingame. The gallery specializes in "Romantic Realism" and has a very strong web presence. Ms. Cordair has found that moving to Napa has given her clientele a great excuse to travel here for their art-buying, particularly as Cordair has conveniently partnered with local hotels. "This is a world class destination more exciting for our clients to visit. They travel from as far away as Switzerland, New Zealand and China for our collections and with the completion of the River Front project we can really see a positive direction for downtown Napa. We want to do all we can to help fill the empty storefronts and bring more galleries here."

Long time public art champion, Harry Price, managing partner of CDI, developer of the Napa River Inn project and Napa Square on First Street, has this to say about the role of art in the community, "Art is an integral component of civilizations; we look back to them and look at what type of art they created. It is a measure of civilization and culture, so we honor our own culture by the art we leave behind."

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NAPA, Calif., - The Silverado Resort inNapa Valley is offering three-night Holiday Celebration packages for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays highlighted by dinners prepared by the resort's renowned executive chef.
 
The packages feature acaccommodations for up to four people in a two-bedroom fireplace suite, the holiday buffet on either Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day and a 20 percent discount on golf at the resort's courses and select services at the Spa at Silverado.
 
The rate is $299 per suite per night and is based on at least a three-night consecutive stay during the periods of November 24-29, 2009 or December 23 - 28, 2009. The package does not include taxes, service charges or resort fee of $20 per night. Additional nights are available at a 25 percent discount off published rates.
 
The Holiday package can be booked by calling (1) 800-532-0500. Some other restrictions may apply.

River Terrace Inn was recently voted as 2009's Best Napa Hotel by the Bay List (SF Gate, The San Francisco Chronicle's website).

Popular among locals, the Bay List says "Discover an exclusive sanctuary nestled among lush, rolling hills, an ocean of vivid wildflowers and radiant vineyards. Set in the heart of California wine country, the River Terrace Inn features luxurious accommodations, personalized services, and a richly indulgent spa".

See for yourself what makes this hotel so special. Right now, River Terrace Inn is offering a Fall Foilage Package this November with room rates just starting at $129 available Sunday - Thursday. Your stay includes a complimentary glass of Napa Valley wine on their outdoor terrace overlooking the Nap River and eucalyptus grove.

River Terrace Inn
1600 Soscol Avenue
Napa, CA 94559
(707) 320.9000
(866) 627.2386
 

Yountville Chefs & Hotels Team Up with a Variety of Special Menus, Hotel Packages and Culinary Adventures

YOUNTVILLE, NAPA VALLEY, CA. -- 2009 - Sporting six Michelin stars and a chef line-up worthy of a world tour, Yountville turns up the heat this winter with a town-wide "Moveable Feast" program. From value-season hotel/dining packages to a roux of prix-fixe meals rolling off the lines, foodies on a fast track now have another reason to visit this town boasting more Michelin stars per capita than anywhere on the planet!

Available December 1, 2009 - February 28, 2010*, the "Moveable Feast" program and free passport can be downloaded via www.yountville.com or obtained at Yountville Chamber of Commerce. From the new Bardessono inn to a bevy of Thomas Keller restaurants, the passport links visitors to 11 food/wine hotel packages and 12 restaurant deals from three-course prix fixe dinners for $70/couple to $1 oyster specials, 50% off VIP winetasting and up to 25% off hotel/dining packages, starting at $165/double.

CLICK HERE for full press release and additional details.

Other articles on the town of Yountville:

• Little Town That's Big on Talent and Taste
• Yountville Wine Tasting Itinerary
• Bardessono: New Mecca for Wine Country Luxury
• Ma(i)sonry: Romancing the Stone

By Courtney Cochran

Home to some 300 wineries, Napa Valley is the engine that drives California's booming wine industry. It's also a place where history, art, hospitality and a search for perfection collide to produce some of the most compelling products and experiences Wine Country has to offer. Read on for new developments in this "land of plenty" in our own backyard.

A Free, Self Guided Fine Art Discovery Tour


Every fall, when trucks bearing tons of grapes appear on the roads of Napa Valley, the sun-drenched trees begin to show their fall colors, and the hottest days of the year roll through the gorgeous valley, it's the season for artists to throw open their studio doors and welcome friends, neighbors, and visitors into their creative workspaces for the annual Open Studios tour. 

Arts Council Napa Valley's Open Studios is a free, self-guided fine art discovery tour that runs during the last two weekends of September.  The 2009 Open Studios Honorary Co-Chairs, Eleanor Coppola and Kathryn Hall, invite patrons to experience this year's tour, featuring 88 of the finest artists and craftspeople in the Napa Valley. 

Whether you are an avid collector or just curious about art, Open Studios is an incredible opportunity to peer into the creative spaces of Napa Valley painters, metal and stone sculptors, mosaicists, photographers, ceramists, printmakers, fiber artists, jewelry makers, glass artists and other fine craftspeople, and to buy local art right from the source.

If you're planning a trip to wine country, one of the best ways to unwind and relax is with a spa treatment. Conde Nast Traveler released the poll results of readers' top picks for spas across the U.S. and even areas internationally. It's no surprise that many of the spas in Hawaii and California were heavily preferred by consumers.

Kenwood Inn & Spa in Sonoma, CA was one of the top 3 resort spas in the U.S. and received perfect scores of 100 for treatments, staff, service and design. Book a stay with them as they also boast lush surroundings, soothing pools, and elegant accommodations in a Tuscan setting.  Reserve online.

How to Hit Up Napa & Sonoma in a Single Trip

by Courtney Cochran

Rather like the sexes, Napa and Sonoma sometimes seem worlds apart.  Farmers are from Sonoma, people often say, while the technology barons and other members of the monied set call neighboring Napa home instead. 

In some ways these stereotypes ring true: I'm yet to spot a Ferrari in Sonoma but am rarely in Napa for more than 15 minutes before one or even two of the slick machines whiz by me en route to brunch at Bouchon or gallery hopping in St. Helena.

But disparate Ferrari populations aside, become a little better acquainted with these areas and I think you'll find they've got more in common than first meets the eye.  And, as is the case with men and women, they can even get along alright on the same trip - albeit with a little extra planning and flexibility.  

Press Release

Napa Valley Festival del Sole, one of the world's most distinctive summer festivals, announces its fourth season in California's beautiful wine country, July 17-25, 2009.
 
With performances every day, music is the centerpiece of a festival hailed by The New York Times as a "feast for the senses," featuring the finest cuisine, wine and hospitality the Napa Valley has to offer. The weeklong schedule includes world-class concerts, exclusive receptions, lunches and dinners, wine tastings, art exhibitions, free community concerts showcasing talented young performers, and more.

Some of the world's most renowned artists travel to Napa Valley each year to perform at Festival del Sole, and to wine, dine and celebrate the "art of life" with Festival guests.

The little town that's big on talent and taste

By Michaela Jarvis

As Seen in Napa Sonoma Magazine

Yountville has often been compared to a European village because of its charm and because everything in town is within walking distance. That may be an apt description, yet, in how many European villages will you find yourself within a short stroll of half a dozen of the best restaurants in the country?

Heck, this is no European village. This is Disneyland, with a favorite attraction for everyone-whether that's a wild ride through Thomas Keller's culinary imagination at The French Laundry, a chance to shake hands with Food Network star Michael Chiarello at his new Bottega restaurant, or an experience of the magical hot stone massage at Villagio's 13,000-square-foot spa.

To Read More, Click Here.

Read other articles on the town of Yountville:

Wine Country Itinerary: Yountville

Things Are Afoot in Yountville

Bardessono: The New Mecca for Wine Country Luxury

Romancing the Stone

By Courtney Cochran

With the economy bumping along as uncertainly as the box office receipts for latter-day Lindsay Lohan pics, it's no surprise Americans are embracing staycations in record numbers. An amusing portmanteau of the words "stay" (as in stay-at-home, or near home) and "vacation," the staycation offers Wine Country travelers an escape that's long on pleasure but short on planning and out-of-pocket expenses. And with its convenient location just 50 minutes north of San Francisco, the city of Napa makes an ideal destination for Bay Area staycationers of all stripes.

Read on for the low down on top spots for sipping inside the Napa City limits, and click here for more on the dos and don'ts of staycations - including tips on how to make yours a smashing success.

by Robert P. Farmer

The sustainability conversation has long been on the table in Wine Country. Wineries and restaurants have led the earth-friendly charge here, with the results easily seen (and tasted) in bottles and on tables throughout the region. But the subtext here has always been the greater need to live sustainably not just in vineyards and at the Farmer's market, but everywhere and at all time.

By Courtney Cochran

Every once in a while, a destination comes on line that not only exceeds the current standard, but redefines it as well. Such is the case for Bardessono, the new Napa Valley resort that combines cutting edge design with the highest standards in hospitality and unparalleled sustainability.

Aesthetic Achiever, Sustainable Star
Open since February 2009, the 62-room hotel, spa and restaurant ascribes to the most rigorous guidelines for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) construction, deftly integrating energy-conserving solutions such as solar panels and on-site geothermal wells for heating and cooling with a flawless contemporary aesthetic that at once complements and enhances its surroundings.

Surroundings, I might add, which are nothing short of spectacular themselves.

Can the Wine Tourism Trend Save Travel?
By Robert P. Farmer

While it's no new concept in the valleys of Napa or Sonoma, the idea of wine tourism is starting to take root across the globe. From France to Germany and Australia to Chile, people are increasingly booking passage based less on the destination itself than on the wine produced in that destination.

Wine lovers everywhere are discovering that it's more fun to drink their way through vacation than to sit idle on, say, a beach reading the latest trashy best-seller. Wine Tourism is providing a renewed sense of purpose for leisure time and it is not limited to wine aficionados. Thanks in part to concerted efforts by wine-producing regions to espouse their industry and leverage it for fun and profit, the wine tourism trend appears to be something travelers can savor.

By Courtney Cochran

What recession? At Meadowood - the Napa Valley resort known for its luxe accommodations and tucked-away ambiance - weekends just got a lot more interesting. Indeed, in honor of its 45th anniversary, the resort is putting variety - and unapologetic luxury - back into wine country travel with an impressive lineup of wine- and wine country-themed events known as its Wine-Inspired Weekend Series.

By Courtney Cochran

I can recall, with embarrassing clarity, buying Chuck Shaw by the caseload in the drearily cash-strapped era that followed my graduation from college.  And though I quickly "graduated" beyond the realm of such inexpensive sippers around the time of my first raise, today's tough economic times have many of us - yours truly included - contemplating a reunion with bargain sips like Mr. Shaw's and others of his ilk.

To be sure, the crisis thinking fueling these considerations isn't limited to wine consumption alone.  Wine country visitors, as well, are wondering where they can cut corners on visits in order to spend less while still enjoying their fair share of the pleasures wine country has to offer.  They're looking for easy, smart ways to extend their spending power at a time when all of us are getting by on less.   

And so, in a valiant effort to keep the good times - and the good drink - flowing, we're here to help you do just that.  Read on for our top suggestions on where to save and - as important - where to splurge in wine country this season.    Because if one thing is a constant no matter the economic clime, it's that we can all use a little affordable luxury every now and then to keep our spirits afloat.

By Robert Farmer

The trip from San Francisco to California's Wine Country is a quick one. But for several months in my life it might as well have been half way around the globe. The addition to our family of a baby--our beautiful daughter--had countless positive effects. However, there was one drawback. It turned the Golden Gate Bridge, over which we previously had skipped so effortlessly into Wine Country into a Bridge Too Far.

For several months on end, not only did we not make one of our favorite day trips or easy weekend getaways, we scarcely even let the prospect enter our minds.  So recently when we had occasion to try it again--owing mostly to being forced out of our house to make way for some minor construction--we weren't quite sure what to expect.

NAPA VALLEY, CA - We know a good deal when we see it!  Silverado Resort recognizes times are rough and is responding with the "dream package" making your next Napa Valley trip extremely affordable. 

See details below:

The package includes:

• A picnic lunch for two at V. Sattui Winery 
• Wine tastings at four other area wineries (Black Stallion, Mumm, Artesa, and Conn Creek)
• Resort guestroom Accommodations (King Beds, 340 thread count Egyptian cotton linen, Wireless Internet, and many more amenities)

All of this....drumroll please...is only $139/night for stays through March 15th (including weekends)! The promo code is WINE3 and you can book directly online or call them directly to make reservations at 800.532.0500.

Visit online for more details, terms & conditions and information on upgrading to one of their suites (still quite reasonable).

It's not often you see a deal like this, especially in Napa Valley.  Don't let it pass you by....

 

It's that time of year again. Mustard flowers dot the vineyard landscape resulting in picturesque views along Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley Wine Country.  The Napa Valley Mustard Festival "celebrates the food, wine, art and rich, unique agricultural bounty of the Napa Valley".

Don't miss out on the events that go hand in hand with the "Mustard Season" from January 31st - March 28, 2009.