BUCKET LIST | NAPA VALLEY WINE TOURS
Divine Wine
Swirl and sip Napa’s world-class expressions while tasting the wine country lifestyle. BY KELLY MAGYARICS Vineyard Views: (Left to right) Cuvaison Tasting Room table on patio, Vintner’s Collective outdoor seating and private tasting with charcuterie, and Trefethen Family Vineyards Historic Winery and private table in the garden PHOTOS: © CUVAISON WINERY, © VINTNER’S COLLECTIVE, © TREFETHEN FAMILY VINEYARDS
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ith its enviable Mediterranean climate, warm hospitality and unique take on cuisine that melds California ingredients and technique with a smattering of global influences, it’s easy to see why Napa Valley resides at the top of food and wine lovers’ bucket lists. Napa’s wine industry dates back to 1861 when Charles Krug launched the first commercial winery, but one singular event in 1976 really put the area’s wines on the map. That was the year of the blind tasting dubbed The Judgment of Paris, when locally produced Chateau Montelena Chardonnay and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon beat out all the best white Burgundies and red Bordeaux. Today those two grape varieties still reign, but the region is also renowned for wines made with Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Zin-
globaltravelerusa.com MARCH 2021
fandel and Pinot Noir, not to mention its sparkling wines that pay homage to the traditional method of production (like Champagne) with a signature fruitiness that can only come from all that sunshine. Though deciding what destinations to hit during a wine tasting itinerary of Napa Valley can be as overwhelming as deciding which styles to sip at the tasting bar or bistro, you really can’t go wrong. No matter if it’s your first foray to the region or your fifth, the town of Napa proper is a perfect place to center your trip. Long overlooked as merely the industrial center that visitors pass through on the way north to Yountville or St. Helena, Downtown Napa has emerged as California wine country’s “it” spot as of late, boasting more visitors than all of Napa Valley combined. To make it home base for your vineyard pursuits, reserve a room at the luxe and modern Andaz Napa, the chic Archer Hotel Napa or the Blackbird Inn, whose 12 accommodations feature elements of the Arts and Crafts movement. Book a tasting at Vintner’s Collective, housed in a former saloon and brothel dating back to 1875, to sample 18 family-run wine labels under one roof — most of which don’t have their own tasting rooms. Nearby, The CIA at Copia, an offshoot of the Culinary Institute of America geared toward enthusiasts, offers cooking and wine pairing classes, a kitchen shop and wine-focused garden-to-fork restaurant; however, at press time it is closed temporarily. Next door, Oxbow Public Market features gourmet artisans and purveyors; dining options include flights and snacks at CRU Tasting Lounge, bottles and fromage to go at Oxbow Cheese & Wine Merchant, and a brewery and distillery if you need a break from
