12 minute read
Sweetie Pies
Sweetie Pies Pivots Satisfying More Than a Sweet Tooth
BY FRAN MILLER
Toni Chiappetta took a slight detour this past spring from baking her popular pies, cakes, and cookies. The longtime proprietor of the Napa Mill-located Sweetie Pies saw a need, and she filled it. Chiapetta turned her bakery into a general store, selling bread, flour, eggs, and yeast. She then moved to crafting full dinners, each made with locally sourced, high-quality ingredients and offered for pre-order and pick-up. Her menu included savory chicken pot pie, flavorful pastas, and tasty meatloaf and mashed potatoes. “Comfort foods,” she said. “Items your mother might make.” Her quick thinking and ability to adapt allowed her to keep Sweetie Pies open, much to the delight of anyone who has ever sampled a Sweetie Pies confection.
An East Coast native with a culinary background, Chiappetta moved to Napa in 1990 to help open Table 29 as bread and pastry chef – now Bistro Don Giovanni. She founded Sweetie Pies in 1994 and moved to her current location in 2000. In addition to her brick and mortar shop, her sweet treats are sold throughout the Valley at
retail locations such as Gary’s Marketplace, Oakville Grocery, Sunshine Market, and her neighborhood grocery, Brown’s Valley Market. Consistent customer favorites include her Summer Berries Cake, Whoopie Pies, Anzac and S’mores cookies, and her award-winning pumpkin and apple pies. More recently, her creative ‘Toilet Paper Cake’ has become an Instagram-able sensation: chocolate cake with milk chocolate mousse, covered in vanilla buttercream, in the shape of…a roll of toilet paper. She also makes ‘mask’ cakes. Her confections
Photos courtesy of Sweetie Pies
provoke smiles and giggles, bringing a bit of levity to what Chiappetta admits has been a very scary and stressful time.
“We managed to do well despite all of the setbacks,” said Chiappetta, who has always proudly paid it forward by supporting local schools, charities, and charitable events. A music school grad, she finds relaxation as a singer with Live Band Karaoke Sonoma, delivering driveway performances the third Thursday of each month, viewable via Facebook. She’s also a member of Sing Napa Valley, the local community choir.
Chiappetta’s take-out dinner program has been so popular that she is continuing the practice. In addition to the above-listed items, the rotating menu includes crepes manicotti, beer can chicken, and steak salad. Far away fans can order her soul-soothing chicken pot pie via Goldbelly, the curated online marketplace for gourmet foods that also features a selection of Sweetie Pies pies, coffee cakes, and cookies. Future plans include a pick up window for carry-out orders and a grab-andgo case for breakfast and lunch items.
••• A MINDFUL APPROACH TO ELEVATED LIVING •••
(707) 204-6000 | BARDESSONO.COM 6526 YOUNT ST, YOUNTVILLE, CA 94599
As one of Napa Valley’s hotel gems, LEED Platinum Certified Bardessono provides a luxurious experience for guests within a sustainable environment. Deep green with luxury and a subtle aesthetic, the hotel offers ultimate indulgence through Lucy restaurant’s farm-to-fork fare, in-room spa treatments, electric Lexus vehicles, curated art collection and rooftop pool access. Now offering a grand respite with enhanced amenities, The Maple Grove Villas extend embellished Napa Valley experiences for an effortless, cultural immersion. Premier luxury at every turn.
Sparkling with tradition, Hotel Yountville is a wine-country retreat with enticing charm. Eighty romantic, spacious guest rooms housed in stone buildings constructed of stacked Napa river rocks feature four-poster beds, oversized tubs and fireplaces. Indulge in a treatment at The Spa, dine at Heritage Oak and recharge at the decadent pool courtyard with bar. Then, usher in the evening with a toast to the deep-rooted story of the Heritage Oak tree as it glistens with light with traditional tiny pours of signature cocktails – a colorful reprieve from a day of wine tasting. An intimately luxurious experience awaits at one of Napa Valley’s top hotels.
••• YOUNTVILLE HERITAGE, REIMAGINED •••
SOLAGE RESORT’S Photo courtesy of Solage-Auberge Resorts Superlative Amenities
BY FRAN MILLER
As luxury hotels continue to proliferate throughout Northern California wine country, one established resort maintains its status as a Napa Valley favorite. Solage, Auberge Resorts Collection, has long served as the region’s ideal spot to retreat, relax, and rejuvenate. And a recent, stunning remodel of the Calistoga property serves to revive its preferred standing.
Most notable are changes to the resort’s swimming pool, the largest in the Valley. Visitors have come to know and love the iconic pool for its relaxing yet fun atmosphere. Solage has taken this ideal refuge, well-suited equally for couples, solo travelers, and families, and made it even more luxurious. Enhancements include the addition of six beautiful new cabanas, each featuring soft seating, fully stocked refrigerators, televisions, privacy curtains, and a team member dedicated to catering to guests’ every whim. New poolside furnishings include plush lounge chairs; a jacuzzi tub is also new, as is a separate three-foot deep ‘Splash Pad’ for families, and a lawn area for games and picnics. An incredible poolside food and beverage menu allows guests to experience the very best of the resort’s two outstanding restaurants: the new laid-back Pico Bar serving cocktails, wine, and bites, and Solbar, where Chef Gustavo Rios serves innovative and elevated comfort food dishes influenced by both his Latin background and his experience with European techniques.
One of Solage’s most popular amenities is the gratis offer of beach cruiser bikes - two per studio/cottage – allowing for relaxed exploration of the resort’s hometown of Calistoga. “We are always looking for new ways to bring the spirit of Calistoga to our guests,” said Devin Hawkins, Area Marketing Manager, Auberge Resorts. “In addition to the offer of the bikes, we work closely with local purveyors and have put together an assortment of in-room goodies dubbed ‘Napa Pantry’ for guests to purchase. These boxes feature locally-made items such as fig jam, handcrafted dark chocolates, delicious meats and cheeses, and our very own smallbatch whiskey.”
The resort also offers live music on Wednesdays on the twinkle-lit Solbar patio, complimentary wine tastings on Thursdays and Fridays, fireside s’mores on Friday and Saturday evenings, and in the summer, SOL Summer Saturdays featuring a rotating list of wineries, breweries, and artisans.
“We are blessed to be located in such a wonderful community that has always been warm and welcoming, and we try to bring that same energy to our guests the moment they arrive at Solage,” said Hawkins. “We are a family, and we want our guests to feel like they are a part of that family. We are constantly learning from our guests and what they look for in a getaway to make sure their experience with us is special and truly one of a kind.”
PASO ROBLES DELIVERS the Wow factor
IN A WHISPER
BY LAURIE JO MILLER FARR
Denner Vineyards Comus Vista // Photo courtesy of Denner Vineyards
Socially Distanced Downtown Dining Photo courtesy of Travel Paso
Niner Wine Estates Farm to Table Menu Photo courtesy of Niner Wine Estates
Socially Distanced Downtown Dining Photo courtesy of Travel Paso
Make it 48 hours in Paso Robles, a top pick winecentric destination 270 miles south of Napa via US-101. Save enough time to make the southbound leg of the drive on scenic Highway 1 to benefit from unobstructed ocean views. Take it slow. Nobody should rush past the beauty spot coastal standouts: Monterey Bay, Big Sur, San Simeon. Make a sharp left onto CA 46 just before reaching Harmony, the Central Coast’s tiniest town (population: 18, winery: 1), for the final 30 minutes’ drive into Paso Robles.
EAT AND DRINK
Paso locals are quick to point out that “everybody seems to know one another.” With a population of just over 30,000, the vibe is much more small-town charm than urban sophisticate. Anchored by a European-style town square called Downtown City Park, the inviting green patch shaded by oak trees has taken on a new post-pandemic purpose. Presented by Justin Vineyards and Winery, a concierge escorts diners to sanitized, socially- distanced farmhouse tables under sunbrellas and bistro lights. A reservations system operates Thursday through Sundays; takeout orders from nearby restaurants are encouraged, and downtown manages to preserve its vitality in a win-win solution. go.travelpaso.com/savorpaso
Paso Market Walk on Spring Street is a new 16,000 squarefoot showcase for a curated collection of local specialty producers—cheeses, olive oils, coffee roasters, bakers, gelato makers, ranchers, vintners, and brewers. PasoMarketWalk.com
Tin City is a safe and smart place destination; a two-block community of industrial warehouses for small-production wineries, breweries, distilleries, and cider houses- with handmade sheep milk ice cream for good measure. TinCityPasoRobles.com
WINERIES In 1983, only 18 wineries called Paso Robles home when the AVA was introduced. Now 300 wineries make this California’s fastest-growing wine region supporting 40 varietals from Albariño to Zinfandel. Three times the size of Napa, there’s differentiation among the appellation’s 11 viticultural areas due to diverse soil types, elevations, and rainfall. The region’s diurnal temperature variation of 40º to 50º F is a striking characteristic.
Within several minutes’ drive from downtown, the countrified persona of Paso Robles opens up to miles of winding roads, rambling vineyards, and lichen-covered oak trees.
On the West Side:
Clos Selène: Inspired by their love for each other and passion for wine, proprietors Guillaume and Selène Fabre left their home in Bordeaux to launch their wine label in Paso Robles. Book ahead for an authentic French-accented outdoor tasting experience at this charming boutique winery where the wines are named for their five children. Clos Selène produces Rhône and Bordeaux
varieties on the vineyard estate in the Willow Creek District AVA. ClosSelene.com
Niner Wine Estates: Find out why “farm-to-table” is never a cliché at Niner Wine Estates. Reserve a private table outside in the shade for a gourmet picnic lunch and wine (by the bottle, glass, or flight) on the pretty estate. They’re known for estategrown Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay as well as the flagship blend, Fog Catcher, which are all produced on Heart Hill, iconized by a cluster of oak trees shaped like a heart. NinerWine.com
DAOU Family Estates: Founded thirteen years ago by Lebanese brothers Georges and Daniel Daou, this stunning winery is located on DAOU Mountain, at an elevation of 2,200 feet. Today, the winery is fulfilling the promise of Adelaida District as the world’s next benchmark for Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Sauvignon Blanc. DAOUVineyards.com
Denner Vineyards: Come to the place where the wines and the views are equally good; book an appointment to drink in both. Contemporary architecture meets old vines at Denner Vineyards, widely known for its sweeping expanse over the valley and its interesting varietals such as Vermentino and outstanding Rhone blends. DennerVineyards.com
On the East Side: Sculpterra Winery & Sculpture
Garden presents the unexpected. Larger-than-life outdoor creations marry the concepts of art and wine throughout the property’s gardens. Proprietor Dr. Warren Frankel and his wife Kathy founded the winery and tasting room in 2007 after growing grapes since 1979. Ironworks by Robert Bentley and spectacular bronze
Sculpterra Winery and Sculpture Garden Photo courtesy of Sculpterra Winery
and granite sculptures created by John Jagger and resident artist Dale Evers are curated throughout the grounds. Reserve an outdoor tasting in the shade or bring the dog and kids for a walk in the garden. Sculpterra.com
Cass Winery: In the back roads countryside, Cass Winery has a relaxed, hacienda-style feel. Enjoy lunch outdoors beside the vineyard where guests can take a stroll. Its 145 acres produce all-estate Rhône varieties: Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Viognier, Roussanne, and Marsanne. CassWines.com
THINGS TO DO
Unmissable. Held over through January 2021, “Bruce Munro: Field of Light at Sensorio” is Paso’s big surprise. The outdoor art installation of 60,000 illuminated glass orbs spread across 15 acres of meadow comes to life each evening at dusk. Choose a path through the field of mesmerizing, soft pastel lights set off by silhouettes of hills and stately oaks. SensorioPaso.com
Paso isn’t just wine, beer, and cider tasting; it’s olive oil, too. Tens of thousands of trees produce fresh and bold extra virgin olive oil in a milling process that visitors can appreciate in person at the farms during the late fall harvest.
STAY
Clean and safe is the overarching message from the hotels and resorts of Paso Robles. These properties are ADA compliant and dog friendly. NOTE: Indoor restaurants, spas, and bars may remain closed per state guidelines.
Allegretto Vineyard Resort:
Elegant and art-filled, the Tuscanstyle AAA Four Diamond property has detailed health and safety information accessible online. Some rooms have semi-private patios leading to an outdoor heated pool by the vineyard. AllegrettoVineyardResort.com
Did You Know? In January 1954, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio spent their honeymoon night in Paso Robles at the Clifton Motel (long gone) after getting married at San Francisco City Hall.
Paso Robles Inn: Set in gardens on the downtown square established in 1889, Paso Robles Inn attracted wealthy patrons for the natural sulphur mineral waters. pasoroblesinn.com Its offspring is The Piccolo, a new contemporary 24-room luxury property with Tetto, a rooftop space for drinks served with food. ThePiccolo.com
Hotel Cheval: Located less than one block off the historic town square, Hotel Cheval is a delightful looking boutique hotel of international acclaim. Sixteen rooms are built around a central courtyard with a firepit. Guest rooms have fireplaces too. HotelCheval.com
Stables Inn: Enjoy the warmth of the outdoor fire at Hotel Cheval’s new sister property located three blocks from downtown. With only 18 rooms, the horsey-themed look is whitewashed and unpretentious. StablesInnPaso.com
