Napa Valley Life Magazine - Winter 2022

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Creating moments centered around reconnecting, the quintessential wine country experience at Hotel Yountville presents romantic candlelit dinners served on private patios and an elevated couples spa service in the couples treatment rooms at the guest-only Spa.

•••

(707) 967-7900 hotelyountville.com

6462 Washington St. Yountville, CA 94599

Bardessono’s mindful approach to living the good life features newly curated spa services, a fresh season of culinary offerings inspired by the Lucy Garden, and an immersion into the most sustainable, luxurious environment in the Napa Valley.

•••

(707) 204-6000 bardessono.com 6526 Yount St. Yountville, CA 94599

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Holidays are the time when we enjoy our homes the most, celebrating with friends and family. Whether upsizing for expanding families or downsizing for retirement, Jennifer and her team at Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, will help you take advantage of the changing market and move you into the next exciting stage of your Napa Valley Life. During this season of giving, it might help to know that a portion of the proceeds from all properties sold or purchased, will be donated to a local charity. Thank you to all our clients for making this possible.

Jennifer Klingbeil | UpValley Specialist | Lic.# 02067543 | m 707.492.0435

Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark licensed to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated.

Intriguing

As we close the year, we dedicate space in our winter issue to celebrate Napa’s most intriguing leaders, innovators, business owners, and community members. As many already know, while Napa Valley is best known for its excellence as a top wine and food destination, it’s the people who live here who make it such a special place. So, we invite you to meet some of Napa’s most outstanding residents on our list of 2022 Intriguing People and learn why they are worth getting to know.

Our cover story features one of Napa Valley’s intriguing residents, Pina Carino, First Vice President and Senior Financial Advisor for Merrill Lynch. Standing out in a field that comprises only 10 percent women, Pina is also a member of the LGBTQ community. Her personal life experiences have been instrumental in her ability to address her demographics’ unique challenges in her approach to financial planning. Pina donates her time to local support organizations and causes, most notably the Alzheimer’s Association, after losing her mother to the debilitating disease. Considered a rock star in her field, she also loves music, a personal pursuit she fulfills singing in cover bands around Napa Valley.

Our wine region series takes you to the burgeoning wine scene in Valle de Guadalupe- Baja, California. The Mexican territory off Southern California’s coast has become a rising star among wine enthusiasts, its unique location close to the sea provides a perfect microclimate for growing unique grape varieties, such as Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Tempranillo. Still considered the ‘wild west’ of wine regions, it attracts winemakers worldwide and boasts over 100 wineries, exceptional restaurants, and five-star hotels.

Our side trip showcases Alexander Valley, the largest AVA in Sonoma County. Producing some of California’s best Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends, many of the world’s most renowned wineries are also found here, such as Silver Oak, Francis Ford Coppola, and Rodney Strong. The AVA has an interesting history dating back to 1840 when Cyrus Alexander, a farmer-turned rancherturned vintner arrived in the northern end of Sonoma County. The impacts of his investment in the region have exploded into over 15,000 acres of vineyards and made Alexander Valley one of wine country’s top destinations.

It’s hard to believe the year is almost at its end. As we wrap up the season with our final issue, to our many contributors and dedicated readership, it is with warm appreciation that we extend our best wishes for a joyous holiday season and a Happy New Year.

Cheers!

Laura Larson Editor

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE AT: www.napavalleylife.com

Photo by Lowell Downey

NV Scene

What’s Been Happening Around Town

SONOMA HARVEST MUSIC FESTIVAL

# PHOTOS BY LOWELL DOWNEY

Sonoma Harvest Music Festival held its harvest season weekend concert among the beautiful vineyards and intimate grounds of the B.R. Cohn Winery on October 8-9. The popular weekend event gave concert-goers premium up front stage views, nestled among the vineyards, and showcased ten of the world’s top musicians such as Gary Clark, Jr., Lily Meola, Thievery Corporation, The Wrecks, Anderson Eastman, Magic Giant, and many more. The music was accompanied by gourmet food from Sonoma’s finest chefs, B.R. Cohn Winery’s incredible wines and N. CA craft beer. Presented by BottleRock. // www.sonomaharvestmusicfestival.com

Gary Clark Jr.

Magic Giant

Lily Meola

Anderson East

HANDS ACROSS THE VALLEY

# PHOTOS BY BOB MCCLENAHAN

Napa Valley chefs, vintners, celebrities and the community joined hands to present the 30th Annual Hands Across the Valley on Saturday, September 17, raising nearly $750,000 for Napa Valley safety-net food programs. This year’s event included a special tribute to Hands Across the Valley founder George Altamura for his 30+ years of tireless work to ensure no one goes hungry in the Napa Valley. In its 30-year history, Hands Across the Valley has raised millions to benefit vital community programs, including the Food Bank, Meals on Wheels, The Table, Feeding it Forward, Molly’s Angels and more. The 31st annual event will be held September 16, 2023 at Charles Krug Winery. // www.handsacrossthevalley.com

Real Estate Developer Todd Zapolski and grapegrower / vintner Andy Beckstoffer

Congressman Mike Thompson presents George Altamura with a Congressional Resolution

KCBS's Foodie Chap Liam Mayclem was the auctioneer

The dancing stallions of Rancho Centurion perform

State Senator Bill Dodd and Darioush Khaledi -Owner, Darioush Winery

Guests celebrate the winning bid

The 30th Annual Hands Across the Valley at Charles Krug Winery

2022 FORTINET PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

# PHOTOS BY DAVID CERVENKA

The first stop of the 2022-23 PGA tour kicked off at Napa Valley’s Silverado Resort and Spa championship golf course on September 15-18. Touted as the most fan-friendly PGA event, defending champion Matt Holmes defeated Danny Willett by one stroke, joining Brendan Steele (2016-17) as the only back-to-back winners of the event, moving him into the No. 1 spot in the FedEx Cup Standings. The evening concert series attracted fans from the local and Bay area and featured Cole Swindle and Gavin McGraw on Friday night and One Republic and the X Ambassadors on Saturday. This was the second year of the tournament, following the Safeway Open, hosted at Silverado for seven years. // www.fortinetchamptionship.com

Max Homa, 2022 winner

Max Homa making his winning chip

Max Homa, 2022 winner

INAUGURAL WINE COUNTRY WEEKEND

award-winning singer and

Tim McGraw partnered with renowned Emmy

winning

Fieri to raise over $1 million at the inaugural Wine Country Weekend, held October 21 and 22. Created in association with The Guy Fieri Foundation, The Neighbor’s Keeper Advised Fund, and The Tug McGraw Foundation, the event raised awareness and support for our nation’s veterans, first responders, and healthcare providers. The weekend kicked off with the Cabs, Culinary and Country dinner at Silver Oak Wine Cellars followed by an incredible performance by Tim McGraw and The Silverado Pickups. Saturday’s festivities included the Heroes BBQ prepared by Chef Fieri followed by the Game For Heroes celebrity softball classic, featuring player celebrities and local hometown heroes. // www.winecountryweekend.org

Grammy

actor

award

and Food Network star, Chef Guy

Tim McGraw presents the winner's trophy to Guy Fieri and Team Guy at the conclusion of the Game For Heroes

Guy Fieri at bat at the Game

For Heroes celebrity softball game

Photo by Pete O'Connor

Tim McGraw (L) and Guy Fieri (R)-serve veterans and first responders at the Heroes BBQ

Photo by Pete O'Connor

Tim McGraw and Guy Fieri

Photo by Tyler Conrad

Tim McGraw at bat at the Game For Heroes celebrity softball game Photo by Pete O'Connor

David Duncan, Proprietor, Chairman and CEO, Silver Oak Photo by Bob McClenahan

Tim McGraw Concert // Photo by Bob McClenahan

This January, Play the Local Card

As a Napa Valley resident, you have access to some of the greatest culinary and wine experiences in the world. And in January, Visit Napa Valley and Napa Valley Vintners have teamed up to bring you two great programs.

NV Calendar

Upcoming Parties, Concerts, Celebrations and Events

Event dates subject to change. Please check event websites for current schedules.

November 20 – January 1

HOLIDAYS IN YOUNTVILLE

The Holiday Season is a magical time to visit Yountville. The town is glowing with thousands of twinkling holiday lights; holiday music & delicious aromas from their awardwinning restaurants fill the air. Over six weeks, the celebration includes a full calendar of events, a holiday gift guide, and a holiday light tour. // www.yountville.com/events/ holidays-in-yountville/

December 10

DOWNTOWN NAPA’S ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARADE

Napa’s annual Christmas Parade is a beloved Napa tradition for both kids and adults. Join in on the fun to watch colorful floats, Christmas lights, marching bands, dancers, classic cars, and community groups through the 2nd and 3d Streets Downtown. Meet Santa after the parade for pictures with the kids. // www.donapa.com

December 29 – 30

BRIAN

CULBERTSON AT THE BLUE

NOTE Ring in the New Year with Brian Culbertson at Blue Note Napa! Throughout crafting a 25-album catalog and architecting nearly 40 Billboard No. 1 singles as a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer, Brian Culbertson has charted his unique course in music. Don’t miss the party of the year with this unequaled showman at the Blue Note Napa. Thursday, December 29 at 7 and 9:30pm, Friday, December 30 at 7 and 9:30pm, and Saturday, December 31 at 7 and 10:30pm featuring a special New Year’s menu and drink specials. Tickets from $89 – $149 // www.bluenotenapa.com

December 30 – 31

LES CLAYPOOL AT JAM CELLARS

Celebrate New Year’s Eve with Les Claypool’s Bastard Jazz featuring Vinnie Calautti Skerik and Mike Dillon

at the JaM Cellars Ballroom. Claypool’s trademark voice and thumping bass lines, along with his myriad of musical and creative projects, has made him a favorite of metalheads, jam banders, funk connoisseurs, and everything in between. // 1030 Main St., Napa; www.bluenotenapa.com

January 15

THE TEMPTATIONS (UPTOWN THEATRE)

The Temptations, often referred to as American Music Royalty, are celebrating their 60th Anniversary. To mark this milestone, the Temptations released a brand-new album with new, original songs and a tour across the U.S., with a stop at the Uptown Theater on January 15. The band is also celebrating bandmember Dr. Otis Williams, the sole surviving member of the original, classic lineup of the Temptations, who turned 80 years old on October 30, 2021. // 1350 Third St., Napa; www.uptowntheatre.com

Les Claypool

Photo courtesy of JaM Cellars

Youtville International Film Festival

Photo by Argun Tekant

NAPA VALLEY RESTAURANT WEEK

Celebrate world-class cuisine and the talent of Napa Valley’s local chefs during Napa Valley Restaurant Week. This year there are no preset prices or programs—even better, participating restaurants will be offering special menus and discounts for patrons to enjoy over the 10 day event. Make sure to reserve ahead! Tables will be at a premium during this popular time of the year. // www.visitnapavalley.com/ events/annual-events/restaurant-week/

January 21 – 22

NAPA NEIGHBOR WEEKEND

Visit your Napa Valley winery neighbors for this year’s Napa Neighbor Weekend. As a Napa County resident, locals may make their reservations in advance and simply show their driver's license upon arrival to enjoy VIP treatment, product discounts, and complimentary or upgraded tours & wine tastings. This annual event is a great opportunity to get to know your winery neighbors. // www.napaneighbor.com

February 2 – 5

YOUNTVILLE INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

The Yountville Int’l Short Film Festival (YISFF) is back for its 6th season from February 2-5. The four-day event, known for its incredible lineup of imagination-stretching short films from across the globe, offers multiple screening blocks, special musical guests, winery events, and filmmaker Q&A sessions. Sponsored by the Town of Yountville. // www.yisff.com

February 3 – 4

NAPA VALLEY MUSTARD CELEBRATION

Celebrate Napa’s magical Mustard Season with art and wine on Atlas Peak Road. Jessel Cellars, Silverado Country Club, Bougetz Cellars, Jean Edwards, Prime Solum, and Whetstone will host weekend events, including discounts on food and wine. The celebration begins on Friday evening at Jessel Cellars, where Mustard Celebration artist Beverly Wilson and Bougetz Cellars will be introducing the new image and wine label. February 3 at 5pm to 8pm and February 4 at 11am to 5pm. // www.napavalleymustard celebration.com

Inside Track

What the Locals are Doing

Johnny’s Sports Bar

Johnny’s Sports Bar touts itself as Calistoga’s only “real” sports bar. With five HDTV’s highlighting the best in sports entertainment, great bar snacks, specialty cocktails, wine and an impressive selection of hand-crafted beers, including their house-made Mud City Brews. Their popular happy hour runs from 4 - 6pm and they are open late – 10pm during the week and 11pm on weekends. //

1457 LINCOLN AVE., CALISTOGA • WWW. JOHNNYSCALISTOGA.COM

Hog Island Oyster Co. Happy Hour

It’s time to get happy! Hog Island Oyster Co., located in Napa’s Oxbow Market hosts Happy Hour every Tuesday + Wednesday from 4 - 6pm featuring a discounted oyster, wine and beer plus a small rotating chef’s plate. //

610 FIRST ST., NAPA • WWW.HOGISLANDOYSTERS.COM

South Yard

The Napa Valley Marriott’s South Yard is situated for fun for everyone. Along with outdoor games such as cornhole, pong, and darts, during football season they are streaming all NFL games on Sunday and Mondays. Drink and food specials include $1 snacks, $2 beers (select brands) and bottomless mimosas. //

NAPA VALLEY MARRIOTT HOTEL & SPA • 3425 SOLANO AVE., NAPA

WWW.SOUTHYARDNAPA.COM

Merry Meritage

Napa’s Favorite Holiday Tradition is back at The Meritage Resort. Enjoy ice skating, a 40-foot Christmas tree, daily snowfalls at 6pm (after Thanksgiving) and visits from Santa on weekends. Book time on the ice in 90-minute increments. Special discounts for locals, first responders and Napa kids. Igloos and firepits are also available to rent. Nov 11 – Jan 8. //

WWW.MERITAGERESORT.COM

Clemente’s Moves to The Food Mill

One of Napa’s favorite Italian carry-out restaurants has moved to the Food Mill, on Napa’s south end. Best known for their traditional malfattis (hand-rolled spinach and cheese dumplings), Clemente Cittoni and his famiglia have been making the coveted pasta, meatballs, spaghetti, ravioli, soups and other Italian favorites since the 1960’s, when he worked alongside Theresa Tamburelli at the famed Depot Restaurant. // W704 TRANCAS ST., NAPA • 707-256-3663

NVL things to do

PUMP UP THE JAM

Live Music Venues in Napa

BY JILLIAN DARA

Valley

There’s something entirely unadulterated about finishing a day to the beat of crooning live music, especially in Napa Valley after a day of wine tastings or perhaps continuing the festivities with a glass in hand.

This is why so many proprietors have adopted the likes of live music throughout the years, leaning into local talent from the Valley, Bay Area, and beyond, as well as national names to grace the big stages, with a range across genres from blues and jazz to modern pop, alternative and even classic rock covers.

While outdoor performances are popular in the heat of summer, there’s no shortage of indoor locales offering live music throughout the seasons, including nightly offerings and weekly programming worthy of marking the calendar. From mainstream music venues to hotels, wine bars, and restaurants offering a more intimate stage for musical talent from near and far, these venues bring a unique rhythm to the Valley, promising year-round entertainment.

MAINSTREAM LOCATIONS

Oxbow River Stage: A stone’s throw away from the landmark Oxbow Public Market, this new outdoor venue in festival-style is the result of a partnership between the beloved Blue Note Entertainment Group and Another Planet Entertainment. Designed as a large format performance space for starstudded concerts, the venue, framed by Napa’s rolling hills, also hosts events from art and theater to film viewings.

1100 West St., Napa // www.oxbowriverstage.com

Blue Note Napa: Tucked into the first floor of the storied Napa Valley Opera House, Blue Note Napa is part gourmet restaurant, part live-music jazz club. Though Blue Note

Live Music at FARM

Photo courtesy of FARM Carneros

locations traverse from New York to Tokyo, the group always adapts to their locale. Napa Valley is no exception, combining relaxed NorCal vibes and an intimate stage that frequently hosts local performers. They also put on an outdoor series hosted at Charles Krug Winery during the summer, which further evokes a unique sense of place.

1030 Main St., Napa // www.bluenotenapa.com

Uptown Theater: A spot to go for household names, Uptown Theater has previously hosted Graham Nash, The Wallflowers, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs. The theater partners with nearby Tarla Grill for dinner-and-show packages, including a wide selection of popular restaurants on Napa’s busy downtown corridor.

1350 3rd St., Napa // www.uptowntheatrenapa.com

JaM Cellars Ballroom: Located above Blue Note Napa on the second floor of the Opera House, JaM Cellars Ballroom puts on both standing room and seated concerts with a 650+ person capacity. The ballroom is known for its late-night and weekend performances ranging from soul and pop to jazz and tribute shows.

1030 Main St., Napa // www.jamcellarsballroom.com

LOCAL HOTELS

Andaz Napa: The Mercantile Terrace is the place to be in the summer for live jazz, usually on Wednesdays and Fridays. And throughout the year, the hotel features

what they call “Andaz Artists” in their Lobby Lounge; their specially curated music program highlighting Bay Area musicians playing originals and covers.

The rotating venues keep things fresh and always entertaining.

1450 1st. St., Napa // www.hyatt.com/ en-US/hotel/california/andaz-napa

Archer Hotel Napa: Located on the sixth floor of this downtown Napa accommodation is the buzzing Sky & Vine, a rooftop restaurant emphasizing shareable plates and good times to the melody of live guitar. Along with specialty craft cocktails, the menu features private barrel flights, and

For musical talent from near and far, these venues bring a unique rhythm to the Valley, promising year-round entertainment.

Leon Bridges Performs at Oxbow River Stage

Photo by Laura Larson

Local Performers Mike Greensill and Kelly Fuller at the Blue Note

Blue Note Concertgoers at Charles Krug

Photo by Lowell Downey

things to do

when the weather cools, there are fire pits to keep the party going (and warm).

1230 1st St., Napa // www.skyandvine.com

Calistoga Inn: From May to October, this 17-room boutique offers nightly live music, meaning there’s always a reason to celebrate here. The cozy courtyard venue feels like a friend’s backyard, with a circle of Adirondack chairs surrounding a fire pit just steps from the indoor-outdoor bar. Don’t miss out on the proprietary beer; brewed onsite at Napa Valley Brewing Company.

1250 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga // www.calistogainn.com

WINE BARS AND RESTAURANTS

Taqueria Maria: What began as a way for the owners to bring a slice of their hometown to Napa with a live Mariachi band has quickly evolved into a weekly event on Friday nights. Kick things off with happy hour between 2pm to 4:30pm, then stay on for live Mariachi music for a genuine flavor of Mexican culture, entertainment and tradition. Dancing encouraged!

640 3rd St., Napa // www.taqueriamaria.com

Worth Exploring

The Yard at Feast it Forward

Branded as a wine experience and bottle shop, their live music is just one of the shows they put on for the community. Other highlights including cooking demos and karaoke.

1031 McKinstry St, Napa www.feastitforward.com

Farm at Carneros Inn

Hosted at Farm Pavilion, guests can enjoy local talent accompanied by seasonal bites and signature cocktails.

4048 Sonoma Hwy, Napa www.carnerosresort.com

Downtown Joe’s

Known as a “local spot” among Napa residents, this laidback brewery and restaurant knows how to jam from the riverbank-facing patio to the pub-like interior.

902 Main St, Napa www.downtownjoes.com

Meritage Resort

Be Bubbly: Though this sparkling winededicated wine bar built its reputation as an outdoor live music venue, they’ve since moved the show inside, welcoming a diversity of acts from regional singers to national performers, usually pairing unique sounds with modern beats (like bongos and DJs). Owner Erin Riley’s father was a recording artist, so she says music is a part of Be Bubbly’s personality. Enjoy 18 different sparkling options by the glass–another distinct facet that marked this wine bar on the map.

1407 Second St., Napa // www.bebubblynapa.com

The Saint: This decked-out lounge offers a romantic and relaxed atmosphere with its velvet couches and candlelit tables. Live music is a staple on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, with late-night wine tastings

The Village Lawn lights up throughout the year with live music performances accented by food trucks and wine tastings in a casual environment. Check their events calendar for upcoming programming.

875 Bordeaux Way, Napa www.meritageresort.com

on the weekends. The Saint also serves a full-course dinner, or guests can simply pick at elevated bar bites. Music acts range from classic pop to soft rock, blues, and Indy Pop (sung in French, Spanish and Portuguese).

1351 Main St., St. Helena // www.thesaintnapavalley.com

Taqueria Maria // Photo by Leslie Pacheco

Be Bubbly // Photo by Evan Roscoe

Photo courtesy of The Saint

NVL things to do

WEEKEND IN Downtown CALISTOGA

 BY CHARLENE PETERS

Downtown Calistoga // Photo courtesy Visit Calistoga

Considered the crown jewel of the Napa Valley, Calistoga reigns as a premier destination to sip some of the world’s best-known wines. Its quirky downtown main street, Lincoln Avenue, is reminiscent of a Spaghetti Western movie set, yet the city aligns both geographically and in terms of excellence—with the rest of this renowned Northern California wine region.

Landmarks in the form of plaques, street signs, restaurants, and inns pay homage to California’s first millionaire, Samuel Brannan, who founded Calistoga in 1861 as a resort town made accessible by railway construction (a project he spearheaded from San Francisco). Up to 10,000 years before Brannan came to town, the Native American Wappo tribe was lured to the healing geothermal waters of Calistoga, as are its visitors today.

Although it offers more to see or do than any other city in the Napa Valley, Calistoga holds wine at its forefront, with over 50 wineries ranging from boutique producers and small-production wineries to large-production facilities. In a nod to the volcanic ash-turned-mud wellness scene in town, guests are sure to find their Zen during their stay.

Calistoga’s walkable downtown is void of ubiquitous yellow arches and coffee cups emblazoned with a Greek mythological logo. The reality is there aren’t chain stores at all, but a plethora of unique and locally owned businesses that add to the town’s charm.

THINGS TO DO

At the opening to Calistoga’s downtown on Foothill Boulevard, Calistoga Pottery is a unique stop to shop for ceramic wares – some infused with local grapevine ashes to intensify the connection of the pottery to this destination. // www.calistogapottery.com

Oscar-winning Disney animator Ben Sharpsteen opened The Sharpsteen Museum in 1978 to memorialize the history of Calistoga. The museum is housed in one of three original Brannan cottages. Inside, a world-famous diorama displays the early years of Calistoga and its hot springs resort developed by the city’s founder. This is a great educational starting point before a walk down the main street, Lincoln Avenue. // www.sharpsteenmuseum.org

Shopping on Lincoln Avenue is an authentic exploration of boutique stops such as Mad Mod Shop, where all things ‘50s retro are worth perusing for potential purchases. // www.madmodshop.com

CAMi Art & Wine Gallery offers art and dining events throughout the year, but a stop inside to admire the latest art exhibit is worth a look. The art pairs well with the wines, too. // www.camivineyards.com

Instead of scheduling a stop at one downtown tasting room stop, the best value to taste at a few Calistoga tasting rooms is accessible with a passport to Winter in the Wineries. Passport season runs from December through early February. It presents an opportunity to stop in downtown tasting rooms such as Picayune Cellars, where shoppers may also browse through a selection of authentic French merchandise for sale as they sip on a fabulous Provençal-style rosé, and Tank Garage Winery, designed to look like a ‘30s-retro gas station. The best-kept secret at this tasting room is reserved for wine club members—access behind the curtain to a speakeasy with

walls decorated with Prohibition photography. // www.picayunecellars.com; www.tankgaragewinery.com

One of the quirkiest and not-to-bemissed events occurs the first Saturday of December: the Calistoga Lighted Tractor Parade, when a bevy of bedazzled tractors, floats, and farm equipment dance down the main street under falling “snow” flakes. // www.visitcalistoga.com

PLACES TO STAY

The resort scene in Calistoga is incomparable, with the historic Brannan Cottage Inn downtown, consisting of several quaint family cottages, and the palm trees that lead to Indian Springs Resort and its bohemian concept of authentic mud baths and the largest hot springs mineral pool in Calistoga – with its own capped geyser. // www.brannancottageinn.com; www.indianspringscalistoga.com

Calistoga Lighted Tractor Parade

Photo by Tim Carl

Stagecoach days of Calistoga // Photo by Chick Harrity courtesy of Sharpsteen Museum

Sharpsteen Diorama

Photo courtesy of Sharpsteen Museum

Calistoga’s historic hospital was renovated as the posh yet cozy Francis House More upscale options include Solage, an Auberge Resort , and its across-thestreet neighbor that has raised the ultraluxury bar even higher: Four Seasons Napa Valley . // www.fourseasons.com/ napavalley; www.thefrancishouse.com; www.aubergeresorts.com/solage

WHERE TO EAT

Calistoga has a range of food choices for a small town, from upscale gourmet dining to more casual fare. The most recent renovation and reopening of the Calistoga Depot Provisions is worthy of a stop inside if only to explore this historic 1868 train depot listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its café offers sandwiches, salads, an all-day breakfast, a casual wine and beer garden, an artisan grocery displaying local products such as olive oil and branded t-shirts, and an assortment of foods. There’s also an outdoor pizza oven and a wine shop. Newly opened Le Clos is inside the actual train car and is the place to shop for self-indulgences. // www.calistogadepot.com

Sam’s Social Club, named after Calistoga’s founder, is part of Indian Springs Resort and where happy hour in the lounge boasts black truffle deviled eggs and thincrust pizza to pair with a selection of local and world wines. An outdoor seating area overlooks palm trees and the Palisades, while indoors reflects a lodge-type atmosphere

amid a fireplace that burns day and night. // www.samssocialclub.com

On the heels of Mexican Independence, the gold rush wealthy Samuel Brannan settled in San Francisco while Anglo settlers began to arrive in Calistoga during the 1840s. Once Brannan heard about Calistoga’s hot springs, he purchased over 2,000 acres to build a replica of Saratoga Springs, New York. In a drunken state, he called the area “Calistoga of Sarafornia” – and the name stuck. Inside the breakfast and lunch eatery, Café Sarafornia, there’s a wall to commemorate Brannan’s drunken slur. // www.cafesarafornia.com

WHERE TO SIP

Calistoga is the only AVA (American Viticultural Area) in the United States

with nearly 100 percent volcanic soil that attributes to its intense wine flavors, and its Charbono wine is almost exclusive to this destination.

A handful of downtown tasting rooms offer an interesting selection of unique experiences, such as Vault Wine and Artifacts , a wine collective and antiques store founded by local winemakers Mario Sculatti and Trevor Mallett. The eclectic space features an incredible collection of boutique vintner labels and flights with over 24 by-the-glass offerings and private portfolio tastings. // www.vaultcalistoga.wine

FOR MORE INFORMATION 707-942-6333 // www.visitcalistoga.com

Mario Sculatti // Photo courtesy of Vault Wine + Artifacts

Calistoga Depot // Photo by Alexander Rubi

Who is Your Shining Star?

- A loved one no longer with us

- A family member, neighbor, or dear friend

- A Day Program or Hospice team member

- A beloved pet

Whatever the reason… your donation is a cherished way to pay tribute to those who have brightened your world.

To make your Shining Star sparkle, go to nvhospice.org/light-up-a-life or call 707.254.4157

Visit the illuminated display at 414 South Je erson St. Napa

December 2 through 30, 2022

ADJUNKT

Napa Designer Richard Von Saal’s latest innovation is his new retail space on First Street, ADJUNKT. The concept behind the shop is to offer “a collection of non-essential things that support an essential lifestyle.” Along with unique art, furnishings, curated collectables, and Richard’s designs, the space was created to support other artists and to give them a place to show their work. Richard also welcomes friends and patrons in to gather, create, play music, flip through vintage Playboy magazines or hear stories, because everything in the shop has a story and Richard knows them all. Open Wed, Thur, Sun 10am – 6pm and Fri, Sat 11am – 7pm.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 1300 First St Suite 262, Napa // IG: @vonsaaladjunkt

ZuZu’s New ‘Block Party’

With a commanding new presence on the Main Street block where it has served locals and visitors since 2002, Napa’s lively, Spanish themed downtown restaurant has doubled its presence on Main Street with the addition of a gin-based cocktail bar and larger dining area taking over the former Asia Chop Suey space. Celebrating 20 years, Zuzu has also expanded its menu and carved out a dedicated space for takeout, Hank’s Takeaway. Open for lunch and dinner.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.zuzunapa.com // 815, 825 and 829 Main Street

Auro

Four Seasons Resort Napa Valley presents Auro, wine country’s newest fine dining restaurant. Executive Chef Rogelia Garcia’s rotating hyper-seasonal, five-course tasting menu ($165/guest) draws inspiration from his Napa Valley upbringing and experience cooking at The French Laundry, Spruce, Cyrus and Luce with ingredients sourced from local purveyors and a dedicated culinary garden at Triple S Ranch. The setting offers magnificent views of the Calistoga vineyards and Palisades mountains.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 400 Silverado Trail N, Calistoga // www.fourseasons.com/napavalley

Photo courtesy of ADJUNKT

Photo by Katie Newburn Photography

Photo courtesy of Auro

Compline Wine Shop

Compline Restaurant expands with new wine shop. Located 100 feet away from the restaurant on First Street, founders Matt Stamp and Ryan Stetins have created a world-class wine retail destination in the heart of downtown Napa. Kept at cellar temperature (under 60°) the new shop features over 800 selections from Napa, nearby and around the world as well as a tasting bar offering flights selected and served by Compline’s sommelier team. Weekly wine education, workshops and events will also be featured. Open Wed – Mon, 11am – 7pm.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 1300 First St. #319, Napa // www.complinewine.com

Kathleen Thompson Hill: Kitchen Memories Collection

Author, food and traveler writer, Kathleen Thompson Hill, displays her collection of culinary relics at the newly installed Kathleen Thompson Hill Kitchen Memories Collection at Rutherford Cross. She began her collection in the early 80s, and since then, she has grown the collection to thousands of pieces, some dating as far back as the 1800’s. The permanent rotating exhibition includes an extensive collection of toasters, product tins, eggbeaters, copper and cast-iron pots and pans, as well as a special homage to M.F.K Fisher and Julia Child.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 1165 Rutherford Road, Rutherford // www.boissetcollection.com

Kerr Cellars

Kerr Cellars is downtown Napa’s latest tasting room to open on First Street. Located in the courtyard behind Oenotri, the substantially remodeled space softly opened in October with a Grand Opening planned in Spring 2023. Kerr Cellars was founded in 2013 by sommelier and Pro Golf star, Cristie Kerr. The small production wines, handcrafted by winemaker, Helen Keplinger, are offered to sample via guided tastings by appointment only.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 1463 First St., Napa // www.KerrCellars.com

Photo by Kali Kirschman

Photo courtesy of Kerr Cellars

Photo by Alexander Rubin

PINA CARINO MERRILL LYNCH ROCKSTAR

BY LAYNE RANDOLPH

Pina Carino exemplifies the Merrill Lynch Wealth Management team in Northern California. Two paragons of this superstar team include the group’s diversity—representing all members of society—and their involvement in and generosity to local communities and causes dear to them. After 28 years as a Wealth Management Advisor, Pina is the First Vice President and Senior Financial Advisor for Bank of America-Merrill Lynch in a field that is made up of only 10 percent women.

The Spa at The Estate Photo by Will Pryce

Photo by Lowell Downey, Art & Clarity

Her list of credentials is long. She is a Certified Financial Planner® and a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor®. In addition, Pina holds life and long-term care insurance registrations and series 7 and 63 FINRA registrations. Her community involvement includes Cope Family Center, LGBTQ Connection Napa, Sons of Italy, Napa School of Music, Lambda Legal, Human Rights Campaign, Humane Society, Alzheimer’s Association, and Women for Winesense Napa.

Pina’s life’s purpose was inspired in Naples, Italy, where she was born and named after her Zia (aunt) Pina. Her close tie and commitment to family continued to be a defining thread throughout her life. Her family emigrated to Arizona when she was a child, and her strong Italian family ties never waned. When her mother, Nina, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2005, Pina went into super-daughter mode, making sure her mother got the best care possible. She had already ensured her mother was financially ready.

“When my mom got Alzheimer’s, I had already purchased a long-term care policy for her. I am a big proponent of this for women because we comprise 80 percent of the population in long-term care. We will all need help, and we don’t want our kids to fight or lose their inheritance trying to manage our senior care.” Because of the long-term care policy, Pina could provide 24/7 live-in care for her mother, a true luxury for Alzheimer’s patients.

experience with the disease and advising women on what they can do now to protect themselves in the future.

Part of her educational presentation involves explaining what is happening in Alzheimer’s research and offering proactive measures people can take to prevent it. “Many new drugs are in development stages. The most important things to be on top of are cardiovascular activity, good sleep, a Mediterranean diet, continuing to learn new things, and remaining social,” Pina explained.

But she believes that women protecting themselves financially is just as important

as following a healthy lifestyle. “I want to make sure women know what they have. Only 10 percent of financial advisors are women, and women typically live longer and want to be more educated regarding their finances.”

Women face a retirement paradox: They live longer and thus have a much longer retirement period, in general, than men. While this is a fortunate aspect of female aging, it is also true that women are usually less financially prepared and have less savings than their male counterparts. Another financial challenge women need to plan for is that women’s healthcare

Helping her mother through the next ten years gave Pina a passion for helping others suffering from the disease. She joined the Northern California branch of the Alzheimer’s Association and now sits on their Board of Directors. In addition, she is on the Alzheimer Association’s speaker circuit, sharing her personal

costs are generally 39 percent higher than they are for men. The combination of retiring earlier, living longer, and having less financial preparation make it especially important that women are well-informed. They are likely to spend years alone and must rely on proper long-term care in their later years.

Pina’s top piece of financial advice for women is to have a long-term care policy. “We have hybrid policies that are not use-it-or-lose-it. That’s a concern for many people. With these types of policies, either you use the funds for your long-term care, get your money back, or the policy becomes a death benefit to your heirs. These plans allow for in-home care, nursing facilities, assisted living, and respite care.

“Only 10 percent of financial advisors are women, and women typically live longer and want to be more educated regarding their finances.”

Photo courtesy of Alzheimers Association Northern California

Pina’s mother, Nina, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at age 69, and Pina and her sister kept her in her home for the next ten years. They did not want to place her in a memory care unit with a one-to-six caregiver-to-patient ratio and mixed with some people with Alzheimer’s or dementia and others without. Pina saw firsthand how women needed information before they arrived at this point in their lives.

When Nina passed away, Pina continued to honor her by helping other women in her mother’s situation. She offered her

do not realize they have a 24/7 Helpline (800-272-3900).”

Pina’s warrior-like commitment to helping women is understandable for a person who originally planned to go into criminal justice. Wanting to help victims and provide justice, she interned under the then-Arizona Attorney General Janet Napolitano but eventually realized criminal justice was not the field for her. “I could not imagine guilty people being let go if I could not show that evidence was tampered with or thrown out,” she explained.

Bank of America-Merrill Lynch has been an active advocate for LGBT rights. Bank of America was the first financial institution to offer comprehensive domestic partner benefits. In 2015, Bank of America filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of marriage equality and again in 2019 in support of federal workplace protections for LGBTQ+ people. In 2019, the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) recognized Bank of America as its Corporation of the Year.

While financial planning may be very much the same for LGBT and non-LGBT people, some issues can be causes of concern for LGBT Alzheimer’s patients. In some cases, it can be challenging to find welcoming facilities and healthcare providers for members of the LGBT community. Pina has worked with the Alzheimer’s Association to use its platform to tackle some of these concerns. She is proud that the Association took the initiative to address discrimination in the LGBT community in its educational materials.

In 2021, Pina was awarded the North Bay Business Journal’s inaugural Pride Business Leadership Award. Beyond her focus on women and the LGBT community, Pina focuses on developing and maintaining prudent investment strategies and has offered a wide range of wealth planning and portfolio strategies to retirees, individuals, affluent families, corporate executives, and businesses.

mother’s home as a place for Alzheimer’s patients to live. “Nina’s Memory Care Home” accepted up to five people with Alzheimer’s or dementia and provided the same quality of care her mother received in her home with a round-the-clock twoperson caregiver staff.

In line with the abundance of energy she contributes to the Alzheimer’s Association, Pina has been on the Northern California Walk to End Alzheimer’s Walk Committee since 2017. She encourages others to participate in the walk to raise funds for vital Alzheimer’s research. (Join Pina’s team at www.alz.org/walk).

Her advice for those dealing with Alzheimer’s is to “reach out to your local Alzheimer’s Association for resources and information. Many people

After working as a financial advisor for Paine Weber and then Prudential, Pina joined Merrill Lynch in 2002. She was living in San Diego, where she met her life partner, and she eventually moved to Napa Valley, where she now lives and works closely with the LGBT community. “I call myself the connector. Many people come to Northern California to retire, and people are living longer than ever before. As we get older, people tend to stay to themselves. I want us all to get to know one another.”

She explained how working with the community differs from working with non-LGBT clients. “Now that same-sex marriage is legal, financial and retirement planning is the same, but because we usually don’t have children, we need to plan more than most people.”

The LGBT community and women have another thing in common. “I find that both LGBT folks and women are extremely interested in environmental social governance (ESG). They want to know what their money is being invested in – they want to support causes they care about. You have to listen and invest with their values in mind,” Pina explained.

“My motto to my clients is “SWAN: Sleep Well at Night,” Pina explained. Her love of family and community and her natural inclination to want to take care of people have all served her well. Her advice for those looking for a financial planner is that “it helps to choose an advisor who cares and wants to help people.” Pina Carino is one of those advisors.

Pina is a rockstar financial advisor, but she is also a—literal—rockstar. In her free time, Pina pursues her love of music, singing in1980s cover bands in gigs around Napa Valley.

L-R Armando Padilla, Todd Graff and Corey Garner

“Now that same-sex marriage is legal, financial and retirement planning is the same, but because we usually don’t have children, we need to plan more than most people.”

NAPA

VALLEY'S

Most Intriguing 2022

Napa Valley is best known as one of the world’s premier wine and food destinations, but it’s the people who live here who make it such a special place. In our 2022 Intriguing People Edition, we’d like to introduce you to this year’s list of Napa residents we think are worth getting to know.

“If you want to stand out from the crowd, give people a reason not to forget you.”

– Sir Richard Branson

DENISE ADAMS

VITICULTURALIST / VINTNER

No stranger to winemaking when she and her husband Stephen founded Napa Valley’s ADAMVS in 2008, Denise Adams had previously perfected her vinous technique as proprietor of the highly esteemed and historic Château Fonplégade in the legendary Saint-Émilion wine region of Bordeaux. Today, Adams splits her time between Bordeaux, where she painstakingly revitalized a time-worn chateau and its vineyards, and Howell Mountain, where she and her team craft lush, high-end estate Cabernet Sauvignons. “There is a natural rhythm that has taken place over the years, which is to rotate every two months or so,” said Adams. “This routine allows us significant time to dig in and get work done, yet we never feel apart from either property for too long. I am blessed to have staff at both properties who are deeply committed.” At ADAMVS (Latin for ‘borne of our red earth’), Adams employs the same organic

and biodynamic practices she established in France, where farm records date to the 16th century. “It was/is an amazing privilege to resurrect a historic chateau in a highly esteemed and historic winemaking region, yet equally exciting and challenging to create something from the ground up on Howell Mountain,” said Adams, a trained artist who enjoyed the creative process in helping design the ADAMVS buildings, wine library, tasting room, and winery. “These buildings all have meaning and significance to the land, the wines, and to me personally. I love entertaining and spoiling my family and friends with surprises, comfort, and beauty when they are in my home and gardens, so I took this same innate approach to imagine how our guests and future members would experience ADAMVS. We consider it a privilege to be a part of this great growing region and bring some of our knowledge from France to Napa.” // www.adamvs.com

Photo by Kim Carroll

ANNE ALDERSON

INTERIOR DESIGNER / OWNER, BRICK AND MANTEL

At age 19, Anne Alderson was instrumental in building her own custom home. From that experience, she learned that she loved the design process. This led to her eventual work for various interior designers in the Lake Tahoe region where she grew up, while she pursued design at the University of Nevada, Reno. After more than a decade of running her full-service interior design studio and home stores in Truckee and Petaluma, she opened her Napa business. As the owner of Brick & Mantel, she is one of Valley’s most prominent interior designers, with a long list of loyal clients who find inspiration within her newly expanded Bel Aire Plaza showroom, where she features 100% American-made handcrafted furniture, custom upholstery, lighting, area rugs, and home accessories. She

designs everything from the ground up, from initial space planning to finishing accessories. Adept at helping to bring her client’s visions to life, Alderson recommends that photos of favorite vignettes, colors, and furnishings be saved and shared. “These are essential tools for a designer to understand the look the client wants to achieve,” she said. “A good designer will be able to recreate the feel their clients wish to convey in the space they have.” Her easy-going and collaborative work style has earned her a legion of fans in both the residential and commercial realms. When not designing, she can be found enjoying the region’s ideal weather and the outdoor opportunities afforded. She loves cooking, baking, horseback riding, and wine tasting. // www.brickandmantel.com

DAN DAWSON

WINE ADVISOR

Dan Dawson moved to Napa in 1992 for two reasons: to find his place in the world of restaurants and fine dining, and more importantly, he had a Napa-based friend who had a couch on which he could crash. “To me, Napa was and is a Goldilocks town: not too big, not too small… just right,” said Dawson, who has always loved the region’s food and wine culture. Before finding his true calling as a wine merchant, his hospitality career included employment as a sommelier (French Laundry, 1998-2000), apprentice chef, food server, dining room captain, and hotel manager. “Every job, plus my Hospitality Management degree from UNLV, made a lasting impression and positive influence on my wine career.” From 2002 to 2017, he owned and operated Back Room Wines, still considered one of the Valley’s best wine shops for small-production California wines and wines from abroad. His newest venture, Outer Space Wines, opened this fall in Downtown Napa. “Running a small business takes many skills,” said Dawson, who is both the owner and manager. “The two that I think are most instrumental in my success are my ability to taste and identify high quality and value, and to be able to communicate to my clientele what makes these wines exceptional.”

Dan lives in Coombsville with his wife Holly, daughter Talia and dog Moxie. Beyond wine, Dan is an avid sourdough bread baker, adept gardener (skills picked up during the pandemic), and devoted volunteer coach for Napa United Soccer. His perfect day includes nine holes of golf with the family, a big bowl of mussels and fries with a cold bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, and watching the movie “Purple Rain,” which he has viewed at least 20 times. // www.firstandfranklin.com

SUSAN DeMATEI

MARKETING MAVEN

After 12 years in tech marketing working on brands such as Apple, Intel, and Sprint, Susan DeMatei moved from San Francisco to Napa for a lifestyle change. “I hit Silicon Valley in 1992, just as the internet was becoming mainstream,” said DeMatei, founder and president of WineGlass Marketing. “I was there for the first websites, emails, and online ads. We were creating things nobody had ever done before.” Her friends laughed when she moved to Napa for the slower pace that her occasional Napa weekend getaways provided. A city girl at heart (she grew up outside Washington DC and went to school in Boston), they thought she’d never consider living in an agricultural town. But once in Napa, she found a home and a successful business. She hasn’t completely abandoned tech, as her company’s mission is to help wineries market themselves using technology. “I love that in Napa, I know my neighbors, which I hadn’t in the city,” said DeMatei. “I’ve been here for

almost 20 years, but it wasn’t until I opened a small business and became an employer that I got to know this community intimately. I feel responsible for my employees’ lives here. It is not lost on me that anytime you outsource or subcontract, you’re taking away a job from a local. So I try to hire and support our community.” The one thing about San Francisco she misses? The San Francisco Choral Society, of which she was a member. She loves to sing classical choral music. Other passions include Pueblo Indian pottery (she and her husband have a collection of over 2000 pottery, bone, and wood items in their collection), intricate handmade adult wooden puzzles (“a great stress reducer”), and animal rescue – specifically bulldogs, of which she has fostered 11 in the past 15 years. “This passion has also merged with my company,” said DeMatei. “We are proud to handle marketing for Napa Humane and Friends of the Napa County Animal Shelter.” // www.wineglassmarketing.com

KELLIE FULLER

LOCAL ENTERTAINER

Kellie Fuller worked off and on most of her life as a concierge in many Napa Valley hotels and resorts and even the local hospital. She also served as a professional doula, a midwife’s assistant, and a childbirth educator, in addition to spending five years on-air with local radio station KVYN/KVON, where she produced and hosted “Kellie in the Morning.” But singing has always been her number one passion. “My mom says I was singing before I could walk,” said Fuller, whose dad is a professional musician. “My dad’s band often practiced in our garage when I was a toddler, and I loved to sing along.” Fuller, a self-taught pianist, joined every choir or singing group she could as a child. She started entering talent shows in the second grade. “I’ve always looked for every opportunity to sing. Even when I paused my music career to raise my kids, I still sang on special occasions for friends and family.”

It was Fuller’s Vintage High School music teacher, Kathy Blumer, who encouraged her to pursue singing as a career. She received her degree in performing arts from Napa Valley College and studied classical singing for several years before finding mentors in Terry Bradford and Wesla Whitfield. These days, when she’s not performing regularly at Blue Note Napa, Fuller can be found at local venues listening or dancing to live music. “I’m all about music,” said Fuller, who admits to being a serious ‘Trekkie’ in her downtime. She also admits to a curious post-performance ritual. “When I get home after a show, I’m usually pretty amped up. I go over the whole show in my mind like I hear each song as if it’s playing again. Then, after washing off the make-up, I open a can of green beans, heat it up, and add Miyoko’s butter and salt. It’s just so comforting and good!” Fans say the same of her singing. // www.kelliefuller.com

Photo by Eric Risberg

TIM GASKELL

MARTIAL ARTS PROFESSOR

As a child, Tim Gaskell poured over the 1980 Guinness Book of World Records with a goal to one day break his own record. He did so on July 18, 2021, after 31 hours and 32 minutes of consistent tai chi movement. Over that weekend, Gaskell performed the ancient martial art dance in slow motion until he was utterly exhausted, resulting in a world record title of ‘Longest Tai Chi Marathon.’ In doing so, he raised funds for the cancer, diabetes, stroke, arthritis, and Parkinson’s research foundations via live stream. “Helping people is my motivation,” said the professor of martial arts and personal trainer who specializes in tai chi, yoga, meditation, MMA, and self-defense at Active Wellness Center in Napa. He advocates that various versions of tai chi can help anyone improve wellness and self-efficacy. Gaskell also offers an online video course as a resource to learn tai chi, yoga, and other martial arts

at www.mytaichicourse.com. Occasionally, he guest lectures at local colleges about the ‘History, Philosophy and Application of Internal Arts.’ His family started its martial arts journey in late 1983 and traveled the world learning from various masters in a multitude of styles. In 1996, Gaskell initiated a martial arts career by partnering with local fitness centers and private facilities in Napa. His other professional experiences include production management, audio engineering, security, web development, and graphic design. Now devoted full time to his passion, Gaskell spends his free time gardening, cooking, woodworking, and trading cryptocurrency, as well as enjoying trips to the Sonoma Coast with his wife Alyssa and two dogs. Born in Napa, Gaskell has never felt the need to flee. “Napa Valley has a perfect climate and is home to some of the best food, wine, and people in the world.”

DAWN KING

PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR

As a FBI special agent, Dawn King was an expert in finding and developing informants. Often undercover, she worked on violent crime, drug, and computer crime cases and was incredibly successful in bringing many criminals to justice. She earned six letters of commendation from the Director of the FBI and was rated as “exceptional” for eight years straight. Then, she decided to become a stay-at-home mom. Eventually, she started her own investigation business in Napa – Dawn to Dawn Investigations. For nearly 20 years, King has served as a licensed private investigator, providing services to private citizens as well as attorneys. “I do all kinds of investigative work including civil litigation support, criminal defense, asset searches, difficult locates, background investigations and even missing persons and murder investigations,” said King, who also performs occasional surveillance for cases involving worker’s compensation, cheating spouses, and child custody.

Heady stuff, and likely a surprise for those who know King through her avocations as horseback rider, golfer, skier, scuba diver, hiker, and winemaker. (She and her husband planted a quarter acre of Cabernet grapes after moving to Napa 20 years ago from which they make a delicious Coombsville Cab.)

“The breathtaking beauty brought me to Napa, as well as the people, the wineries, the entertainment, the fabulous restaurants and of course the weather,” said King, who is known to play a mean air guitar. “I also love the hometown feel of Napa; any place with a Christmas parade and a 4th of July parade has to be loved. There’s not one month that goes by that I don’t enjoy something about Napa and the wine country.” // www.dawntodawninvestigations.com

Photo by Bob McClenahan

DAVID LONG

VINTNER

Before founding his winery, David Arthur Vineyards, Palo-Alto born David Long was a restaurateur. He owned a popular 40-seat fondue restaurant in Boulder, Colorado, where he had attended college at the University of Denver. But the restaurant business was no match for the allure of Napa, where he returned to work in the cellars and vineyards of Schramsberg, Joseph Phelps, and Chappellet while learning the business and developing and planting his own vineyard on his family’s property. Forty-five years ago he moved to Napa to help work his family’s ranch land high atop Pritchard Hill, Palo. Starting in the 1950s and over the years, Long’s father Don had acquired nearly 1,000 acres in the prized St. Helena region in hopes of one day starting a winery. In 1978, 28-year-old David built a small barn on the property and began planting grapevines. Recognizing the excellent quality of his grapes, his then-wife Joye suggested that rather than sell his grapes, he convert the barn to a winery. Eponymously named David Arthur Vineyards, its 1985 inaugural release coincided with the birth of David’s daughter Laura, who serendipitously now runs the day-to-day operations of the winery and vineyards. “Laura has the same passion for our business that I do,” said Long. “We share an office and a hug every day. It’s just the best!” In 2016, the duo welcomed Laura’s husband Teddy and his father Paul Bystrowski as partners. The foursome produce lush Bordeaux varietals and a highly regarded Cabernet Sauvignon from what might be the oldest Cab vines on Pritchard Hill. Long, an art major who studied pottery spends what little free time he has skiing, auto racing, cooking, and gardening. “I love that at its heart, this is an agriculture-focused community,” he said. “We farm at a high level. I love that we grow a product that is going to be enjoyed by people. When you arrive at someone’s house, no one expects you to bring a bag of Brussel sprouts!” // www.davidarthur.com

Photo by Bob McClenahan

PAUL MABRAY

WINE INDUSTRY CHANGEMAKER

Paul Mabray’s life has been a journey of connecting wine and tech. From his first job, where he increased sales by building his own customer relationship management system, to hiring a consultant at Niebaum Coppola to create the first wine club processing software, to being part of the first wave of online wine sites (WineShopper/Wine.com), and founding two successful wine-tech companies (WineDirect and VinTank), all of his experiences led him to his role as CEO at Pix - the world’s first wine discovery platform with a simple matchmaking mission: to pair people with bottles that bring them joy. “One of the most famous masters of wine once told me that becoming Pix’s CEO was like the old Guinness commercial, ‘This is the beer you’ve been practicing for,’” said Mabray, a father of four. “I believe the path forward for the sustainability of our community and our industry is a healthy adoption of digital. We need tools to better connect with consumers around the world. Nothing made this clearer

than the recent pandemic.” Mabray, whose wife is the CEO of Donum Estate, grew up in Napa, but at age 18, he ventured to Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and New York. He paid his way through college by selling comic books. “But Napa has a magical pull that called me back. Northern California intermingles country living with the rich culinary magic of big cities. Every experience you can imagine is within three hours—the snow, the ocean, the lakes, and the city. And the wine industry is truly one of the rare categories where our product binds us not only to the land and environment but to each other as a community. I’m happy to be not only a resident but an active member of this community.” A voracious reader and consumer of content, Mabray also enjoys writing (he has profiles on both Medium and Substack) and playing both board and video games. “Their deep immersion gives me a short escape from the intense pressure of being a startup CEO.” // www.pix.wine

Photo by Bob McClenahan

MICHELLE MANDRO

WINE COUNTRY AUTHOR AND INSPIRER

After an early television career and positions within corporate America at Universal Studios and YUM Brands Inc., Michelle Mandro moved to Napa Valley in 2005 as the Executive Director of the American Institute of Wine & Food, a national association founded by Robert Mondavi and Julia Child. Today, as the founder and president of Wine Country Women LLC., she is an author, podcast host, wine country expert, and change maker. “Ever since I started my company, I’ve become a bit of a workaholic,” said the Florida-born Mandro, who spent most of her adult life in Kentucky, where she worked on-air in television news for the CBS and NBC affiliates in Louisville. “There’s some crossover between my work and personal life. I enjoy wine tasting, hosting dinner parties, and learning about different cultures and businesses.” A busy work schedule has led to her pledge to say ‘yes’ to non-work activities. “I enjoy traveling - visiting favorite places and discovering new ones, intimate live concerts, seeing a polo match or NYC fashion show.” She supports cancer initiatives due to her mother’s passing from ovarian cancer and historic preservation initiatives. Due to her Kentucky heritage, it is no surprise to learn that she loves horses and the Kentucky Derby. “I’ve seen more than 15 Derby races, from watching in the infield as a high school student to sitting on Millionaires Row with celebrities and police escorts. It’s one of the most magical times to be in the State and should be on everyone’s bucket list!” But after 17 years in Napa Valley, she admits to feeling more and more like a California girl. “I love the diversity of the landscape, the moonlight falling on the vineyards, the aroma of grape juice during the harvest season, and the endless amount of fresh, fantastic food. I love the gracious, thoughtful, truly down-to-earth community of people. Whether dealing with fires, the pandemic, a charity event, or the harvest - the wine country community is compassionate. It is one-of-akind, and I’m glad to be a small part of it!” // www.winecountrywomen.com

CARLO MARCHIORI

ARTIST / GALLERY OWNER

Born in the Venice countryside, Carlo Marchiori ventured to art school in Padua before heading to Canada at age 18 to work as a film animator for CBC Television. From there, he moved to Tokyo to produce television commercials, then to New Zealand and Brazil before returning to Toronto. He ended up in Napa 35 years ago after a short time in San Francisco, where his search for warmer weather was thwarted by the City’s notoriously cold summers. “I decided to warm up in Calistoga,” said the octogenarian artist, who found great success as a muralist, adorning the walls of Las Vegas hotels, casinos, and restaurants in the Renaissance/classical styles that he’d learned in Padua. His beautiful and often whimsical artworks (stone plaques, ceramics, porcelain, sculptures, paintings, and more) can be seen at his Ca’ Toga Gallery in Calistoga. “Calistoga turned out to be a lottery prize, a great little town,” he proclaimed. Within his six acres along the headwaters of the Napa River, Marchiori has recreated a bit of Italy to console his nostalgia for his native land. “Napa reminds me of my native hilly countryside,” said Marchiori. His Ca’ Toga villa, where he gives private tours every Saturday from May through October, is frescoed in various classical styles; the grounds are reminiscent of Roman ruins, presenting an evocative antique setting in an “abandoned state” among olive trees, weeds, and wild ducks swimming in a pond. He discourages catalog consumerism and encourages others to use their imaginations to realize their own ideas. Marchiori states, “To create is to express and to reassure oneself in this prefab, marketed culture” Ever energetic and curious, he continues to indulge his many hobbies, passions, and ideas. “I can entertain myself by absorbing project after project. I like history, art, ancient cities, ruins, and American National Parks for their primordial sense of space. Nature always wins me over. When I think of my life and career, I realize I have had an engaged, happy, and fruitful existence.” // www.catoga.com

Photo by Tony Banthutham

BRITNY MAUREZE

EXECUTIVE CHEF

Britny Maureze moved to Napa 14 years ago to attend the Culinary Institute of America and couldn’t find a reason to leave. After her CIA graduation, she honed her wine and food pairing skills at Chateau Montelena, Signorello Estate, and St. Supery before finding a home as the first in-house executive chef at Sequoia Grove, where she has helped to build the culinary program from the ground up. “When I saw the opportunity to start a culinary program from scratch in a brand new facility, I jumped headlong into it, and my risk paid off,” said Maureze, who holds a degree in psychology with an emphasis in behavioral neuroscience.

As Sequoia Grove’s executive chef since 2018, Maureze changes her delectable “A Taste for Cabernet” tasting menus seasonally, utilizing the freshest, locally sourced ingredients to bring out the best in Sequoia Grove wines, the grapes of which have been sourced from both highaltitude vineyards and those on the valley floor since the winery’s 1979 inception. Featuring creative dishes such as potato-crusted halibut with primavera sauce, Mediterranean falafel with black garlic yogurt, and duck confit empanadas with mole Rojo – all paired with Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignons - hers is one of the most highly rated tasting experiences in the valley. “I love the easy access to the wide variety of produce, meats, and seafood that we have here, and of course, the proximity to the best wines in the country,” said Maureze, who, when asked which of her qualities might surprise people, admits to being a huge Weird Al fan. In addition to the side business she created in 2019 (Chef Brit’s Baked Goods, where she makes a variety of brownie flavors), Maureze spends free time at the area’s parks with her 2 ½-year-old daughter Genevieve. And she loves the proximity to California’s beaches and mountains. “We are so spoiled here!” // www.sequoiagrove.com

Photo by David Collier

BOB McCLENAHAN

NAPA VALLEY PHOTOGRAPHER

His work is ubiquitous. Bucolic vineyard images. Black and white portraits. Perfectly illuminated bottle shots. As one of Napa Valley’s most prolific photographers, Bob McClenahan captures the vibe and tenor of the region through the lens of his Fuji cameras. His images are seen in magazines, books, brochures, billboards, and websites. He records for posterity the goings-on at marquee events such as BottleRock, Festival Napa Valley, the Napa Valley Film Festival, and The V Foundation Wine Celebration. His client list is a who’s who of Napa Valley industry leaders – each of whom acknowledges his work as instrumental in attracting visitors to the area.

McClenahan’s love for wine country’s lifestyle is evident in every one of his photographs – an irony that he acknowledges. “I moved to Napa in 2005, and frankly, I hated it. I didn’t like wine or the stuffy nature of it

all.” But a strong sense of community quickly drew him in, as did the area’s natural beauty. “The vineyards, oakcovered hillsides, bright yellow mustard, and rolling hills of Carneros… there’s a lot of beauty here to photograph.” He had never intended to become a photographer. “It just kind of happened,” said McClenahan. “I had been laid off, and that caused me to give photography a shot.” Previous professions include grocery store clerk during college, compliance officer auditing books and records for financial companies post-college, and even a stint at MTV during the dawn of the internet, where he provided website content. “I was hired to write CD reviews, band interviews, and concert reviews. They needed images to accompany the articles, and that’s when I started taking photos.” The rest, as is said, is photographic history. // www.bobmcclenahan.com

CHUCK MEYER

FOOD & BEVERAGE ENTREPRENEUR

Chuck Meyer sampled many ‘real jobs’ upon graduation from UCLA before discovering his true calling in the hospitality industry.

Before founding Napa Palisades Saloon and Beer Company, First and Franklin Marketplace, Ox and the Fox, and most currently, Outer Space Wines, he was a dishwasher, a bartender, a lifeguard, a custom ski boot fitter, a hand model, and a game show contestant. (He’s appeared on Who Wants to be a Millionaire and $25,000 Pyramid.) For nearly ten years, he has also served as director of food and beverage for Bottle Rock Napa Valley. “I am a serial entrepreneur focused primarily on food and beverage,” said Meyer, who moved to Napa from San Francisco in 2010 for the weather, the laid-back vibe, and the proximity to mountains, city, and beach. “I’m particularly interested in how to sustainably offer higher-end ingredients while maintaining a price point that can be accessible to everyday humans.”

During the dark days of the pandemic, Meyer created Feed Napa Now in acknowledgment that even though he and others in the hospitality industry were in a difficult situation, many had it worse, He continued to purchase food inventory that he then shared with his staff. In addition, he partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of Napa Valley to raise funds to provide meals for those with food insecurity, and with the help of local restaurants, he organized weekly meals for delivery to those in need. A fan of all Bay Area sports teams, Meyer’s biggest obsession is skiing, followed by any other activity enjoyed on water. “Frozen, or flowing; boats, skis, or boards, I love it all,” said Meyer, whose other pastime is chasing after his five and two-yearold boys. // www.napapalisades.com, www.firstandfranklin.com

Photo by Nic Meerholz, Sea Timber Media

ERIN RILEY

SMALL BUSINESS OWNER

As the owner of Be Bubbly, Erin Riley brings the Napa Valley its first-ever dedicated champagne and sparkling wine bar. The idea percolated when she ran the wine shop for the Napa Valley Wine Train. “I saw that this was a missing niche, and I started putting my business plan together,” said Riley, a lover of great food, wine, and travel. She hand selects and serves more than 100 of the best champagnes and sparkling wines from around the world at her downtown Napa tasting room. Born in Memphis and raised in Nashville, she spent most of her young adult life in Texas. But when her sister moved to Yountville, Riley visited and fell in love with the town. “When I got the opportunity to transfer with my company 22 years ago, I jumped.”

Before opening Be Bubbly, she served as a multistore district manager for companies such as Williams

Sonoma, where she worked at the San Francisco corporate headquarters before settling in Napa as the sales director for Villagio Inn and Spa and Vintage Inn, a position that exposed her to the wine country lifestyle. In the interim, she purchased a 47’ sailboat intending to sail around the world. After five months of training and preparation, she sailed from Baltimore to Bermuda to Virgin Gorda. But after surviving two hurricanes, she decided to return to the comfort of Napa. “The people who live and work here are very dedicated to the industries that support this winegrowing region, so I have made great friends who also share my love of food, wine, and travel,” said Riley. “I love the beauty that is all around us! The hillsides and the vineyards still take my breath away. It reminds me very much of being in the Champagne countryside.” // www.bebubbly.com

Photo by Evan Roscoe

CRAIG SMITH

COMMUNITY LEADER

When Craig Smith became the Executive Director of the Downtown Napa Association (DNA) 26 years ago, it was simply a part-time gig meant to hold him over while he and a friend worked on a startup. But the job ended up being more fun than Smith could ever have imagined. Parttime turned to fulltime years ago. And that startup? It never came to fruition. As DNA’s director, Smith’s role is to foster better business in the downtown area, provide support for the merchants and professionals, and promote downtown as the core of the community for business, entertainment, and culture - something that comes naturally to him. He fell in love with the region 28 years ago when he followed a crush (now his wife) to town. “The weather, the outdoors, the people – I love all of it,” said Smith, who sheepishly admits that he isn’t a wine drinker. He doesn’t drink at all. He loves the way different organizations work hand-in-hand, without worrying whose turf it is. “And I love that people immediately come together to solve something when something goes wrong.” Smith formerly worked for the GAP and the American Lung Association. “Which seem like disparate professions, but ironically the DNA wanted someone with retail and nonprofit experience. Who else even has that?” Smith and his wife love to travel. In the past year, they ventured to Botswana and Antarctica. He loves kayaking, cycling, and cooking. He even wrote and selfpublished a mystery novel, Lies that Bind – How Do You Arrest Someone Who Doesn’t Exist? “Despite winning a fiction award and receiving five stars on Amazon, only about 500 people have read it,” laughed Smith. “But check it out; it’s a good read if I do say so myself.” // www.donapa.com

RICHARD VON SAAL

CREATOR AND DESIGNER

According to Richard Von Saal’s mother, his creative persona was revealed right out of the womb. At the earliest age, he was drawing buildings, fashion, furniture, and cars and assembling geometric shapes into functions. “My passion for creating materials and colors into patterns of functionality has always been prevalent,” said Von Saal. “My mind never rests nor slows down, a blessing and a curse.” The highly regarded designer refers to himself as an artist ‘supported by the blood and guts of an entrepreneurial mind.’ “For the most part, I assemble craft, and business is always the muse,” said the former proprietor of Mixers Juice bar and Health Shoppe in St. Helena, where he used juice to heal his cancer and opening the store to cancer patients. That led to his opening of Mixers Eclectic Cafe and Juice Bar in Napa on Jefferson Street, where he served smoothies, fresh juices, and gourmet coffee in a space he designed and built with his “then” artist fiancé. “We built every inch of the space and designed/built the furniture, leather textured the walls,

opened beam ceilings with sprawling curly willow branches and copper melting carrot stools.” Northern California satisfies Von Saal’s many passions. The avid collector of artistic furniture, objects, and tchotchkes, loves the communities of Napa, Marin, San Francisco, Humboldt County, and Yolo County for their diversity. “I’ve been an avid outdoorsman trekking far into the forests, fishing the smallest streams and brooks, repelling down abandoned mining shafts from the gold rush days, and then come home to the finest craft food, then caviar toasting with the most splendid wines of all time, heaven! The ocean shores have my soul in the waves, beaches, and cliffs. The forests yield amazing woods that I salvage, Walnut, Monterey Pine, gorgeous Oaks and Olive, and their dust fills my lungs as I create the designs for my clients–pure bliss.” His latest venture, Vonsaal Adjunkt gallery in Downtown Napa, passes his collections to patrons as he forages onward, satisfying his search for yesteryear’s pieces that he will recondition in his inimitable style. // www.vonsaal.com

Photo by Bob McClenahan

COLLIN WHITE

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR

As the founder and CEO of Stitches Medical, Inc., a medically oriented apparel brand, Collin White and his team design clothing customized to an array of treatments such as post-surgery, chemotherapy, dialysis, and incontinence. The idea was born in his dad’s private medical practice, where patients consistently asked, “What am I supposed to wear?”

“I realized that this question was not being met with a clear answer, so I decided to embark on this journey of developing hassle-free apparel that was ideal for wearing both inside and outside clinic visits,” said White, who previously worked as a commercial real estate agent in San Francisco. He has found great satisfaction in transitioning from transactional work to a career that creates comfort for those in need. Born and raised in Napa, White is happy to raise his family in the region where he grew up. “What has kept me in Napa is the idyllic lifestyle. I have two little boys, ages 1 and 4, and Napa Valley has the perfect ingredients for raising a family. I love that we get to live in an agricultural setting where we can smell the grape crush in the air during harvest, see tractors driving along Highway 29, and live in a small community. There’s a certain nostalgia of living in wine country where it feels like we are truly living within a movie.” When not working, White can be found on the polo field. A lifelong polo player, he played as a youth in Argentina, where he developed an affinity for Latin America. (He and his family spend two months each year in Guatemala City, his wife’s hometown.) In high school and college, he played polo at the national level and was elected onto Team USA shortly after college.

He continues to play in various tournaments throughout California as his Stitches Medical, Inc. business flourishes. “I knew that being in business with my father, where we are creating something of value to those in need, would be special,” said White. “I was right.” // www.stitchesmedical.com

BARIS & RODI YILDIZ

LOCAL RESTAURATEURS

Brothers Baris and Rodi Yildiz moved from Kurdistan, Turkey to the Bay Area two years apart when each was 16 years of age. When each arrived, they started working at their uncle’s restaurant in Burlingame. After a variety of subsequent restaurant jobs, the duo realized their long-held dream of owning their own eatery. In 2002, they opened Ristorante Allegria; twenty years later, they have found themselves part of the fabric of Napa Valley. Favored equally by tourists and locals who love its Californiainfluenced Italian cuisine made by longtime chef Cesar Rodriguez, Ristorante Allegria is a warm and inviting place where Rodi and Baris welcome guests like family. They have defined jobs (Rodi is the wine buyer, and Baris handles daily operations), but each covers the other in an adept display of familial allegiance. The restaurant has helped to support family members who followed them to the states: mother,

sister, and older brother. It has also helped to support the greater community. During fires, an earthquake, and a pandemic, Rodi and Baris have kept Allegria open in one form or another, whether it be to provide coffee or takeout meals or to simply provide a calm spot in which to gather. “We feel a responsibility to this community,” said Rodi, father of three. “We try to stay open during trying times to provide a sense of normalcy.” When not busy at the restaurant (one or both are there every day), the two share a love of hiking, camping, golf, martial arts, and soccer. “We always wanted to open our own restaurant,” said Baris. “The very first time we visited Napa, we fell in love with it, and that is when we decided to open Allegria here. Napa is a great place to raise a family. And, of course, it has the best wine in the world and exceptional food.” Allegria notwithstanding, of course. // www.ristoranteallegria.com

Photo by Bob McClenahan

KNIGHTS BRIDGE WINERY: So Much Below the Surface

BY MARK GUDGEL | PHOTOS BY MIKE LARSON

Just north of Calistoga, where Mount St Helena looms larger than ever over the warm, jagged hillsides that have proven to be some of the most fertile lands in all of California, a winding road leads west through well-cultivated vineyards, up a hill to what appears at first blush to be a simple crush pad with a glass wall behind it. Upon closer inspection, however, it quickly becomes apparent that what sits behind the glass wall, embedded in the mountainside, is perhaps one of the most immaculate and modern wineries in all of wine country.

Welcome to Knights Bridge Winery. 2022 marks just the second harvest in this building, about which words like “stunning” and “incredible” fall short. In designing the building, the architect used Mount St Helena to sight the center and built

from there, making this view of the sentinel peak one of the best to be found. Fifty acres of grapevines surround the modest footprint, but upon walking through the fourteen-foot sliding glass doors, a massive underground space sprawls out. The first winery built in Knight’s Valley since Peter Michael back in the 1980s, vintners Kelley and Jim Bailey have made attention to detail their number one priority.

Behind the glass walls is a fermentation barn full of stainless-steel tanks. “Every person who visits the winery goes the same route the grapes do,” explained Knights Bridge Vice President Laura Kirk Lee. Beyond them, the Grand Cave features concrete eggs, or rather, concrete tulips, Kelley’s favorite flower, with the Knights Bridge icon emblazoned upon each in bronze. Beyond the eggs, barrel rooms full of sixty-gallon barriques. Director of Winemaking Douglas Danielak, who began his career in Bourgogne, returns annually to select the French oak that will become Knights Bridge barrels. Near the back, the architects have left exposed a wall of rhyolite tuff, the unique sandstone-like mineral that helps give Douglas’s wines some of their incredible flavors. “Hopefully,

the wines leave a memory as indelible as the countryside,” he said, looking into his glass with a smile.

The Tasting Salon is a room full of natural light with a cozy feel. A vase full of tulips, a few large-format bottles, and a view of the outside. On the walls are two striking paintings by a South African artist, Werner Smith, whom Kelley met while traveling. A long table and comfortable chairs await all who enter, with Knights Bridge’s incredible wines—including one of the most extraordinary Sauvignon Blancs on the market—waiting to be enjoyed.

To open a new winery is a herculean act. To open a winery with such incredible architecture, with personal touches at every turn, a place that is at once the perfect blend of form and function, well, such a thing is rarely accomplished. Yet, in the shadow of Mount St Helena, the Knights Valley’s first winery in nearly four decades has set the bar high for anyone who might follow in their footsteps, creating one of the most spectacular must-visit tasting experiences in wine country.

MORE INFORMATION www.Knightsbridgewinery.com

FRANK FAMILY VINEYARDS and MONOPOLY:

A WINNING COMBINATION

Monopoly, one of the world’s most iconic board games, has passed “Go” and landed amongst the vines of beautiful Napa Valley with its own limitededition game board. To mark the special occasion, Mr. Monopoly himself unveiled the official board in October at Calistoga-based Frank Family Vineyards, one of the featured historic wineries on the board.

“We love a good story and are a nostalgic bunch at Frank Family Vineyards. We could not be more thrilled to have a prominent position on this board next to other iconic wineries such as Beringer and Sterling,” said former Disney Studios President and Frank Family Vineyards Founder Rich Frank. “Like classic Cabernet vintages, Monopoly transcends generations, and we love that Hasbro has licensed a special limited-edition for Napa Valley wine lovers and game collectors alike,” he added.

Much like the original Monopoly board, the Napa Valley edition, produced by game maker Top Trumps USA, under license from global entertainment company Hasbro, replaces the traditional Atlantic City street names and locations with Napa Valley alternatives. From the Silverado Resort to Oxbow Public Market, the new edition features Napa Valley cultural sites, world-class

restaurants, historic landmarks, and timehonored businesses to ensure each game detail pays homage to Napa Valley. Expect also to find customized Community Chest and Chance playing cards, such as Frank Family’s rendition, which reads, “Frank Family’s Patriarch Cabernet Sauvignon matures in your cellar. Collect 10.”

“We’re excited to launch Monopoly Napa Valley Edition in time for the holidays and to celebrate one of the most beloved, culturally rich, and geographically beautiful wine regions in the world. We’ve spent months creating a portrayal of the area’s dynamic communities that we hope locals and visitors alike will enjoy for years to

come,” said Jennifer Tripsea, a representative from Top Trumps USA.

Monopoly Napa Valley Edition has a suggested retail price of $39.95 and is available through Amazon, CVS, and TopTrumps.us. The game can also be found at local Napa retailers and tasting rooms, such as Frank Family Vineyards.

NATIONAL PLAY MONOPOLY DAY

Since its introduction in 1935, over 250 million Monopoly games have been sold, and the game has been played by more than 1 billion people worldwide. One of the most popular board games in history, it is no surprise that it has a dedicated day of the year, which falls on November 19. Frank Family Vineyards took the opportunity to celebrate the occasion with a fun and interactive game day at the winery. Guests enjoyed their favorite Frank Family wines while playing individual Monopoly games at their leisure at the winery’s beautiful picnic grounds. To attend future Frank Family events and experiences, visit www.FrankFamilyVineyards.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.FrankFamilyVineyards.com

 PHOTOS COURTESY OF FRANK FAMILY VINEYARDS

Merry christmas

Wishing you and yours a and a Joyful New Year!

THE BIALE FAMILY LEGACY Black Chickens and Zinfandel

BY MARK GUDGEL | PHOTOS COURTESY OF BIALE FAMILY VINEYARDS

“

Buongiorno. This is Antonio. I need four dozen eggs and a gallina nera.”

“ Gallina nera? But sir, we only have leghorns— white chickens.”

“ Just tell Aldo I need a black one.”

For years after Prohibition nearly administered a coup de gras to the American wine industry, Napa Valley struggled on with immense difficulty. A few pioneering winemakers had remained in business by producing sacramental wines, but most had either folded or replanted their fertile vineyards to fruit orchards. Dotted with ghost wineries, nobody could foresee that the sleepy valley would one day be the most important wine-producing region in the world.

When Aldo Biale was only thirteen, his father died in an accident at the Basalt quarry. Suddenly the man of the family, it fell to Aldo to make money. They had

some chickens, and he could scrape by for a while selling eggs, but he knew he needed a steadier income stream. So, lacking the resources or the resolve to get a proper license, Aldo began bootlegging homemade Zinfandel in 1942. Given that the “party line” phone system meant anyone could hear what you were saying, Biale’s code for his jugs of Zinfandel, which he sold for a buck apiece, was a “gallina nera”—a black chicken. Oh, and don’t forget to order eggs.

At twenty-four, Aldo returned to his parent’s homeland of Piedmont and married Clementina. One day, when a customer called to order his black chicken, Clementina took the call. “We only have leghorns—white chickens,” she told the man, confused. “Just tell Aldo I need a black one,” said the stranger, and he hung up. That night at dinner, when Clementina recounted the odd exchange, Aldo began laughing uncontrollably. In the end, and despite the odds, Aldo and Clementina Biale made enough to save the family ranch. “We still have it in the family today,” smiled Robert Biale, their son, adding, “These family stories are simple, but they’re meaningful.”

Robert Biale had been in the wine industry nearly from birth, and in 1991 he transitioned from

grower to producer. At that time—and still today—conventional wisdom suggested ripping out Zinfandel and most other varietals and replacing them with highpriced, high-yield Cabernet Sauvignon. Biale rejected the idea. “My dad loved Zinfandel,” he said, “and that life transferred to me very easily.” Today, Napa’s own Robert Biale Vineyards is all but laserfocused on Zinfandel, producing numerous expressions of the varietal that each tells a story and are as approachable as they are elegant and well-made. The flagship? Black Chicken Zinfandel, of course.

In 2009, Biale honored his father’s legacy in the industry by creating a wine he called “Bravo Aldo,” a Zinfandel for the ages. The harvest occurred in October of that year, and two months later, Aldo Biale passed away. However, his legacy remains in the form of his son’s eponymous winery. As one staff member recalled after being hired: “They took me to Aldo’s Vineyard, and there was Bob, walking around with pruning shears in his hand.” Bob Biale smiled at their shared recollection. “He’s got the vineyard in his heart, and he’s always tending it.”

TIM & SABRINA PERSSON

GENERATION HESS FAMILY

AWAKENS

“There are five hundred places to go in Napa Valley. So we feel privileged when people choose us,” said Sam Dearden, son of Chris Dearden, who after years of toil and honing his craft at last realized his dream of opening his own winery, Sleeping Giant, this past spring in the Los Carneros AVA of Napa Valley.

“I did it the whole wrong way,” joked Chris, a Sleeping Giant baseball cap on his head, a glass of Cabernet in his hand. “They say if you want to make a small fortune in the wine industry, start with a large one. Well, I didn’t have a fortune. I’ve just been saving and working for others since 1986.” That was the year that Dearden graduated from UC Davis. Among those Dearden has worked for is Zinfandel-enthusiast Bob Biale, who calls Chris a “true Renaissance Man.”

Chris first purchased a run-down property in Carneros with a livable house and a dilapidated water tower that caught his creative eye. “They’re unique to Napa,” said Chris, who offered tastings in the water tower while his winery was being built.

Sleeping Giant recently celebrated its opening with a harvest party, and fans of Chris’s wine flew in from all over the country. Chris maintains a personal,

familiar relationship with every one of them, each of whom is eager to congratulate him on this long-awaited accomplishment.

The Deardens are proud of their new winery, and rightfully so. Not only because they worked so hard for so long to save up the money to buy the property and build the facility, but also because Chris designed it himself. “I’ve designed a few of these for other people,” he smiled.

“I wanted this open-air feel with a crush pad, morning sun but not afternoon sun.” The solar panels render Sleeping Giant net zero in their use of electricity. Bugs are taken care of by the ubiquitous western bluebirds. The drip irrigation systems use reclaimed water while fresh water is recycled in their Bio-Filtro worm digester and used for landscaping and vineyard use. The accordion doors in the tasting room face west, opening onto the vineyards of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

and affording visitors incredible views of the setting sun.

The harvest party and the grand opening of Sleeping Giant Winery mark neither the beginning nor the end for Chris Dearden and the realization of his Napa Valley dream. As his guests began to depart, Chris took the time to make sure each one knew just how much he appreciated them. “We couldn’t have done this without people like you,” Chris said to one. “Hope to see you again soon,” he told another.

Sleeping Giant Winery may seem to outsiders like “just another” new winery, but those who know Chris Dearden know that it’s a special place because of the man who envisioned it and the incredible wines he makes. Perhaps even more so, it’s special because it represents a renaissance man of a winemaker who, despite going about it “the whole wrong way,” made his dream come true.

 BY MARK GUDGEL | PHOTO COURTESY OF DEARDEN WINES

Introducing the Wine Gems of Canada to the U.S KASCADIA WINE MERCHANTS

BY FRANCIE LOW | PHOTOS BY ALINA ROZ PHOTOGRAPHY

Of the many great wine regions in the world to experience, there is a must-add to the list: the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia Canada. Increasing awareness and accessibility to the spectacular up-and-coming wines is a personal quest for Canadian native, VJ Gandhi, founder, and CEO of Kascadia Wine Merchants, an online marketplace showcasing some of the very best Canada has to offer.

In 2014, VJ moved to the Bay Area to be with her new husband and soonto-be business partner, Vishal Gandhi, a California native. She promptly noticed Canadian wines were missing from retail shelves and restaurant wine lists, aside from the expected delicious ice wines. Since then, it has been her soul’s mission to change that reality. She researched import regulations and built relationships with top Canadian wine producers to “reinvent how wine consumers in the U.S. see, taste, and experience Canadian wine,” said VJ.

By the end of 2017, Kascadia Wine Merchants initiated a soft launch and it’s

been steadily growing since. The name, Kascadia, was inspired by the Cascademountain range extending from southern British Columbia to Northern California, connecting her old and new homes. Each wine is personally selected by VJ to ensure the highest quality wines are represented. She knows when a wine is right as her love of Canadian wine grew out of her many summers vacationing in the beautiful Okanagan Valley. The accessibility to incredible local wine left its mark on VJ.

The region is flush with fruit trees and grapevines, in a gorgeous mountain-lake setting, known as the fruit bowl of Canada. The area is quickly transitioning from orchards to vineyards due to the excellent grape-growing climate and soil. The earth is rich in minerals and nutrients, a carryover from the melting glaciers of 10,000 years ago and eroding mountain rivers and previous flooding. Minimal rainfall and long hours of sunshine already make this an optimal area for vineyards, but the impact of a warming climate is taking the quality crops to another level.

“Talented and elite winemakers from across the globe are seeking opportunities to work in Canada, and are delivering exquisite results,” said VJ.

Hence, the explosion of award-winning boutique wineries in what is now one of the top wine-growing conditions in the world. Smaller productions mean greater care and attention to creating artisanal wines, many of which are organic and sustainable. Chardonnay, Syrah, and the seeming favorite, Cabernet Franc, makeup the greatest portion of varieties in the Okanagan Valley.

Kascadia Wine Merchant’s portfolio is proud to represent the hidden gems of British Columbia, as well as, the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario. The wines are in high demand from discerning wine connoisseurs to renowned restaurant owners. This is good news, as VJ is well on her way to expanding the wine horizon to include Canada in her new-found home in America.

ZINFANDEL NAPA’S

Treasure Trove

Zinfandel vines have been rooted in California soils since the mid-1880s as far south as Paso Robles and as far north as Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Its commonly referred to as the state’s heritage grape variety, as it was historically planted by immigrant farmers and continues to boast the oldest vine age across the state.

BY MELISSA VOGT

Photo courtesy of Chateau Montelena

Hungarian immigrant Agoston Haraszthy is believed to be the first to bring Zinfandel to California in the 1850s. The grape became popular, and because it was ideally suited to the California climate, it was widely planted, with winemakers often crafting the variety in an Italian-style field blend (blended with small portions of other grape varieties).

Unfortunately, while Prohibition paused grape growing, post-Prohibition Zinfandel didn’t gain back the traction that it once had in the Valley, and it was widely replaced by other varietals as time elapsed. This especially played out as Napa entered the golden age of Cabernet Sauvignon, following the famous 1976 Judgment of Paris wine tasting that brought this Bordeaux varietal to the region’s forefront.

Present-day Napa Valley winemakers like Robert Biale and Matt Taylor have remained steadfast in their commitment to local Zinfandel. They have opted to preserve the grape as California’s heritage variety and, along with a

handful of other local winemakers, are crafting some of the most quality-driven and affordable bottles of wine in Napa Valley— Zinfandel with great finesse, structure, and approachability.

From Mountaintops to Valley Floor

In the world of wine, there’s almost nothing more beautiful than head-trained Zinfandel vineyards. The majestic way the vines stand solitary and wild with vine shoots often reaching in all directions. The long, gnarly rows stretch from the present day to a deeply rooted past, telling the tale of a historic grape variety that fell out of fashion.

Photo courtesy of Elyse Winery

But those who know and love Zinfandel know of the local producers who work to keep Zinfandel vines rooted—these are the winemakers who understand how exceptional the variety is. For some, separating Zinfandel from Napa Valley soils is heresy. “We planted Zinfandel on terraced slopes lower on the mountain ranging from 1,000 to 1,400 feet in elevation,” said Matt Taylor, winemaker at Ink Grade. “To be frank, growing Zinfandel on low-yielding terraces with very high farming costs is a good way to lose a lot of money, but Zinfandel is an inseparable part of the Howell Mountain identity. It would be a crime to rip it out.” In the appellation

of Howell Mountain, Zinfandel rootstock grows deep and lends itself well to dry farming and deficit irrigation. “It thrives up in the hills, such as the Howell Mountain AVA, where the sun is always shining above the fog,” added Laura Barrett, winemaker at Clif Family Winery.

At Ink Grade, Taylor makes a Howell Mountain expression blended with a smidge of Cabernet Sauvignon (12%) to offer a balanced and genuinely noteworthy Zinfandel. “Zinfandel makes compelling wine in poor and restrictive soils to be certain,” Taylor stated. His Andosol bottling

draws inspiration from the historic field-blend style in which the varietal was first crafted. “Historically, Zinfandel was rarely bottled by itself. Instead, it is a part of a culture of blending,” he added.

Clif Family Winery’s Gary’s Improve bottling is 100% Zinfandel and also hails from

Photo courtesy of Chateau Montelena

“Zinfandel is an inseparable part of the Howell Mountain identity. It would be a crime to rip it out.”

Photo courtesy of Clif Family Winery

Photo courtesy of Ink Grade

For the Zin Lover Chateau Montelena, 2019 Estate Zinfandel

A smooth and sensuous Zinfandel, Chateau Montelena shows what warmer climate Napa Zins can do. It boasts a full body with notes of ripe strawberry and spiced plum.

Clif Family Winery, 2020 Gary’s Improv Zinfandel

This Zinfandel is bright and fresh with flavors of chocolate-covered cherry and an herbal backbone with sage and black pepper.

Elyse Winery, 2019 Morisoli Vineyard Zinfandel

The Elyse offering from the famous Morisoli Vineyard expresses bright fruit with a lot of spice. Spiced plum and cranberries give this Zinfandel a pleasant holiday fruit cake vibe.

Inglenook, 2019 Edizione Pennino Zinfandel

Inglenook’s Edizione Pennino Zinfandel is generous in the mouth with a luscious texture and dark flavors of blackberry with abundant clove. It’s wellcrafted and will be long-lived.

Ink Grade, 2017 Andosol Zinfandel

This Zinfandel is balanced with loads of complexity and structure, showing notes of raspberry, plum, and abundant spice. This is a lovely Zinfandel that will hold its own through the years.

Robert Biale Winery, 2019 R.W. Moore Vineyard Zinfandel

Biale shows off this historic vineyard in a rich and savory style with dark notes of blackberry, blueberry, and hints of umami-rich soy.

Howell Mountain—an appellation that enunciates the greatness of this varietal in Napa Valley soils. “It’s fruit-driven and robust yet balanced and can be an earlydrinking varietal,” said Barrett. “Zinfandel continues to be an anchor wine in our portfolio.”

The Clif Family Winery Howell Mountain estate site is organically farmed and produces an

At the neighboring Inglenook, their Edizione Pennino Zinfandel is crafted from a host of vineyards at their Rutherford estate. It is made up of primarily Zinfandel (95%) with some Primitivo (4% ) and Petite Sirah (1%), showing off plushness and balance. Producing some of the most iconic Zinfandel in modernday Napa Valley is, without a

(named after the vineyard and wine secretly produced and sold by Robert’s father, Aldo, during Prohibition). While the public wines sell out quickly, and many in the collection are member-only wines, one bottling is still available for those who are not members. The 2019 R.W. Moore Vineyard Zinfandel from Coombsville is an impressive offering. The vineyard is the oldest site in Coombsville, initially planted in 1905 and some of the original vines still exist today. It is the only vineyard site planted to Zinfandel in this appellation and produces a truly inimitable wine.

expression with great acidity and a rich backbone. “Zinfandel is less tannic than the traditional Bordeaux varietals with more red fruit aromas and flavors, quite the contrast to Cabernet Sauvignon, which often shows off its darker fruit qualities and more forward-facing tannins,” Barrett stated.

Further south and on the valley floor, estates like Inglenook and Elyse Winery are also producing stunning Zinfandel. “Zinfandel likes to grow deep roots and can produce too much crop and lack intensity if it is planted in overly fertile soils,” said Willi Sherer, Master Sommelier and member of the Elyse Winery hospitality team. “Napa is blessed with moderately fertile soils and enough sunshine to ripen Zinfandel well.”

The Zinfandel vines at Elyse Winery are rooted in Rutherford at the historic Morisoli Vineyard, which dates to 1880. The vineyard’s Zinfandel was originally planted from 1902 to 1908. In this sweet-spot site of the Rutherford bench, “Napa Zinfandels have a balance and harmony that avoid the overly jammy, cooked-fruit characters that other classic Zinfandel regions can have,” Sherer said.

doubt, Robert Biale Vineyards. The estate is dedicated to crafting single appellation, single vineyard Zinfandels from Napa’s most historic sites, and perhaps most endeared for producing its Black Chicken label

Whether palate preference leans toward bright and structured or darker-fruited and more voluptuous, small-production Napa Valley Zinfandel offers a unique combination of balance, complexity, and approachability that makes their vineyard sites worth preserving.

“Napa is blessed with moderately fertile soils and enough sunshine to ripen Zinfandel well.”

VALLE DE GUADALUPE

Baja California’s Rising Wine Scene

BY MELISSA VOGT

To understand the Valle de Guadalupe, one of the most currently talked-about winegrowing regions, it’s important to know the lay of the land. Baja California is a narrow peninsula extending into the Pacific Ocean from Southern California.

The region is a territory of Mexico, just as all of California was, following Mexican Independence in 1821 until the Mexican War in 1846. After the war, California was taken as American land, but Baja California was given to Mexico via the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. So while the Mexican territory bares California in its name, Baja California is part of Mexico.

Because California and Baja California were once connected pieces of land controlled by one entity, the First Mexican Empire, Baja has continued to have a close relationship with tourism from California, given the easy border-crossing access via numerous entry points. That, along with Baja’s tourism popularity, and it's no surprise that Baja has decidedly invested in its winetourism scene.

In the Valle de Guadalupe

The Valle de Guadalupe is located just outside the desirable vacation destination of Ensenada—with its idyllic beaches, coastal shopping, fresh seafood, and craft beer scene. As a port city and prime cultural hub of Mexico, Ensenada boasts a robust economy and attracts many tourists each year. It was only a matter of time before tourists started catching on to the wine scene just outside of the city in the Valle.

Wine grapes were planted in Mexico originally by the Spanish in the 16th century, so the country has a longstanding history of wine growing just as many other New World regions do. But it is only within the past decade or so that the area has received significant investment and interest from travelers. While many of the vines are young and newly planted as expansion has increased, there are also vineyards in the region that have been rooted for more than 50 years.

Terroir: The Magic is in the Sea

As a hot, subtropical climate, it may come as a surprise that the Valle de Guadalupe can even grow wine grapes successfully, but the magic is in the sea. Most of the vineyards in the Valle are located within 15 miles of the Pacific Ocean, offering a

significant maritime influence. The close proximity to the sea drastically impacts the vineyards’ terroir, bringing the necessary cooling influence successful for grape growing.

“A lot of people claim that Valle wines taste salty,” said Joaquin Quintero, owner of Baja Winery Tours, a small tour-operating company that offers public and private tours of the Valle de Guadalupe winegrowing region. “This is because it’s an ancient seabed, so there is a high level of minerality in the soil profile, and that comes through in many of the wines,” he explained.

Because of the region’s subtropical climate, red grape varieties are most popular, and Quintero admitted, “the most ubiquitous right now is Nebbiolo... There’s a ton of Nebbiolo coming out of Valle and for good reason—it just loves to grow there.” As investment has come in and wineries have grown their vineyard acreage and trialed different varieties, Nebbiolo has risen to the top.

On the Rise

The vineyard expansion, construction of new winery buildings, and general explosion of the wine scene in recent years is palpable. “Fifteen years ago, there were maybe 20 wineries at the most,” admitted Quintero. Today, the region has roughly 100 wineries crafting wines from local grapes—whether they are estate grown or sourced from local growers. “A lot of people are now building winery tasting rooms or wine bars,” Quintero said, as many of the family-owned estates previously had no formal tasting locations.

Many wine enthusiasts may have caught the buzz of the Valle and are wondering:

Valle Vineyards

Valle Vineyards

why has this region suddenly come to life?

Local families and domestic and foreign investors have seen the potential of the Valle de Guadalupe. It’s in a prime location close to Ensenada—an already well-traveled destination—and the region has proven itself in terms of wine quality. “Over the years, the wines have really improved leaps and bounds,” said Quintero. Education, knowledge, and investment have allowed local winegrowers and winemakers to take advantage of the terroir and craft quality-driven wines. “There is a lot of investment coming in, and as Valle gets more popular, business owners are adapting... wineries have grown and have been honing their craft.”

While travelers to other famous winegrowing regions like Napa Valley know that investment can have its drawbacks, for the time being, the Valle de Guadalupe and travelers to the area are benefitting from it.

There are more places to visit with tasting facilities, more tasting experiences and authentic culinary pairings, and overall, higher production of wines from which to choose and enjoy—and the quality is undoubtedly on the rise.

Wineries to Know

Santo Tomás: Santo Tomás is the oldest winery in the Valle de Guadalupe. They craft numerous varietals across three collections of wine—each with distinguishing price points. They make classics like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, along with a selection of red blends and single varietals such as Tempranillo, Barbera, and Syrah. // www.santo-tomas.com

Cavas Sol y Barro: At Cavas Sol y Barro, a tiny family-owned estate, guests can expect warm hospitality and a welcoming, laid-back experience. Italian classics like Nebbiolo and Barbera are crafted as balanced red blends, and the unique Malvoisie is also a favorite. // www.facebook.com/solybarro/

Lomita: Lomita is unique in that it’s a gravity-flow winery, crafting wines without the use of machines to move the grapes and juice through fermentation and barreling. They produce a handful of whites, including Sauvignon Blanc, and a single varietal Grenache from 30- to 40-year-old vines, among others. // www.lomita.meitre.com

Finca La Carrodilla: For an upscale experience, Finca La Carrodilla is a must. Showing off the investment side of the Valle and boasting beautiful new structures, farm animals, vegetable gardens, and food and wine pairing experiences, this estate

is all-encompassing. Chenin Blanc and Tempranillo are just a couple of the varietals produced here. // www.fincalacarrodilla.mx

Viña de Frannes: Established by Ernesto Alvarez Morphy Camou, this off the grid winery is known for its limited production Cabernet Sauvignon and for their rock star winemaker, Michel Rolland. The tasting room is one of the area’s finest, with minimalist architecture within a glass cube. // +52 646 688 1955

Vena Cava: A visit to Vena Cava is more than just a wine tasting experience. Visitors are as intrigued with the premises as they are with the wine. Designed by architect Alejandro D’Acosta, the building is made from nearly all reclaimed materials such as fishing boats, wood and recycled bottles and tires. The wines, mostly blends, are made by owner/winemaker Phil Gregory, and are reflective of his experimental style and local terroir. Don’t miss the celebrated food truck, “Troika,” named for its delicious tacos, tostadas, churros, and fresh oysters. // www.venacavawine.com

Viña de Frannes

Photo by Jennifer Kramer

Photo by Jennifer Kramer

Viña Cava Tasting Room

Photo by Jennifer Kramer

Discover the finest and most unique wine storage facility serving Napa, Sonoma, and the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Rutherford Wine Vault is located in the historic Beaulieu Vineyard champagne department - a meticulously transformed 110 year-old space. The vault features storage solutions for individual wine collectors and small vintners. Each locker is equipped with custom designed seismically independent racking systems, lockable private steel storage enclosures, redundant temperature and humidity controls, and more than five layers of state-of-the-art security systems.

Fuel Your Passion in

BY CYNTHIA SWEENEY

Photo courtesy of Ritual Coffee

Whether one is looking to grab a quick cup of morning Joe or has time to linger over a latte and a croissant, Napa Valley has a coffeehouse and a brew to satisfy any mood or desire.

Relax with a bottomless mug in Calistoga, brunch and shop at Oakville’s gourmet market, sample a coffee flight, or bring along the kids for homemade cookies in Napa. For the coffee connoisseur, there is a plethora of specialty blends and knowledgeable coffeehouse owners who take pride in sourcing, roasting, and serving their own coffee.

BARNHOUSE NAPA BREWS

Barnhouse Napa Brews is as close as one can get to an authentic English coffeehouse/ pub. Located in downtown Napa, start the day with a specialty cup of coffee, pair it with a muffin or scone, or wrap the day up with a pint of local beer or glass of wine alongside an English pie or sausage roll. Barnhouse coffee is ethically sourced, and the owners, Eric Barnes and Adam Housley, after whom the brewpub is named, keep it affordable. They make a great espresso and offer a “proper” cup of tea. Can’t decide on a particular brew? Barnhouse is one of the only establishments in the Valley that offers coffee flights. Sample four seasonal espresso drinks so you can have a little taste of each. It’s the perfect place to grab a coffee-to-go or

stay a while to enjoy a friendly game of shuffleboard, darts, Bingo, or board games.

1004 Clinton Street, Napa // www.barnhousenapa.com

BREWED

For the person who enjoys dunking a freshly baked cookie in their coffee, one need not look further than Brewed.

Tucked away in the Napa Outlets shopping plaza in south Napa, the kid-friendly café offers a long list of organic and custom-roasted hot or iced coffee options. In addition, the extensive drink menu includes a wide variety of teas, flavored espresso freezes, fruit freezes, and Italian sodas. While the coffee is terrific, it does tend to get upstaged by the cookies.

Here are a few local favorites:

Photo courtesy of Barnhouse

Photo courtesy of Brewed

They are handmade in-house by mother and daughter team Laura Saunders and Lisa Saunders Blanc, with selections such as White Chocolate Macadamia Nut, Classic Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodles, Ginger Molasses, and more. For the cookie dough fan, add some sprinkles and nuts, and enjoy.

865 Factory Stores Drive, Napa / www.brewednapa.com

CALISTOGA ROASTERY

Relax with a cup of coffee at this local institution on the main drag in downtown Calistoga. Take a seat on the sidewalk benches outside or the nearby parklets—the perfect place for peoplewatching. The coffeehouse serves its own Calistoga Roasting Company, specializing in roasting small batches of carefully selected coffees

from all over the world. Get a bottomless mug for $3.50. Smoothies are available to order, and for tea lovers, enjoy a cup served with individual cast iron teapots. The cafe also serves comfort food for breakfast or brunch, such as bagels with all the fixings, homemade granola, and freshly baked scones.

As a bonus, owner Clive Richardson puts a smile on his

guests’

1426 Lincoln Avenue, Calistoga // www.calistogaroastery.com

NAPA VALLEY ROASTING CO.

True coffee connoisseurs will want to check out one of Napa Valley Roasting Company’s two locations: St. Helena and downtown Napa. The

faces with his friendly and humorous banter.

Photo courtesy of Calistoga Roastery

Photo courtesy of Napa Valley Roasting Company

Photo courtesy of Naysayer

Oakville Grocery

Photo by Alexander Rubin

family-owned cafés carry about nine or ten single-origin coffees from Indonesia, Africa, and the Americas, and they are meticulous about the roasting process. Hot and cold coffee and tea drinks are offered, as are house classics and specialties. Feeling adventurous? Try the Shakerato, with two shots of espresso, raw sugar, and cream– all combined, shaken, and served martini style. Learn more about the nuances of coffee and understand the differences among single-varietal coffees, roasts, and blends by scheduling a cupping-style tasting that includes creating a personal blend. Tastings are held in the St. Helena location.

948 Main Street, Napa 1400 Oak Avenue, St. Helena www.napavalleycoffee.com

highest-grade coffee beans in the world, sourced from 10 countries and roasted in their off-site space at the Napa County Airport. Two coffees are brewed daily; more can be sampled by trying seasonal pour-overs. Perfect accompaniments include delectables such as fresh bagels, pastries, or prosciutto and black mission figs with honey-whipped brown butter. On the way out, be sure to peruse their myriad of brewing equipment.

1813 Old Sonoma Road, Napa www.naysayercoffee.com

OAKVILLE GROCERY

Part of Napa Valley’s history since 1881, Oakville Grocery is an institution and local favorite located in Oakville, the middle of vineyard country on Highway 29. Order a coffee to-go at the walk-up Espresso Bar or enjoy a morning cup on the patio with a warm cinnamon roll, breakfast burrito, or quinoa bowl. After coffee, shop for a wide assortment of gourmet goodies, including the store’s own brand of wine, pasta, meats, locally sourced cheeses, and so much more. Make time to explore the fully restored Napa Wine History Museum next door.

Finally, swing back to the grocery for an artesian sandwich, salad, or woodfired pizza and a glass of wine if time permits. Take home a bag of beans and an Oakville Grocery coffee mug to remember your visit.

WEEKENDS at WINSTON’S

Winston’s is a local favorite for breakfast and lunch cuisine in downtown Napa with a focus on seasonality. Family-owned and operated, it is also the new home of Paulie's Bagels. Winston’s offers a wide variety of baked goods and pastries–

Join us over the holidays

NAYSAYER COFFEE

ROASTERS

For the espresso lover, Naysayer is where to go to power up. Owned and operated by Chris and Beth Vecera, they offer specialty coffees, locally sourced pastries, and light foods. Located at Food City on Old Sonoma Road in Napa, the coffeehouse has a hip and vibrant atmosphere. Naysayer currently boasts some of the

7856 St Helena Highway, Oakville www.oakville grocery.com

RITUAL COFFEE

ROASTERS

Based in San Francisco, Ritual Coffee Roasters is serious about its coffee. The woman-owned coffee roasting company is vigilant about cultivating relationships and sustainably sourcing coffee from smallholder farmers.

They roast their specialty grade beans in small batches, in their iteration of West Coast style “light roasting.” There are six Ritual locations in the Bay area, including the coffee

bar in the always-hopping Oxbow Market in downtown Napa. Don’t expect to get a French roast, but do expect an individual pour-over, and definitely try a seasonal espresso

blend. Order coffee to-go and enjoy the Market’s gigantic outdoor deck overlooking the Napa River.

601 First Street, Napa www.ritualcoffee.com

More Great Options for Napa’s Best Brews:

Model Bakery

1357 Main Street, St. Helena www.themodelbakery.com

Sam’s General Store

109 Wappo Avenue, Calistoga www.samsgeneral.store

Le Paris Artisan Gourmet Café

3921 Broadway Street, American Canyon, and 828 Brown Street, Napa www.lepariscafe.com

Winstons Café and Bakery

1517 3rd St., Napa www.winstonsnapa.com

Southside Café

2770 Old Sonoma Rd, Napa www.southsidenapa.com

Photo courtesy of Ritual Coffee

Dig Truffles?

The Napa Truffle Festival returns for its 11th season, offering grand adventures in the science and culinary pursuit of one the rarest and most delectable foods on earth: the black Périgord truffle (aka black diamond). These prized fungi will be discussed, examined, prepared, demonstrated, and, finally, paired with wines and feasted upon.

The festival takes place January 13-16, over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, and will feature cultivation and culinary programs, winery lunches, wild mushroom forays, and a Truffle Festival Marketplace. Plus, a chance to meet the truffle dogs (petting encouraged!).

The Scientific Truffle Grower Seminar is a must for anyone eager to learn the fundamentals of the business and science of truffle cultivation. A buffet truffle lunch and tour of a working truffle orchard at Raymond Vineyards are included.

The Winery Truffle Lunches are hosted by Pine Ridge Vineyards and included in the Dig Truffles? event—a daylong foodie truffle

JANUARY 13-16, 2023

immersion and Artesa Estate Vineyards, showcasing cooking demos and truffle dog presentations.

For the Wild Mushroom Foray, guests will rise and shine early to join renowned mycophagist David Campbell – “We’ll see what we find and find what we see... perhaps we’ll find porcini, hedgehogs, chanterelles, or candy caps.”

At the heart of the festival is the Saturday night Truffles & Wine Dinner at La Toque. Host Michelin star Chef Ken Frank, owner of La Toque, is joined by fellow master chefs to create a banquet of truffle delights, beginning with a sparkling reception featuring elegant truffle canapes and finishing with a superb multi-course truffle menu impeccably paired with some of the world’s finest wines.

The festival culminates on Monday with a lively, free Truffle Festival Marketplace at Oxbow Public Market, showcasing local wines, artisanal foods, exciting truffle dishes, and a meet and greet with the truffle dogs. Plus, a chance to win a black diamond (truffle, that is).

Rare Chance to Buy Fresh Black Truffles

Fresh Périgord black truffles are extremely hard to find. Because of their short shelf life, few stores carry them, and the quality of internet sources is varied. The same top quality black truffles used by our Michelin star chefs will be available for you to purchase throughout the festival. Recipes included!

Westin Verasa Napa Lobby

FRI: 1 / 13 / 23 8am – 1pm

SAT: 1 / 14 / 23 8am – 9am

Oxbow Public Market

SAT: 1 / 14 / 23 10am – 7pm

SUN: 1 / 15 / 23 10am – 7pm

MON: 1 / 16 / 23 11am – 3pm

Artesa Estate Vineyards

Sun: 1 / 15 / 23 10:30am – 3pm

The Westin Verasa Napa will again serve as the host venue for the Napa Truffle Festival, offering a special rate* for the festival weekend (*reserve by December 20, 2022). For information, the schedule and to reserve tickets, visit the website at www.napatrufflefestival.com.

Sam’s General Store at Brannan Cottage Inn

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BRANNAN COTTAGE INN

BY CHARLENE PETERS

Over 150 years ago, California’s first millionaire, Samuel Brannan, envisioned Calistoga as a resort town for wealthy city folks drawn to the area’s hot springs. He was instrumental as the town’s founder and for pulling the railway tracks from San Francisco to make it a regional transportation hub.

Since then, businesses bearing his surname have come and gone, but one historic landmark remains – Calistoga’s first hotel, Brannan Cottage Inn. The inn, owned by Brannan since it opened in 1860, remains on its original location on Wappo Avenue, a street named after the native tribe who first discovered the land’s healing assets of hot springs and mud.

As the first hotel in town, its ownership has changed over time, but since 2019, Carl Dene took the reins intending to give the property more recognition. “It’s an unbelievably special property that nobody really knows about,” he said.

With respect to the property, Dene’s focus as the new owner was to bring back its roots as a gathering spot, but this time, not only for residing guests. His goal was

to garner attention from the entire Napa Valley community on this place to gather and begin the day with a coffee at Sam’s General Store, the on-property café that opened three years ago.

Since its opening, Sam’s General Store has accomplished its plan to serve the Valley. In fact, Napa Valley Register recently awarded the spot as a Reader’s Choice Award “Favorite Coffee Shop in Napa Valley.”

For anyone seeking a place to sit outside, gather for a meeting, or meet up post-tennis with the team, there’s a spot waiting on Sam’s lovely patio to enjoy a cup

of coffee or a shot of espresso. Neighbors gather for regular visits to sip coffee, and some even knit by the firepit.

Guests staying at Brannan Cottage Inn are offered complimentary breakfast and coffee. The choice of homemade recipes includes individual quiches, frittatas, breakfast sandwiches, and empanadas.

After the last sip of coffee, guests can shop inside the store for gifts, knickknacks, and branded items to remind them of this special spot in Napa Valley. The store also offers snacks and wine for purchase, including its own label: Brannan Wines. And why not? According to Dene, Brannan was one of the first pioneers and visionaries behind the idea of large-scale vineyards in the valley.

Brannan purchased 1,500 acres where he planted experimental varietals. Misfortune ensued with the vineyard pest, phylloxera, followed by his divorce. He died penniless but left his legacy as the visionary behind Napa Valley’s hospitality business, beginning with Calistoga.

MORE INFORMATION www.brannancottageinn.com

|

Cooking with KAREN CROUSE

Pecan pie is a traditional holiday favorite. This pie sends chocoholics to their happy place with the ultimate combination of chocolate and nuts. Every bite is filled with sweet fudge and savory pecans. The decadent chocolate pecan filling and flakiness of the pie crust awaken the taste buds with a perfect blend of sweet, salty, and crunchy. It will be an unforgettable ending to your holiday feast. Merry Holidays!

Chocolate Fudge PECAN PIE

SERVES 6

PREP TIME 20 MINUTES

COOKING TIME

1 HOUR

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

• oven

• double boiler

• electric mixer & bowl

• measuring cup & spoons

• spatula

• wire rack

INGREDIENTS

• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 4 large eggs

• ½ cup sugar

• Pinch of salt

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 cup pecan pieces

• One 10-inch pie shell, unbaked

• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

TIP: For a richer, nuttier flavor, toast the pecans on the stovetop for 1-2 minutes.

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Melt the chocolate with the butter in the top pan of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs slightly. Gradually add the sugar, salt, and lemon juice. Slowly add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat until thoroughly blended. Stir in the pecans.

Pour the batter into the unbaked pie shell. Bake for 1 hour or until the pie crust is flaky and golden.

Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Do not chill; it will set as it cools.

I top it with the whipped cream and pour a hearty glass of my Mount Veeder Magic Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (www.mountveedermagic.com)

I suggest you do the same.

Cheers!

in the Kitchen”

Cooking is a fine art and the knife is the artist’s brush. For 25 years, New West KnifeWorks has made world-class tools for the culinary artist. Designed and crafted in the Tetons.

Get Into the Spirit of Local Distilleries

BY LAURIE JO MILLER FARR

Junipero Gin Spanish G&T // Photo by Allison Weber

From Alameda to Ukiah, grain-to-glass artisanal brands are handcrafting exceptional spirits one batch at a time. While the San Francisco Bay Area is better known for fine wine, the craft spirits distillery scene is an exciting and ever-growing space. In 1982, there were fewer than 20 distilleries in the United States. Today there are more than 2,000. For Bay Area visitors, a local distillery tour adds an interesting juxtaposition to any wine country itinerary.

Arranged by location, these local Bay-area distilleries include several that welcome visitors.

GERMAIN-ROBIN at CALIFORNIA BRANDY HOUSE

Another great Napa story began when a classics professor gave a lift to a hitchhiking Cognac distiller back in 1981. Et voilà! Together they created Germain-Robin, a hand-distilled brandy based on California grapes. Using old-world techniques and new choices in non-traditional premium varietals (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Sémillon, Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Colombard, Zinfandel), the brandy is distilled exclusively in Pruhlo Charentais pot stills and aged in Limousin oak barrels

from France. The brand was acquired by E. & J. Gallo in 2017.

Visit: On First Street in Downtown Napa, California Brandy House is a bottle shop and tasting space dedicated to Germain-Robin and Argonaut. Tastings are offered at seats inside, at the bar, and on the redwood terrace. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 12pm to 7pm. // www.californiabrandyhouse.com

SONOMA

HANSON of SONOMA DISTILLERY

The family’s vision is realized in an organic, grape-based, gluten-free, non-GMO vodka. Because the first step in creating a vodka made from grapes is to make wine, this award-winning distiller has a partnership with Ceju Vineyards. The first of its kind, the range of artisanal infused organic vodka includes cucumber, Meyer lemon, Mandarin, and habanero, plus seasonal offerings: ginger, pink grapefruit, boysenberry, and espresso.

Visit: Open for $30 guided tastings from 11am to 5:30pm daily, located five minutes from Sonoma Plaza. On Fridays and Saturdays, there’s an 11am tour. Additional experiences include vodka pairings with chocolate truffles, caviar, oysters, wood-fired pizza, plus a martini and caviar pairing. A second tasting room is located on Bridgeway in Sausalito (closed on Tuesdays.) // www.hansonofsonoma.com

NAPA

NAPA VALLEY DISTILLERY

The first distillery to open in Napa Valley since Prohibition is a family affair by Arthur and Lusine Hartunian, producing artisanal spirits, cocktails, bitters, and syrups in very limited quantities. It all started with Meyer Lemon Variety, a brand born at the kitchen table at home with three children peeling the lemons.

Visit: Off Highway 29 in Napa, the distillery’s Grand Tasting Salon and nostalgic Hollywood Room cocktail bar (open Thursday through Saturday, 2pm to 9pm) welcome guests. Tours are offered Thursday through Monday from 11am to 7pm and on Sunday until 6pm. There’s also a tasting bar at Oxbow Public Market. ArBARetum opened in Downtown Napa in May 2022 where 14 different elevated cocktails and light bites are served nightly until 10pm. (Sunday until 7pm) // www.napadistillery.com

Lance Winters & Dave Smith, St. George Distillers

Photo by Andria Lo

Brandon Hanson pouring cocktails

Photo courtesy of Sonoma Distillery

PETALUMA

SPIRIT WORKS DISTILLERY

Timo and Ashby Marshall lead a small team of mostly female producers making vodka, gin, sloe gin, barrel gin, straight wheat whiskey, straight rye whiskey, four-grain straight bourbon, and barrel reserve sloe gin. Everything at the microdistillery is handcrafted in-house at The Barlow, from milling, mashing, fermenting, and distilling all the way through to bottling and shipping out the door.

Visit: Two distillery tour/tastings every Sunday at 12pm and 4pm. Cocktail courses are Wednesday through Friday, by appointment. // www.spiritworksdistillery.com

ALAMEDA

HANGAR

1 DISTILLERY

Why not pair a vertical tasting with a tour and a view? This distillery makes limited-release vodkas in a repurposed WWII aircraft hangar on Alameda Island. On a fog-free day, drink Fog Point Vodka and

admire views of the San Francisco skyline from the patio. A crisp vodka containing hints of pear, citrus, and honeysuckle, each bottle explains, “We used freshly sourced water from our fog catchers to blend and cut from vodka crafted solely

from the distilled California white wine of Bonny Doon Vineyard.” Not-to-miss: Buddha’s Hand Citron Vodka, made from the ancient relative of modern lemons.

Visit: Book 48 hours in advance for tastings from $16 per person. Experiences range from bingo nights to stand-up comedy and private events include weddings. // www.hangarone.com

ST. GEORGE SPIRITS

St. George Terroir Gin is poetry in a bottle, described as “an ode to the wild beauty of the Golden State with aromas of coastal forests.” Founded 40 years ago and still independent, the artisanal distillery housed in a former military aircraft hangar in Alameda produces a range of spirits under the direction of Master Distiller Lance Winters. Known for vodka, whiskey, gin, brandy, liqueurs and absinthe, there’s also a diversified portfolio of exotic spirits. The brand’s flagship eau de vie Pear Brandy is made from organic dry-farmed Barlett pears: “...imagine cramming 30 pounds of fruit” at its peak of flavor and aroma, all concentrated into one 750 ml bottle. // www.stgeorgesspirits.com

AMERICAN CANYON

LOCH & UNION

A high-flying dream about Americanmade distilling came to life when the Loch & Union idea hatched in Edinburgh, Scotland, was planted firmly in Napa Valley. Attracted by access to seasoned

Photo courtesy

barrels from great wineries, co-founders Colin Baker and Matt Meyer went about making classic American dry gin. Gleaming custom copper stills built in Germany are the pride and joy of the production team, also crafting Barley Gin and Barreled Gin. Local wineries are now partnering with Loch & Union on brandy production, and their three-still setup and mashing/fermentation equipment can produce whiskies, gins, rums, agave spirits, and more. // www.lochanduniondistilling.com

MARE ISLAND

SAVAGE AND COOKE

Since 2018, the vast former naval shipyard on Mare Island has been welcoming visitors to the home of Savage & Cooke. Here, Napa Valley winemaker Dave Phinney (The Prisoner and Orin Swift) distills, ages, finishes, and bottles a range of brown spirits, including bourbon, whiskey, and rye. Second Glance uses pure water sourced from Dave’s high-elevation Alexander Valley property. It’s aged for a minimum of five years in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in wine barrels from Dave’s Napa Valley Cabernet projects. There’s also Burning Chair Bourbon, Lip Service Rye, and Bad Sweater Whiskey, plus DIGITS bourbon whiskey in collaboration with Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen.

Visit: Tour the historic Mare Island facility’s barrel room, production room, and get a rooftop view. A seated tasting in the vault includes Burning Chair Bourbon

and Second Glance American Whiskey. Tasting only is $20, and with a tour, it’s $50 per person. Inside the distillery, a restaurant is open for lunch or dinner Thursday through Sunday, 12pm to 7pm. // www.savageandcooke.com

UKIAH

CHARBAY DISTILLERY

Named for its first product—Chardonnay combined with brandy—Charbay has been blending and distilling awardwinning artisan spirits in Northern California since 1983. A powerful professional history drives this family with an unmatched 13 generations of European knowledge. For 36 years, Charbay has been producing small releases of handcrafted spirits, wines, ports, aperitifs, and liqueurs in Northern California, led by Grand Master Distiller Miles Karakasevic. In 1972, Miles designed a 25-gallon copper pot still that remains in use, along with a larger French-made Alambic pot still in Mendocino County. Joined in the distillery in 1995 by his son Marko, also a Master Distiller, Charbay Vodka and Charbay Whiskey are among several spirits that have been added to the portfolio. // www.charbay.com

SAN FRANCISCO

HOTALING & CO.

When craft beer visionary Fritz Maytag set his sights on spirits in the early 1990s, there were no pot-distilled whiskeys being

made legally in America. In 2010, Master Distiller Bruce Joseph took over from Maytag, and in 2017, the brand name Hotaling & Co. replaced Anchor Distilling Company, an homage to legendary Gold Rush-era spirits distributor A.P. Hotaling. Produced from a mash of 100% rye malt in a small copper pot still, Old Potrero Rye Whiskey is America’s first craft whiskey, named for the neighborhood where distilling took place until 2018. Old Potrero Single Barrel Reserve is aged in extra fine grade American oak barrels, fully toasted and charred by hand. In addition, an unfiltered Junipero Gin that kickstarted America’s high-end craft gin trend in 1996 is made at San Francisco’s Pier 50. // www.hotalingandco.com

NO. 209 GIN

Named for being the 209th registered distillery in the U.S., the story begins when the owner of a patented design pot still established a distillery in 1882. More than a century later, the restoration of Edge Hill Distillery in St. Helena was recognized with preservationist awards. However, the brand had outgrown the space and eventually moved to Pier 50, the world’s only distillery built over water. “The exact recipe for No. 209 Gin is a closely guarded secret comprising eleven botanicals sourced from four continents.” In 2018, No. 209 Gin joined Vintage Wine Estates, and the gin continues to be contract-produced at the shared Hotaling & Co. facility at Pier 50. // www.distillery209.com

Savage and Cooke tasting room // Photo by Margaret Pattillo

Junipero Gin // Photo by Allison Weber

The Exquisite Expanse of Alexander Valley

As the largest AVA in Sonoma County, Alexander Valley is best known for its superior Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends grown in areas of Healdsburg, Geyserville, Cloverdale, Jimtown, and Maacama.

Recognizable wineries here include Silver Oak, Francis Ford Coppola, and Rodney Strong. But it’s the trajectory of history that ties the districts of this AVA together, which began in 1840 when Cyrus Alexander arrived in the northern end of Sonoma County.

Alexander worked on a cattle ranch for four years before being gifted a parcel of land and farming his own cattle, growing fruit, and milling flour at his grist mill. Following

on the heels of the Mexican Revolution and the subsequent California Gold Rush of 1848, he established his fortune as the founder of Alexander Valley. Ten years later, thanks to the Gold Rush, Peter Young purchased a ranch in the valley—today known as the Robert Young Estate Winery. Fast-forward 50 years to the first vintage of Alexander Valley wine, celebrated by Shadrach Osborn of Lone Pine Vineyard—now Munselle Vineyards and of the same family tree.

The dining room at Rustic in Francis Ford Coppola Winery displays ceiling art of corks.

The iconic water tower of Silver Oak in Alexander Valley

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY CHARLENE PETERS

By 1984, the Alexander Valley AVA was established. Since then, the nearly 15,000 acres have attracted visitors globally, and Healdsburg, in particular, has blossomed as a tourist region.

WHERE TO SIP

From its earlier days farming prunes, it wasn’t until 1963 when Robert Young of Robert Young Winery pioneered the first planting of Cabernet Sauvignon in the Alexander Valley. Where they once had sheep to graze the pastureland and a llama to protect the herd from coyotes, today’s guests might spot Angus cattle roaming the ranch while visiting this small production winery. It’s a certainty guests will stop to pose at the RY signage in front of the vineyard where Uncle Burns’ great oak tree marks the best soil structure and drainage (attributed from years of burning) and then be greeted by a family member in the tasting room. It’s all in the family, including 5th-generation Young, his father, uncle, two aunts, cousins, his grandfather, Robert Young, and his four kids—who all live on the property and work on-site.

The most popular taste in the Scion tasting room is the Melon, a muscat-like yet dry white wine accessible to its wine club members with first right of refusal. In fact, Robert Young’s estate wines are limited due to the winery’s use of only five percent of its harvest—before they sell the rest of the grapes. Their most significant grape is Chardonnay, of which many viticulturists use and applaud the Robert Young clone as a proven phylloxera-resistant rootstock. // www.ryew.com

At the southernmost tip of Alexander Valley, where it overlaps into the Russian River Valley, is Medlock Ames, where environmental conservancy comes first on Bell Mountain Ranch. Ames Morison created an Immersive Sound Experience that begins with Sauvignon Blanc in hand and headphones in place. Fun facts along the experiential trail include the Barn Owl’s home and what the markings on the entrance hole mean, and an explanation of how the 2017 Kincaid Fire destroyed 20 percent of the crop, prompting the use of burned wood as wood chips.

Inside the barn, the tasting experience continues with a crisp 2017 Lower Slope Chardonnay paired with Cypress Grove goat cheese and a creamy 2018 Lower Slope Chardonnay. Three tastings of Cabernet Sauvignons include the power and strength of a 2017 Fifty Tons paired with Fiscalini Farmstead Cheddar to enhance the

complexities and acidity of the wine. // www.medlockames.com

Among a rustic yet upscale setting with panoramic views of the Alexander Valley bench, a tasting at Silver Oak is a memorable event. Founder, Ray Duncan, purchased his first land in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley in 1970 in partnership with Jack Novak (of Spottswoode fame). Today, 75 acres of vineyard are dedicated to Cabernet Sauvignon to produce a premier product with a bit of aging in American oak. Notes of red currant, cassis, ripe plum, cardamom, and toffee are typical of this ruby-colored velvety Cabernet, and these wines are built to age with elegance. Look for the iconic Silver Oak water tower. // www.silveroak.com

When a young Jess Stonestreet Jackson watched the film Seabiscuit, he became obsessed with horseracing. As a longtime lawyer, he thought he was setting up a retirement hobby when he purchased land in nearby Lake County. Instead, his viticulture project evolved into viniculture and expansion to create the brand Kendall-Jackson. Then he bought land from Chevron, where second-generation Christopher Jackson serves as proprietor of Stonestreet Estate Vineyards. Here,

guests can indulge in an elegant Alexander Valley Cabernet priced at $250 bottle—the 2010 Christopher’s Blend.

The book, A Man and His Mountain tells the compelling personal and professional story of Jackson and his love of horse breeding, wine, and commitment to sustainability. Of Stonestreet’s 5,500 acres, grapevines thrive on 1,000 acres in the high altitudes along the oak-studded hill across the property and over the ridge. The secret to the grapevine’s success is largely due to the 23 soil types on the land (more soil types than all of France). // www.stonestreetwines.com

Wine mogul Jackson curated a luxury portfolio of Old and New World wines meant to capture the global interest of collectors. The membership-based tasting experiences at The Spire Collection Field Stone Vineyard (another Spire Collection is based in Calistoga) includes established wine labels and emerging wine regions, such as Hickinbotham in Australia’s McLaren Vale, to Tuscany’s Arcanum Cabernet Franc and Captûre Rosé of Sangiovese of Alexander Valley, and more tastes of Oregon, South Africa, and France. // www.membershipbyspire.com

Seghesio Family Vineyards is the place to taste its flagship grape, the legendary Old Vine Zinfandel. Considered one of the oldest winemaking names in Sonoma County, Edoardo Seghesio was the first to plant Zinfandel in the Alexander Valley in 1895. Through earthquakes, Prohibition, the Great Depression, droughts, and fires, five

Fifth generation Robert Young manages the tasting room at Robert Young Winery

The horse statue at the entrance to Stonestreet Winery is an ode to Jess Stonestreet Jackson's love of horses.

NVL side trip

lemon tart under a spun umbrella of toasted meringue. // www.montagehotels.com/ healdsburg/dining/hazel-hill

Following an afternoon sunning by the Gatsby-esque pool surrounded by vineyard views, dinner at Rustic awaits guests who want to share Francis Ford Coppola’s favorite international recipes with a focus on Italian dishes and Argentina-inspired Parilla grilled meats. The memorable meal begins with a brown paper bag filled with warm garlic knots and Neapolitan-style pizza. Overhead, a view of suspended ceiling art displays an abundance of multi-colored corks as a reminder that this is also a winery. // www.francisfordcoppolawinery.com/ dine-at-the-winery

WHERE TO STAY

In the center of downtown Healdsburg, h2hotel is an Instagrammable modern luxury hotel. Its barn sliders serve as a bathroom door, its plantation-blind sliders open to a balcony, and a water filtration station on a counter in the hallway hydrates guests following a day of wine tasting, or time spent sipping craft cocktails with dinner at Spoonbar, where breakfast is also served. // www.h2hotel.com

generations of the Seghesio family stayed on course over a century of vintages later to establish themselves as Sonoma’s praised Zinfandel specialists. // www.seghesio.com

WHERE TO EAT

Sandwiched between the hills of Dry Creek and Alexander Valley in downtown Geyserville, Catelli’s third-generation Domenica once served as a personal chef for Oprah in her Montecito home. Subsequently, she partnered with her brother to run the restaurant that’s been in the family since the 1930s—the same clock ticks on the wall in this deceivingly enormous space. Al fresco dining is at its best seated at a table on the marble-floored patio to indulge in a plate of vegetable lasagna made with paper-thin homemade pasta. // www.mycatellis.com

With his brother Aaron Garzini, Chef/ Proprietor Dustin Valette opened Valette in 2015, where the “Trust Me” Tasting Menu is the right choice at this downtown Healdsburg restaurant. Guests can expect an unparalleled sensory experience of tastes and aromas—think fresh-harvested leeks inside an expertly crusted puff pastry with a prized and succulent scallop inside. // www.valettehealdsburg.com

Off the beaten path on the banks of the Russian River in nearby Guerneville, the newly renovated Dawn Ranch is a 15-acre retreat with a luxury interior design in line with expectations of wine country yet tucked between towering redwoods that enhance healing energy. Forest bathing and meditation on the provided Infrared PEMF Go Mats are benefits that pair well with the birds and wildlife that casually make a regular appearance. The on-site restaurant, Agriculture Public House, serves a local-centric menu and wine selections such as Shypoke’s Rosé of Charbono.

Suite at Bardessono

Rolling vineyards and heritage oak trees provide the backdrop for brunch at Hazel Hill, one of three restaurants on the 250-plus acres of Montage Healdsburg that abuts the Alexander Valley. The view rivals the culinary experience of premier tastes that include a hearty plate of homemade rigatoni carbonara topped with a brilliant orange egg yolk and a dessert of Meyer

The most luxurious wine country spot is at Montage Healdsburg, set within a natural habitat just outside downtown. Guests will immediately imbibe the inside and outside beauty that surrounds them at every turn. Newly built bungalows with sustainability design features such as repurposed stone, wood, and copper create this hideaway. A luxurious submersion in the soaking tub or idyllic outdoor shower top the list of tough choices to make during a stay here. Begin the morning with yoga in the vineyard; later, call for a ride in the complimentary Cadillac SUV to head downtown for the evening. // www.montagehotels.com/healdsburg

FOR MORE INFORMATION 707-431-2894 // www.AlexanderValley.org

The vegetable lasagna at Catelli's in downtown Geyserville.

At Montage Healdsburg

The lounge area in h2hotel in downtown Healdsburg.

WARM UP to WINTER HOME SALES

Selling your home in the winter can feel daunting, with people settling down for long winter nights and then preparing for the holidays. Sellers often wonder, “should we just wait for spring?” Not necessarily, and here’s why.

Indeed, fewer buyers are looking to move in the winter months; however, you have the benefit of the serious winter buyer. People relocate for work, want to be closer to family, retire and utilize 1031 exchanges at all times of the year. Therefore, you have buyers that are serious about getting into a new home sooner rather than later. Winter home buyers may also be motivated to capture the multiple tax benefits of buying a home before the year’s end. One of the other great benefits to selling in the winter is competition with other homes in the area will be way down. With buyers having fewer options in the winter, it could create a higher demand for your property, which could result in a higher net profit.

TIPS FOR SELLING YOUR HOME THIS WINTER:

• Keep any holiday decorations simple. You want the house to be the focus.

• Show off your home’s energy efficiency. What better time to show how great your energy-efficient home is than getting people out from the cold and into your cozy abode?

• Leave outside lights on. As the nights get longer, buyers often drive by homes for sale, and you’ll want them to be able to get a good look.

• Curb Appeal is still essential in the winter. Ensure you maintain lawns, plants, and trees, raking leaves and keeping the yards clean.

• Make your home warm and inviting for showings. Have a fireplace? Having

it on during a showing will allow the potential buyers to imagine themselves in the house on a winter’s day, creating that all-important emotional response. And let’s not forget those wonderful warm spice aromas over Thanksgiving and Christmas! Cinnamon or nutmeg diffusers and baked goods evoke feelings of comfort, coziness, and home.

My philosophy has always been that the right time to sell is the time that is right for you, and if you have a good agent, they will be able to help you get the best price whenever possible. Feel free to contact me for a free consultation at any time.

My mother was a REALTOR®, I’m a REALTOR®, and my daughter is a REALTOR®, so you could say that real estate is in our blood. Having pursued this profession for more than 17 years, my passion for the Napa Valley began in 1985, when I bought my restaurant in Calistoga. While food and beverage hospitality allowed me to share my love of our Valley with visitors and locals, I have found that helping people sell and buy real property affords me the best opportunity to get more folks to fulfill their dreams experience their own Napa Valley passions

Tracy Warr // Napa Tracy Style Napa Valley Real Estate Specialist

BEVERLY WILSON

Shortly after graduating from UCLA with a fine arts degree in 1972, Beverly Wilson traveled to Europe and became enamored with the beauty of the land and the slow-moving pace of rural life. “My plan was to spend three months traveling from country to country, but I wasn’t ready to leave when the time was up,” said Wilson, who was raised in San Mateo. “I canceled my return flight and headed back to Italy where I began my journey as a street artist, exploring the small towns of Tuscany and Umbria, selling my sketches along the way.”

 BY FRAN MILLER

Napa Valley Artist

After a year, she returned to San Francisco, working for a graphic design firm, but she never forgot her love of the countryside. “The Napa Valley has the peace and beauty I had always wanted, and I have never regretted my decision to relocate here in 1983.” Wilson loves the region’s scale, its natural beauty, the dramatic, seasonal color changes, and the variety of activities. “I find

that most of the people who live here share my appreciation for the unique beauty around us, and I discovered a sense of community I had not experienced until I moved here. I feel gratitude and appreciation for my life here every single day.”

illustration and design commissions led to designing food and wine labels, creating merchandising materials for retail sales, and designing cookbooks. As a result of her busy schedule, her paints and art supplies languished in her paintbox for many years.

A full-time professional fine artist since 2000 (her original painting Up & Away is the featured image for the 2023 Napa Valley Mustard Celebration), Wilson found herself busy with winery clients when she first moved to the area. Freelance

When her mother passed away in 1991, she was motivated to rethink her priorities and refocused her energy on her art. “Looking back, I feel the graphic design stage of my life influenced my ability to push the boundaries beyond ordinary subjects and to experiment with bold colors and compositions.” Wilson’s parents recognized her art interest at an early age and signed her up for art lessons when she was ten years old. “My teacher was a traditional still life oil painter, and every Saturday morning I went to his class to paint a new still life. Today, I use the same color palette I used sixty years ago!” At UCLA, where she studied painting and drawing with influential mentors, including Richard Diebenkorn and Jan Stussy, she was impressed by the vast range of courses offered by the fine art department.

“These teachers taught me to see the world from different perspectives…not just the most obvious or most convenient.” Wilson loves to travel and immerse herself in other world cultures. “I have many sketchbooks filled with images and memories from my journeys. I also play tennis doubles with friends as often as I can.” FOR MORE INFORMATION www.beverlywilsonfineart.com

“These teachers taught me to see the world from different perspectives… not just the most obvious or most convenient.”

CITY VENTURES Going Beyond Solar with Eco-Conscious Builds

 BY CHARLENE PETERS | PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY VENTURES

the land entitlement, development, and building industry in California.

“There are people looking to live closer to the city without being in the city,” explained VP of Sales at City Ventures, Kelly Nguyen. “Their needs shifted from having to work in the office – to having a home office area built into the floor plans.”

Twelve years ago, three friends and colleagues in the home-building business launched a forwardthinking, socially conscious company called City Ventures. Their goal was to focus on sustainability and move away from traditional corporate home building in California.

As with any business, making a profit is essential, but what continues to top the list in their criteria is sustainability. Top of mind, the spaces for building these homes had to be in a walkable area where infrastructure was already in place and where it was easy to take public transportation. To avoid the “suburban sprawl” of building further out of an accessible area, they found businesses such as beleaguered used car

dealerships that were taking up space. So they took over those spaces and converted them into housing. City Ventures continues to work in partnership with public agencies such as cities, counties, successor redevelopment agencies, and city housing authorities.

This fully integrated residential and mixed-use developer and homebuilder business remains focused on creating and building California’s most sustainable, advanced, and energy-efficient new home communities. Since their start, they have represented nearly 20,000 homes and built or sold 130 new communities. In total, the value of their builds surpasses $8 billion, positioning City Ventures as a leader in

The projects already in place in Northern California include Novato, Oakland, and Santa Rosa. In Southern California, Los Angeles and San Diego counties are the places to find a City Ventures project. Interesting to note is that homeowners who lost properties to California wildfires, such as in Santa Rosa, are shifting preferences and looking to buy and move elsewhere instead of waiting for their homes to be rebuilt on the same space. The homes are sustainable and eco-forward – more than simply solar. While solar is included as part of the home, all elements use electricity instead of a mix of natural gas and electric. And each community is walkable and accessible to public transportation.

“Novato has been a very popular project, and we are down to our last release there,” said Nguyen.

In the Hamilton Field area, the appeal for sales is the walkable access to the Vintage Oaks area and minutes to its charming downtown with cobblestoned streets on Grant. But many more perks have caught homebuyers’ attention, including an advanced heat pump water heater that goes beyond tankless, and the two-car garages are conduit ready for a future EV charger. The list continues with a Nest thermostat for programmable auto sets, a keypad entry, and optional electrical outlets on the kitchen island. And all homes have energy-saver appliances, including induction cooktops.

The end game? To tailor a home built to how people live today.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.cityventures.com

The end game? To tailor a home built to how people live today.

Am I Saving Enough for the Retirement I Want?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. These four steps can help you figure out the amount that’s right for you.

Ask three retirement experts how much you need to save for retirement, and you’ll likely get three different answers. One might respond with a specific number, say $3 million; another might suggest you save enough to let you draw down 80% to 90% of your annual pre-retirement income every year; and a third may say you should strive for 12 times your pre-retirement salary. So what’s right for you? And how do you know if you’re on track?

As you seek answers to those questions, the following steps can help you identify a sustainable savings target, one designed

to support your desired lifestyle over a retirement that could last 30 years or more. Knowing that can be useful in figuring out whether you need to adjust your current savings and investment plan.

Ask yourself: How long could my retirement last?

“There are multiple personal variables to weigh when starting to think about how much you’ll need to save for retirement,” says David H. Koh, managing director and senior investment strategist, Chief Investment Office, Merrill and Bank of America Private Bank. Your current age may be among the most

important. Especially if you’re young and in good health, your retirement may last several decades, he notes. No matter what your current age is, however, you may find that you end up retiring earlier (or later) than expected based on unforeseen circumstances. Either situation could affect the number of years you will need to rely on your assets for income, and it’s important to plan for those possibilities.

Picture your perfect retirement

Having a clear idea of the sort of lifestyle you want in retirement will help you estimate how much it could cost annually. Start by

thinking about your essential or non-negotiable regular expenses, such as a roof over your head, food on the table and out-ofpocket healthcare expenses. Then consider expenses that are important to your lifestyle, which might be anything from dining out and regular travel to offering financial support to aging parents or helping adult children or grandchildren with education. Keep in mind, too, that some essential expenses — such as your own healthcare spending — may increase in retirement, while your retirement lifestyle may shift as you age.

Finally, consider any aspirational or discretionary goals you

Important Disclosures Opinions are as of the date of this article [3/31/2022] and are subject to change. Investing involves risk including possible loss of principal. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. This information should not be construed as investment advice and is subject to change. It is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to be either a specific offer by Bank of America, Merrill or any affiliate to sell or provide, or a specific invitation for a consumer to apply for, any particular retail financial product or service that may be available. The Chief Investment Office (CIO) provides thought leadership on wealth management, investment strategy and global markets; portfolio management solutions; due diligence; and solutions oversight and data analytics. CIO viewpoints are developed for Bank of America Private Bank, a division of Bank of America, N.A., (“Bank of America”) and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (“MLPF&S” or “Merrill”), a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser and a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”).Investments have varying degrees of risk. Some of the risks involved with equity securities include the possibility that the value of the stocks may fluctuate in response to events specific to the companies or markets, as well as economic, political or social events in the U.S. or abroad. Bonds are subject to interest rate, inflation and credit risks. Treasury bills are less volatile than longer-term fixed income securities and are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by the U.S. government. Insurance and annuity products are offered through Merrill Lynch Life Agency Inc., a licensed insurance agency and wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation. All annuity contract and rider guarantees, or annuity payout rates and all insurance policy guarantees, are the sole obligations of and backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. They are not obligations of or backed by Merrill or its affiliates, nor do Merrill or its affiliates make any representations or guarantees regarding the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Investment products offered through MLPF&S, and insurance and annuity products offered through MLLA.:

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may have, like purchasing a second home or pursuing certain philanthropic activities during retirement. Just as you juggle and prioritize competing goals when you’re younger, you’ll need to do the same in retirement.

Review how much you already have saved

money sense

Jeremy Kaneer, director, Retirement & Personal Wealth Solutions for Bank of America. “There are a number of ways that you can catch up.” First, be sure you’ve maxed out taxadvantaged retirement plans, such as a 401(k) or IRA, and taken advantage of any employer match. And don’t forget that if you’re over 50, you may be eligible for additional “catch-up” contributions.

You the “Family Bank”?

Happiness: Financial Independence

Once you have a target annual income figure in mind, take an audit of all of your anticipated sources of retirement income (retirement accounts, Social Security, possibly a pension, annuities, rental income and an inheritance or sale of a business) and calculate how much you could potentially draw from them once you retire. Your personal retirement accounts may be one of your biggest sources of income, and you could be surprised by how much — or how little — even a seemingly large retirement account could provide over the course of a long retirement.

“If that’s still not enough, consider other ways to invest for your retirement goals,” says Kaneer. Tax-advantaged options include certain annuities and cash-value life insurance. You might also want to consider participating in a high-deductible health insurance plan, Kaneer adds. When you do that, you’re eligible to contribute pre-tax dollars to a health savings account, which can be rolled over year after year and used in retirement for more than healthcare costs.

position to provide it. Yet the “Finances in Retirement” survey found that few respondents budgeted to be able to help family members financially, despite giving an average of $6,500 annually to family. “We create budgets for such things as travel or shopping, so why not for family giving?” asks Bill Hunter, Retirement Client Experience, Director, Strategy & Solutions Bank of America.

experience and communication, Merrill

• Start saving for retirement and take advantage of having longevity on your side. Contribute to an employersponsored savings plan such as a 401(k) at least at a level that meets any company match.

Close the gap: Adjust your strategies to pursue the income you’ll need ou will then be ready to consider any adjustments you might need to make to pursue your retirement goal. If you’re now in your mid-30s, you may have 30 years to build assets, but if you’re relatively close to retirement, a first step may be figuring out what you’re spending today and calculate whether you’re currently on track to support that in retirement.

Beyond saving, you might want to consider revisiting your investment strategy, Koh says. “Asset allocation and thoughtful, goals-based portfolio management are two things that can potentially steer you to a better retirement outcome.”

Hunter advises that you determine how much can commit to this purpose without disrupting your retirement planning and current living needs. When you have that figure, consider your other priorities. Are there any lifestyle changes you may need to make in order keep giving to family during tough times? Most important, before you give, be sure to set aside an emergency fund for yourself to help ensure that you will have a comfortable cushion retirement.

develop a basic philosophy that applies to everyone. Explain that this philosophy helped your family build its wealth and that any loan or gift decisions will be made based on your core values, such as a strong work ethic, pride and self-sufficiency. If you’re dreading the prospect of refusing a request, prepare your reasons beforehand so that you can explain them unemotionally. When you can’t afford to give, outline the reasons for your decision.

Contact us today to learn more: 707.200.6665 https://www seniorhelpers com/ca/napa/

• Talk to your local Merrill advisor, who can assist with putting together a plan to help pursue your goals.

When a family business is involved, notes Schmieder, it’s possible that your relatives don’t understand the company’s financial limitations. “Not everyone may be aware, for instance, that company owners have an obligation to reinvest their profits into their businesses to maintain growth,” he says. Use this opportunity to explain that the company’s profits aren’t a ready source for gifts or loans.

For more information, contact Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor Eric F. Gonzales in the Napa, CA, office at 707.254.4606 or eric_gonzales@ml.com.

Set firm guidelines for saying yes. Decide in advance under what circumstances you would comfortable giving or lending money. you’re going to make a gift of the money, think about using the occasion as a teaching moment,” suggests Hunter. Without sounding preachy or judgmental, try to explain to your relative how you’ve put yourself in a position to provide this assistance. Have you kept your debt under control, for instance, or lived within your means or avoided high-interest credit cards? “For young adults in the family, this could be a valuable lesson,” he says.

“Even if you find that you’re behind where you want to be, don’t get discouraged,” advises

As you consider each request, it’s always important to remember that gifts or loans to family members will have a direct impact on your retirement planning. There might be an unwritten fifth rule, says Hunter: “Beware of being overly generous, or you could end up needing financial help yourself.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Contact Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor Eric F. Gonzales in the Napa, CA office at 707-254-4606 or eric_gonzales@ml.com.

Remember, too, that retirement is a journey, adds Kaneer. “You can always change course if you need to — maybe by working a few years longer or adjusting your expenses.” But by starting early and planning ahead to pursue a specific attainable goal, you’ll have a far better chance of living the life you truly want in retirement. 1040 Main Street, Suite 105, Napa, CA

you expect to be paid back, create a loan document,” recommends Joe C. Schmieder, principal consultant of the Family Business Consulting Group. This may include details on how frequently repayments will be made and

1 Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. “How Does Student Debt Affect Early Career Retirement Saving?” 2018.

2 Age Wave/Merrill Lynch. “The Financial Journey of Parenting: Joy, Complexity and Sacrifice,” 2018.

to say no if family members turn to you for financial support. approximately retirement early cover debt. concerned wellbeing and financially. by children is billion annually. 2 bleak, as the percent) financial advice to early financial budget. Track expenses, and can make goals. high-interest, first (e.g., non-tax auto loan).

For more information, contact Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor

AMERICAN

SOLBAR RESTAURANT Solbar divides its menu into light, delicate flavors to stimulate your palate and bold, savory dishes, all with ingredients that showcase the best of what’s fresh and seasonal in the Napa Valley. Enjoy outdoor dining on the sunlit Solbar patio, or the new Picobar, for dining al fresco or relaxing by the firepits overlooking the landmark pool.

755 SILVERADO TRL, CALISTOGA // 707- 226-0860 // AUBERGERESORTS.COM

GLOBAL

HERITAGE EATS Heritage Eats offers a fast-casual, globally-inspired menu that thinks and acts locally. The popular restaurant serves up tacos, wraps, baos, rice and salad bowls made-to-order with choice of protein, toppings and sauces with unique flavor profiles from all over the world. The Dirty Fries, Papa K’s Burger and Haven Wings are local favorites.

3824 BEL AIRE PLAZA, NAPA // 707-226-3287 // WWW.HERITAGEEATS.COM

FIRST & FRANKLIN Downtown Napa’s newest Marketplace and Deli features the best of the Napa Valley. The Marketplace offers a full-service deli and a specialty Grocery Store selling local wine and craft beer. The store is filled with grab-and-go or made-to-order sandwiches, salads, and picnic side salads for you to take home or enjoy on either of their two patios.

1331 FIRST ST., NAPA // 707-252-1000 // WWW.FIRSTANDFRANKLIN.COM

OSHA THAI Led by renowned Chef Lalita Souksamlane, the menu highlights her award-winning flavors and showcases dishes never before tasted at her other restaurants. Sourced with ingredients grown in her own personal garden and partnering with local vendors, Osha Thai provides an authentic farm-totable experience with quintessential wine country flair.

1142 MAIN STREET, NAPA // 707-253-8880 // WWW.OSHATHAI.COM/NAPA

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS // WWW.SOUTHSIDENAPA.COM

PIZZERIA TRA VIGNE For the past 25 years, Pizzeria Tra Vigne reigns one of St. Helena's local treasures. Guests of all ages enjoy the pasta, pizza, or a fresh daily special to go at this vibrant, family restaurant. Their pizzas are a crowd favorite to eat in or carry out. There's plenty of seating outdoors on the beautiful patio, complete with a bocce court, or inside with family and friends.

1016 MAIN ST, ST. HELENA // 707- 967-9999 // WWW.PIZZERIATRAVIGNE.COM

THAI

ITALIAN

AMERICAN

SOUTHSIDE CAFÉ Southside is a community-centered café and coffee bar with three locations: Carneros, Yountville, and Century in South Napa. They serve a chef-driven menu of authentic California cuisine with a Latin influence, specialty coffee from Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters, and beer & wine from friends in the Napa Valley. Open for breakfast, lunch, and Century is also open for dinner.

AMERICAN-LATIN FUSION

Photo by Darren Brazil

C CASA Offering reimagined Mexican cuisine, C CASA features fresh food crafted with nutrient-packed ingredients sustainably sourced. Handmade tortillas are made from 100% USA grown, non-GMO, organic white corn. C CASA offers a modern and fine casual approach to tacos, salads, quesadillas and rotisserie meats. And everything is 100% Gluten Free! Vegetarian/Vegan offerings available.

OXBOW PUBLIC MARKET // 610 1ST ST., NAPA // 707-226-7700 // MYCCASA.COM

For over 15 years, Filippi’s Pizza Grotto has been one of Napa Valley’s favorite Italian restaurants among locals and visitors alike. Best known for its extensive pizza menu, their dinner entrées include traditional Italian favorites such as Veal Scaloppini, Eggplant Parmigiana and Linguini with Clam Sauce. Soups, sandwiches and gluten-free options are also on the menu.

635 FIRST ST, NAPA // OXBOW DISTRICT // 707-254-9700 // REALCHEESEPIZZA.COM

1000

1600 ATLAS PEAK RD, NAPA // 707-257-5400 // WWW.SILVERADORESORT.COM

GRILLE 29 Nestled in Embassy Suites Napa Valley, Grille 29 offers a casual, friendly space ideal for a business lunch, after work drinks or dinner with the family. The tall rustic ceiling with chandeliers, sofa seating and beautiful oak bar add an old-world charm to the intimate dining room and lounge. Enjoy delightful entrees using fresh products and herbs grown from its very own garden!

1075 CALIFORNIA BLVD., NAPA // 707-320-9520

NAPA NOODLES Eiko’s sister restaurant, Napa Noodles, is an Asian Pacific Rim-style restaurant that fuses the delicious taste of Asian noodles with Napa Valley cuisine. Specialties include house-made noodles, savory soups, slow-roasted meats, seasonal salads, duck, flavorful rice dishes,

1124 FIRST ST, NAPA // 707- 492-8079 // WWW.NAPANOODLES.COM

MEXICAN

AMERICAN

FILIPPI’S PIZZA GROTTO

ITALIAN

Asian beers, Sake, and local wines.

ASIAN FUSION

NAPA PALISADES SALOON Located in downtown Napa, Napa Palisades is a local gourmet grub pub serving American comfort food with a twist. Their full bar serves up their own Napa Palisades Beer Company house brews, over 30 local craft beers and many guest taps. They boast 16 big screen TV’s, weekend brunch and a popular happy hour.

MAIN ST, NAPA // 707-492-3399 // WWW.NAPAPALISADES.COM

AMERICAN

THE GRILL AT SILVERADO A one-of-a-kind Napa Valley restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and bar appetizers, The Grill at Silverado features Wine Country Cuisine, emphasizing fresh and sustainable products. Just minutes from downtown Napa, the Grill overlooks one of the most beautiful golf courses on earth and offers a respite from the daily routine for everyone who visits.

AMERICAN

Photo by Bob McClenahan

Since the fall of 2021, demand for vineyard ground has ramped up as water resources are scarce and the state is threatening to curtail water rights. As a result, bare ground values are also ramping up with Sauvignon Blanc being the hottest trending varietal. Historically, Lake County has been used as a wine blender but more recently, it has become a sought-after terroir for Red Hills AVA Cabernet Sauvignon and Big Valley AVA Sauvignon Blanc. It is also becoming an investment hotspot as planting contracts are available in the market as are 1000+ gallon per minute agricultural wells. For prospective buyers and investors who have access to water and plants, it’s a great time to expand.

What does the future hold? With the current lack of groundwater, 2022 is sure to be a wild ride. But the question remains: Will low yields from 2021 rebound or will continue in 2022 and only further increase demand? For more information on the vineyards and wineries we represent for sale please visit our website at www.norcalvineyards.com

The NorCal Vineyards Team, managed by 3rd generation grape grower Tony Ford, has represented buyers and sellers of vineyards, wineries, land and estates in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake County for over 19 years. Tony has transacted over $650 Million dollars in sales volume specializing in agricultural assets, vineyards, land and estates. Tony’s reputation is built on value-added services, ranging from assisting in the creation of wine brands, grower relations of wine grapes, and more. His main territory is in the North Coast but is known to branch out across the broader Bay Area region and the greater California landscape. Tony approaches with crucial area knowledge giving his clients a high degree of confidence and customer experience when they engage his services. Tony has spent the last two decades building ironclad relationships, and much of his business comes from word of mouth and referral. 707.391.5950 // DRE #01406167 // 109 Mill St., Healdsburg, CA 95448

Trio at Napa is a trendy collection of new homes, both single and two story, designed in the moder n far mhouse style and located in a well-established neighborhood.

Trio at Napa is a trendy collection of new homes, both single and two story, designed in the modern farmhouse style and located in a well-established neighborhood.

Trio at Napa is a trendy collection of new homes, both single and two story, designed in the moder n far mhouse style and located in a well-established neighborhood.

Select homesites feature an attached accessory dwelling unit (ADU).

Select homesites feature an attached accessory dwelling unit (ADU).

Select homesites feature an attached accessory dwelling unit (ADU).