inside
napa valley Spring 2017
Springing into
SUMMER in the Napa Valley
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3341 Solano Ave (Redwood Plaza), Napa (707) 252-8131 • www.creationsfinejewelers.com
inside
napa valley 4 7
Entrepreneurial motherhood 53 Coming home to The Roost 54
Where in the Valley?
58 Downtown institution relocates 62
Playing in the mud Wine critic on the road
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Hit the greens 64
A passion for classics
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For the love of golf 68
Behold the bento box
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Trick out your cart 72
Small brewery, big ideas
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Big events of summer 75
Cool recipes for spring
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BottleRock like a pro 78 Getting to Know You: Doris 82 Gentry
Copia restaurant reimagined
Home and hearth 86 Great Estates: Margrit’s 90 beloved “ruin” 91 A walking tour of Napa’s tasting rooms 92
The right notes at Blue Note
Tasting tour of Calistoga 97
Fried chicken and wine? Yes.
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Colin MacPhail: Living the Life
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Live music revives
Trefethen rebounds from quake A local fav expands Double Happiness arrives Chiarello’s latest venture
Spring is sprung, on to summer N O R M A KO S T E C K A Ad ve r ti s i ng Di re ctor
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e’ve enjoyed a gloriously wet spring in the Napa Valley and our thoughts are turning to summer. In this edition of Inside Napa Valley, we’ll go outdoors, starting a two-part walking tour of the valley’s quirky and elegant urban tasting rooms (Napa and Calistoga this edition, St. Helena and Yountville next time). We’ll NORMA KOSTECKA also visit the area’s surprisingly varied options for golfers of all skill levels (and veteran sports writer Marty James will explain what makes him so obsessed with life on the greens).
In honor of Mother’s Day, we’ll visit with four Napa County mothers who are taking an entrepreneurial approach to that elusive perfect work-life balance. We’ll look in on some local businesses, including one providing functional fireplaces that protect our air quality, an eclectic downtown Napa retailer, and a family dynasty devoted to tricking out your humble golf cart into a personal statement. We’ll visit a craftsman with the magic touch with classic cars. This edition will fill you in on the explosive rebirth of Napa’s local music scene and a veteran of BottleRock will offer some tips on experiencing the region’s premier music, wine, and food festival.
We’ll give you the details on the biggest events coming up this summer in Napa County. We’ll invite you along as a Napa native experiences his first mudbath and introduce you to the latest addition to Napa County’s booming beer business. We’ll bring you a new edition of “Great Estates,” looking at some of the most unusual and luxurious homes on the market in the valley. This time we visit the late Margrit Mondavi’s beloved “ruin,” which recently sold. We’ll introduce you to a new columnist, Colin MacPhail, a wine-industry consultant and a keen observer of life in the Napa Valley in his “Living the Life” series.
We’ll get to know Napa County’s newest Napa City Council Member Doris Gentry and we’ll continue our “Where in the Valley” visual quiz. On top of it all, we’ll continue to bring you some of the best of our recent food and wine coverage from the pages of our Napa Valley Publishing family of newspapers. So grab your golf clubs, fire up your classic ride, or hoist a superfresh beer and join us for the splendid spring edition of Inside Napa Valley magazine. On the cover: Our splendid spring offers the promise of the bounty of a super summer in the Napa Valley. Photo courtesy Bob McClenahan Photography, napasphotographer.com. 3
Sakhon Nhek Photography
K.D Molner
M
Lindsey Schuh
A MOTHER’S VO VALERIE OWENS Motherhood offers an abundance of joy while humbling the soul. Endless love, patience, dedication, and commitment define the word “Mother.” While some are afforded the opportunity to care for their children on a full-time basis, others share in the financial responsibility of raising a family or are passion-driven to balance both family and a career. How can financial commitments, motherhood and ambition find a common ground? For four local mothers, the answer was simple: Entrepreneurship. K.D. Molner, Lindsey Schuh, Marta Mouriski and Lindsey Albrecht of Napa are dedicated mothers who have stepped beyond the traditional ideals of motherhood and launched careers on their own terms. “I started my business because I started a family,” said K.D. Molner of Duggan Designs. “I’m a 4
self taught graphic designer. I knew I would not want to work full-time because I wanted to be with my kids.” Specializing in print design and digital graphics, Molner started Duggan Designs with the intent of staying home with her children while helping her husband financially support their growing family. “I had my Mommy business plan and I was staying home,” said Molner while describing a conversation with her husband. “I wrote down our budget and showed him how I would do it.” With the support of her husband, K.D. launched her business and now designs business cards, brochures, invitations and collateral materials and is passionate about non-profit opportunities. “We had three kids in three and a half years. It’s been a huge blessing. The value is being home and available to our children and my husband,” said Molner. Thomas Edison once said, “The value of an
idea lies in the using of it.” For Lindsey Schuh, creating a business model that would allow her to explore her interest in photography while dedicating herself to her family provided balance. “My three sons are the light of my life and my constant inspiration for exploring and enjoying the world around me,” said Schuh of Triple Lux Photography. With a concentration in fine art portraiture, Schuh found her passion for photography in the midst of motherhood. As a mother to three sons, Schuh honed her craft while balancing family life. “I’ve always felt that my three sons deserve the best version of me possible, which for me meant finding a creative outlet in photography,” said Schuh. “ Turning that joy beyond a creative outlet into a full-service business became necessary when serving others through my work became a passion and not moving forward would be equivalent to giving up on my dreams—another message I didn’t want to communicate to my boys.”
T from unfo gleB on h tabl I to p a lif You an e find time A ly-fr clien “ kids con ligh T
Marta Mouriski
Lindsey Albrecht
VOCATION
huh, The decision to start a business can be inspired r to from youth or can emerge from everyday life as it cat- unfolds. For Marta Mouriski, the creation of GiggleBlast Children’s Parties came to fruition based my on her love of entertaining and creating unforgetying table moments with her own children. Lux Inspired by her own mother, Mourski set out to provide families with memories that would last ure, a lifetime. “This started out as a labor of love. the You do it for your children and then you have ons, an event,” said Mouriski. “My goal was to try to life. find something that would not take away from my the time spent with the children.” eant A mother of two, Marta has created a famisaid ly-friendly business that allows her to focus on her utlet clients while inspiring her children. hen “I like working with all of the families and my pas- kids get excited to participate and help create,” she lent continued. “My children get to see me in another ge I light.” The role of a mother is a balancing act.
Four Napa women balance motherhood and entrepreneurship
Whether you create your own business, work outside of the home, or stay home, a mother’s love is eternal. For Lindsey Albrecht, Albrecht Designs gave her the opportunity to fuel her passion for aesthetics while devoting herself to her family. “I was very lucky to stay at home with my oldest son for the first year after he was born. Before having kids, I was a buyer for several large home furnishings retailers in the Bay Area and spent many years commuting out of Napa for work. That isn’t the ideal situation with small kids and I knew I wanted to work part-time, so that’s when I decided to lay the ground work to start my own interior design firm,” said Albrecht. A mother of two sons, Albrecht’s interior artistry provides a healthy outlet. Focusing on detail through contemporary and classic design, Lindsey’s commitment to beauty is shown through her work both inside and outside of the home. “I love my boys and there isn’t a more important job in the world to me. But I also know that
I’m a better mom and wife when I take a little time out for me and that includes working outside the home where I’m able to get my creative juices flowing,” said Albrecht. “It doesn’t feel like work. I never get the Sunday blues anymore. Instead I get excited about the week ahead and all of the opportunity to grow my business and to help someone make their home more beautiful. Tumblr founder David Karp once said, “An entrepreneur is someone who has a vision for something and a want to create.” For these four Napa mother-entrepreneurs, passion, familial devotion and drive turned their dreams into a reality. “I have always been challenged by what Milton Berle said: ‘If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.’ Nothing in the past has fulfilled me creatively as photography and no one is doing quite what I’m doing or how I’m doing it,” said Schuh. “Owning my own business means I make the rules and I design my own doors.” 5
The Roost Napa
Prism candles (left), Lotions and roller perfume (middle), and Roller balls and lip lickers (right)
A one-stop shopping place CRAIG SMITH
The Roost Napa evolves and thrives in downtown location A man, his wife and two of her friends, burst into The Roost Napa in a near panic. “We’re going to a wedding, and we need gifts!” said one of them. “We have really good wedding gifts, so it was easy,” said Roost owner Patricia Trimble. The women picked out two gifts and a couple of cards, then started lookPrepare ing at clothes. to enjoy “I love this!” exclaimed one 1407 Second Street of the women. (707) 224-5600 theroostnapa.com They all started Open seven days checking out a week the inventory, and when it was over, “all three upgraded their outfits for the wedding,” said Trimble. Those who haven’t been in the Roost Napa in a while will be surprised to see the evolution made since moving downtown. Trimble describes The Roost as a one-stop kind of shopping place. “You can get a great gift for the party, a card to go with it, and something really cool to wear,” she said. The Roost has more focus on clothing, jewelry,
Maria Sestito, Register
Sina von Reitzenstein and Diane Fort do some last-minute Christmas shopping at The Roost Napa on Second Street on Dec. 24, 2016.
cards and gifts. The first two reflect Trimble’s fashion sense, and the latter two her sense of humor. “We’ve become kind of your spicy, sassy gift store,” she said. The Roost still carries some products that people have been buying since she opened, such as Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan, which is, hands down, The Best for restoring furniture. Her clothing lines include Driftwood Jeans, Johnny Was and Miss Me Vintage. She hates going into a tourist towns and finding shops that carry five items, all of them expensive. “I keep pricing at a level that I would pay.” The Roost started life as a
consignment shop on Lincoln Avenue, featuring antiques and collectibles. Unfortunately, there was minimal foot traffic, and some days, zero business. “When that happened, I would burn sage, apply oils, call my sister and cry,” said Trimble. After a couple of years she decided to move downtown. It was obvious as soon as she opened her downtown doors that the consignment formula didn’t work there. So, Trimble pivoted. She is a frustrated clothes shopper, and was able to put that to good use. “I could never find clothes I liked for myself,” she said. “Everything was either too young or too
mature.” Then it clicked – she could source unique clothes she liked, and carry them in the store. It’s worked. “People have been enthusiastically receptive,” Trimble answered. Trimble spent years in retail, first with Papyrus, a card and paper store, and later running retail operations in Yosemite National Park. Neither was challenging enough. Abandoning retail, Trimble tried banking. She enjoyed banking, but her creative side was stifled. One day she quit, went home, and told her husband she wanted to open her own retail store. Her background provided a thorough understanding of what she would be getting into. Still, she needed a gentle push to make the move. “I asked my dad what he thought, and he said, ‘If not now, when?’ That’s all I needed to hear.” The Roost is fiercely committed to supporting causes and organizations that Trimble believes in. Those run the gamut, from VOICES and Napa Hospice, to the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. Trimble is sometimes asked if she is afraid that going to Women’s Marches and being out there politically could hurt her business. She answers unwaveringly, “Yes, I am, but I am more concerned about my country and the rights of our citizens. I am a patriot to the end.” 7
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The Napa-based alternative-rock band Secure the Sun will open BottleRock this year. Left to right: Anthony Cappeto (bass), Ari Eisenberg (lead singer), Jony SoriaGil (drums), Liam Milligan (guitar).
Live
revival
Tim Carl photos
Napa music scene heating up after quiet decades TIM CARL
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hen I was a teenager in the Napa Valley in the late 1970s and early ‘80s, the local live-music scene consisted of a couple of bars where country-western bands might occasionally play, or school dances at which a cover band would belt out songs from groups such as Journey and Boston, while teenagers swayed back and forth self-consciously. Fast-forward to 2017 and now the Napa Valley is rife with a rich live-music vibe that is poised to grow in the coming years. “The local music scene in Napa Valley is really active at the 10
moment, with tons of venues and lots of local musicians who are playing a wide range of styles,” said Big Rick Stuart, DJ at 99.3 KVYN, The Vine. “Because of this we started ‘The Napa Homegrown Music Show’ that airs on Mondays at 7 p.m. The show focuses on playing only local bands.” Three factors seem to have contributed to the recent growth of the Napa music scene: changes in local rules governing the playing of live music, a strong talent pool, and BottleRock, a three-day rock concert that started in 2013. Changes in the city’s live-music
rules “Back in the late 1970s Napa enacted a series of overly restrictive rules for where and when music could be played,” said Dalton Piercey, a local musician and director of the Napa Musicians Performance Guild. “In 1977 the city of Napa had 18 businesses that were providing live music, but by 1991 there was only one.” Piercey went on to explain that he and a coalition of like-minded people helped usher through new, more musician-friendly zoning rules that went into effect in the 2012 Downtown Specific Plan,
which includes a designated entertainment district. However, for bands to succeed they need more than places to play. They also need talent, training and community support. A strong talent pool “My husband and I started the Napa School of Music 12 years ago,” said Victoria Sykes, who is also the host of “The Napa Homegrown Music Show.” “We started the school because the Napa Valley seems to attract some really talented musicians, but there wasn’t a place for all of them to learn or express their musical talents.”
k n o i .
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KVYN’s General Manager, Larry Sharp (DJ Sharpie).
“Our Garage Band 101 is our claim to fame,” Sykes continued. “We have both a kids’ version and an adult version where people can come in and work with our professional musicians to start their own bands. Four of the bands that started at NSM have stayed together and are still playing out there in the world. Two of our former students, Anthony Cappeto and Ari Eisenberg are in Secure the Sun, a band that is really taking off right now.” “Anthony took guitar and piano lessons from the Napa School of Music, and I’ve taken guitar and voice from them,” said Eisenberg, lead singer and a Napa High School senior. “Members in our band have also been trained locally by, among others, Vintage and Napa High Band and choir programs, the Napa Valley Youth Symphony and Napa Suzuki teachers.” With the strong talent pool and increased ease of obtaining permits, the number of places where live music can be played has expanded. “There are also many places for these local bands to play in Napa — Silo’s, Blue Note Napa, Uptown Theater, Billco’s, Uncorked at Oxbow, Ca’ Momi,” said KVYN’s General Manager, Larry Sharp. “We are also starting a live-music concert series that will be starting soon, with bands playing right here at the station. The concerts will tie in nicely with our ‘Napa Homegrown Music Show.’” BottleRock arrives Another key driver of Napa’s live-music renaissance includes BottleRock, the three-day music festival that first debuted in 2013. “BottleRock certainly puts Napa on the map for world-class music,
right alongside incredible food and wine,” said BottleRock’s Presenting Sponsor John Truchard, owner of JaM Cellars. “JaM Cellars is thrilled to be a part of this cultural revitalization, and we love the BottleRock tradition of opening the festival with a local band.” This year’s opening BottleRock band is Secure the Sun. “We are thrilled, surprised and thankful for the support that BottleRock is showing toward young local bands this year,” said Eisenburg. “In particular, we have immense gratitude to Kimi Baracco and Micah Malan of BottleRock, and Bob St. Laurent of KVYN, who believed in us enough to recommend our band to play.” “Secure the Sun is one of my very favorite local bands, hands down,” St. Laurent said. “I saw Ari as a BottleRock soloist in 2015, and I knew this kid had what it takes.”
Victoria Sykes, who co-founded the Napa School of Music in 2005 and is the current host of KVYN’s “The Napa Homegrown Music Show.”
And St. Laurent knows what it takes because besides being the DJ for the “Good Morning Bob” show on KVYN, he is also the bass player for the local rock band The Deadlies, the local band that opened for BottleRock 2016. “A local band could not hope for more press and exposure than BottleRock, including local Napa and San Francisco news coverage and worldwide press, seeing that BottleRock is now rated one of the 10 best concert events in the U.S.,” St. Laurent said. “Beyond the exposure, seeing these big bands onstage or playing alongside them also has a lasting impact, especially on young bands that are just getting started.” “Seeing bands at BottleRock such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers reinforced their stylistic influence on us,” said Eisenberg. “News of Secure the Sun playing BottleRock has already helped us obtain more
and better gigs, including a residency in May and June at the Boom Boom Room in San Francisco, which includes four separate shows during that period.” With plenty of support, fewer restrictions and plenty of venues to hear live music, expect the local music scene to continue its expansion. “We like the direction things are headed,” Sharp said. “In the future we imagine even more opportunities for live music in Napa with more local bands featured. As a part of that effort we have preliminary plans to create a CD compilation of local groups.” “If you want new, fresh music, it starts with your hometown crowd and support.” St. Laurent said. “And here in Napa we are really seeing something cool happening, which I think will only continue to get better.”
Dalton Piercey, a local musician and director of the Napa Musicians Performance Guild.
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Kent Gardella has owned Napa Valley Jewelers for nearly 25 years. He is planning to move to a new location nearby sometime this year.
J.L. Sousa, Register
Napa Valley Jewelers lives KIRK KIRKPATRICK
New store is owner Kent Gardella’s opportunity to sparkle As shops in in the former Napa Town Center closed one by one, Napa Valley Jewelers has stubbornly hung on over the years. And now, with the grand opening of its new store set for later this 12
year, the venerable Napa business literally has a new lease on life. Kent Gardella, long-time owner of the store, recently finalized a new lease that had been in the works for months. “I’m really excited,” said Gardella “we should be opening somewhere around the fall.” Napa Valley Jewelers’ new home is not far from his old spot in Napa’s Town Center and will
be right next to Eiko’s Japanese Restaurant. It will be directly across from what Gardella hopes will become two new anchor stores as a part of the new First Street Napa development. “Our new store is much closer to First Street,” Gardella said, “and it’s going to be gorgeous. We got to design it from the very beginning this time so we can utilize the space much better.
“It’s going to have a beautiful 6-foot chandelier and the walls will be lined with all new cases, so you can walk right up and look at the jewelry directly instead of across a counter,” he said. “We’re going to start featuring some art glass as well as jewelry. It’s really exciting, because we’ll have a whole new category of merchandise and all this new traffic,” when the nearby Archer
Hotel opens around the same time as Gardella’s new store. “For the last two years,” Gardella said, “we’ve seen virtually no traffic because we’ve been cut off by the closure of walkways around us. It’s been hard to find our store, even for our old customers. People sometimes think we’ve moved even though we’ve been here 25 years.” When the new Archer hotel opens, Gardella believes it will provide the impetus for other retailers to fill the available spaces around him. “There really isn’t any space left on First Street,” Gardella noted. Gardella says his business has always been 80 percent local, with many loyal lifetime customers. He thinks that the new store will be even better for his local customers, but will also be an attraction for out of town visitors. He said a recent customer told him she couldn’t wait for the new Napa Valley Jewelers to open. “She and her husband have a winery touring business,” Gardella said, “and the new development of downtown Napa opens up new possibilities for their touring business.” The customer said they take people to high-end wineries and high-end restaurants, but the ladies want to shop and there hasn’t been enough of that, particularly in Napa. “As long as I’ve been here,” reflected Gardella, “we’ve never had enough of a concentration of retail to say to tourists, and locals, downtown Napa is where you need to be.” He said Napa has lost a lot of business because if Napans wanted to go to finer quality stores, they had to go to Walnut Creek, Corte Madera, or even the City. “This new development is definitely not just for tourists,” he emphasized. “Because the majority of my business has always been local,” Gardella noted, “additional business from visitors will just be frosting on the cake for me.” Gardella acknowledged there have been some false starts in the downtown area over the years.
But this time, he thinks, all the elements are here that will make it work. “When I came here, we really only had one high-end restaurant in Napa. If you wanted a fancy meal or for a special occasion, you got in your car and you drove Upvalley. Now you have people from up valley who are coming to Napa for a meal, with others are coming from all over the Bay Area and even outside the state.” Gardella said that mall stores aren’t much of a problem for his store. “The closest mall is in Fairfield, the jewelry stores are chain stores that carry cheaper merchandise for the masses. They sell price points, and if you go in each one of them, you can’t see much difference in what they carry,” he said. “I try to find vendors that are unique, or at least a little bit different. So when you come in my store, you don’t see the same thing that you see in every mall that you go to. That’s the only way I can compete. “I don’t order the same thing over and over, so if you buy a piece of jewelry at my store, or
a wedding ring, you aren’t going to see hundreds of other women wearing the same thing.” Gardella said his desire to have unique offerings is why he’s going into the art glass business. “They’re made by individual artists from all over the U.S. who are artisans, making beautiful pieces by hand that you use to decorate your home. Jewelry, on the other hand,” Gardella said, “you use to decorate yourself. I think the two go hand in hand.” Gardella says his business hasn’t really been affected by the Internet, except when it comes to watches. “I don’t carry watches anymore because you can go on the Internet and find the same items I can carry cheaper.” He does, however, still service watches and change out batteries. He believes service and the in store experience will always give him an advantage over Internet sites. “If you are buying a piece of jewelry for yourself, you want to put it on, see it and feel it. Seeing a picture is not the same,” he said. “And then there’s the trust issue,” said the long time Napa
jeweler, “and more than anything, that’s the reason we’ve been able to survive over 25 years. We have customers who are loyal, they know I’m going to give them the straight story, and they know I’m going to stand behind everything I sell. That personal experience, especially when you are getting married, the fun of searching for the perfect ring, that’s what we provide. Those personal relationships are what are going to allow us to survive more than anything else,” Gardella said. “I’ve also been able to survive because I’ve been really involved with the community,” he said, “we try hard to give back. We work with local schools, hospitals, charities and service clubs. When you’re involved with your community, people remember that.” BELOW: Napa Valley Jewelry owner Kent Gardella inside his downtown store, which will close this later this year as he moves to a new nearby location. Tim Carl/ Inside Napa Valley magazine
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Photos by Bart Edson
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greens Hit the
ABOVE: Mount St. H Golf Course in Cali
J.L. Sousa/R
JESS LANDER
Options abound for Napa Valley golf enthusiasts
I
n Napa Valley, vineyard views are beautiful, but also a dime a dozen. For a change of scenery, skip the wine trail and soak up the valley’s spectacular landscape and weather from the manicured greens 18
of the area’s many golf courses. We’ve rounded up the best public and private local courses for golfers of all skill levels and with varying price points. Mount St. Helena Golf Course Napa Valley’s best public course for beginners is at the Napa County Fairgrounds in Calistoga. The ninehole Mount. St. Helena course is flat, short and open, but golfers of all levels will find a challenge in the
narrow, tree-lined fairways and on the small greens—a great opportunity to work on your putting. Also one of the most affordable courses around, rates range between $1840. Silverado Resort & Spa For the crème de la crème of golf courses in Napa Valley, there’s no other choice than Silverado Resort & Spa, which has two championship courses to choose from. Tee off
on the recently renovated North Course, where the pros and legends gather for the Safeway Open each October, and attempt to dodge dozens of obstacles, like historic oaks and water crossings. Exclusive to members and their guests, rates start at $139, but you’ll get a nice discount after 5 p.m. Meadowood Napa Valley You can fit in a quick round on the short, nine-hole walking course
s
Napa Valley Register Sports Editor Marty James, left, pulls the flag for playing partner Rich Perrelli of Napa, while the two were playing the South Course at Silverado Resort and Spa. J.L. Sousa, Register
Mount St. Helena urse in Calistoga. J.L. Sousa/Register
Yousef Baig/Register
A look at the 162-yard fourth hole at Meadowood known as “Panoramic” offers a picturesque view of the course from elevated tee boxes.
at Meadowood, which is beginner-friendly, yet still challenging for the regular golfer. The resort also boasts a driving range and “golf studio,” utilizing the latest in Trackman golf technology to track and gather all kinds of data that will help you analyze and improve your game. For something totally unique, there’s also the opportunity to play Hickory Golf, a vintage golf game where players use authentic, hickory wood-shafted clubs from the early 1900s.
Napa Golf Course The best golf for your buck is at the Napa Golf Course in Kennedy Park. Their public facilities include the clubhouse, full 18-hole championship course and practice facilities, complete with a 10,000-square-foot putting and chipping green and 24-stall driving range. Four sets of tees welcome golfers of any skill level and lesson programs are available for all ages. The best part? 18 holes on the weekend will run you just
$41, and that number goes down significantly for weekdays, or after 12 p.m. Aetna Springs Golf Course Journey back in time and escape the tourists at the perfectly isolated Aetna Springs Golf Course in Pope Valley. Originally designed in 1891 with only four holes, Aetna Springs is the oldest golf facility and the second oldest 9-hole course (completed in 1893) west of the Mississippi. Though deep in the country, this renovated course has gotten
the nod from Golf Digest, and not just for its 360-degree views of oak-studded hills. Rates start at $22. Blue Rock Springs Golf Club South of Napa and right off the highway, the greens at Vallejo’s Blue Rock Springs have the goods in the form of two championship 18-hole courses (both open to the public), plus a 28-stall lighted driving range. The East Course is the more challenging of the two, while the West Course is known for 19
Napa Valley Register Sports Editor Marty James watches a fairway drive, while playing the South Course at Silverado Resort and Spa.
For the
J.L. Sousa, Register
Sports-writing veteran Marty James explains the magical lure of the greens
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e love of golf M A RT Y J A M E S m j ame s @nap ane w s . com †‹ There once was a time when I played a lot of basketball. Growing up, I used to play on a court in my backyard or at a neighbor’s home. It was basketball day and night, all the time, with 1-on-1, 2-on-2 or 3-on-3 pick-up games. There once was a time when I did a lot of distance running. It was year-round, just about every day, as I wanted to stay in shape and be as sharp as possible for cross country and track races in high school and for one year in college. There once was a time when I played a lot of tennis. My wife, Karen, and I greatly enjoyed the years we took classes from coach Jerry Somerville at Napa Valley College. The instruction that Jerry – who is a member of the NVC Athletic Hall of Fame – provided about the game was excellent. The two or three days that we were on the court, after working at our jobs all day, was something that we looked forward to. We even entered a doubles tournament that was put on by the Napa Valley Tennis Association one summer. Unfortunately, those days are long gone. They are now just memories, but very positive and happy ones. My days of running and jumping are over. My doctor said so. He told me this after I had hip replacement surgery several years ago in San Francisco. I respect my doctor’s advice and I’m so thankful for the outstanding job that he and his team did, giving me a new lease on life and a reason to get out and walk and exercise. I do walk a lot. Around my neighborhood and also on the golf course. Yes, I play a lot of golf. It’s what I love to do. I was first introduced to the game by my dad, who got me started by taking me to a local driving range. I played my first round at Buchanan Fields Golf Course in Concord. I was probably 12 or 13 at the time. There is so much that I love about the game: — Getting up early and teeing off at 7 a.m. — The challenge of trying to hit fairways and greens in regulation. — The joy and excitement that comes when you’re able to post a low number. — The very, very nice people who you meet in the game. — Taking the golf clubs on vacation and playing in different areas. Oregon (Salishan, Bandon Dunes, Pumpkin Ridge, Black Butte,
Sunriver) and Hawaii (Makena, Wailea, Kapalua, Shake hands with your group at the end of your Mauna Kea, Mauna Lani) both offer great golf. round. Be polite, respectful and courteous. Closer to home, there are some fantastic courses I enjoy the social aspect of it – having a conin the high Sierras (Grizzly Ranch, Graeagle, versation with the person you are playing with. Whitehawk, Bailey Creek, Coyote Moon, Old I particularly enjoy writing about golf, Greenwood, Tahoe Donner, Schaffer’s Mill). whether it’s the PGA Tour, college golf, amateur — Figuring a way to get out of trouble and or junior golf. I’ve been fortunate over the years going on to save par or bogey on a hole. to have covered U.S. Open Championships at — Holing out a shot from the fairway or a Pebble Beach and Olympic Club. greenside bunker. Having a PGA Tour event in Napa for a week — Spending time in golf shops. each year at Silverado is one of the highlights of — Playing in tournaments. my writing schedule. It’s big-time. Spending the — The way that the game disconnects you week just writing about golf is an absolute joy. from email, voice mail and text messages. There Seeing and meeting and hearing from many of are no distractions – it’s just me and the course. the players each year is exciting. — The spectacular scenery that a golf course This past year, NBA superstar Stephen Curry provides. of the Golden State Warriors was so very kind I’ve been lucky over the years to have had and accommodating to give me some time as I two hole-in-ones. One was official, the other asked a few questions as he played the 18th hole unofficial. of the North Course during the Safeway Open Karen witnessed my ace on the par-3 second Pro-Am. hole on the North Course at Silverado Resort Curry said golf is not high on the priority list and Spa, home of the Safeway Open, a PGA because of family and basketball. He tries to play Tour event. I did not have a witness when I once a month. aced the par-3 15th hole on the South Course “My golf game is what it is. It kind of exposes at Silverado. you a little bit,” he said. “Any time you can play I don’t ever begin a round thinking about a golf, it’s pretty awesome.” number that I want to shoot. For me, it’s about It is indeed awesome. I have no plans to slow the quality of time and the overall experience – down or cut back on golf. I want to keep it going three hours of doing something that I absolutely as long as I can, because I absolutely love and love. respect and honor the game that much. I want to be playing — at least two to three days a week, sometimes even more. There is a connection that I have to the game, and I think it may come from walking the course so much of the time. I love the feel of the fairways and playing at a fast pace. No practice swings. Address the ball, look at your target, trust your shot. I hardly ever go to the driving range or do any warm-up routine. After checking in, it’s straight to the first tee. There is so much that I get from the game, as it constantly reminds you about playing and behaving as J.L. Sousa, Register Napa Valley Register Sports Editor Marty James walks down a gentleman. When you enter the the fairway of the South Course at Silverado Resort and Spa. clubhouse, take your golf hat off. 21
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The golf cart of K I R K K I R K PAT R I C K
J
ust as every young boy longs for a go-kart, men often fantasize about having their own personal golf cart, or golf cars as they’re now known. And not just any golf car, we’re taking about a tricked-out model that makes heads turn and gives the other fellas golf car envy. Gus Timms, the second-generation owner of South Napa’s A&T Custom Golf Cars, says his team is ready to customize a golf car to your own personal tastes. “We’ve matched the paint color from a customer’s hot rod, including the matching pinstripe,” he said. “We even matched the wheels and the tuck and roll look on the seats.” Not surprisingly, there’s a lot of demand for customizing, especially when it only adds $1,500 to $2,000 to the cost of the golf car. “Right now we do a lot of custom seats, custom paint jobs, special wheels and custom steering wheels,” Timms said. While you can find pre-customized golf cars on the showroom floor, “we prefer to build the order to the customer’s specs so they have a cart they’re happy with,” he explained. “You might have to wait a week or two but you’ll be happier in the end.” One of the cars he was currently finishing was clearly destined for a San Francisco Giants Fan. Not surprisingly, it featured a black body and roof with orange detailing on the seats. Timms had also added a second, rear-facing seat in the back, without giving up the spot for the golf clubs. The price for this beauty came in around $11,000. If you’re concerned about the cold or heat, Timms can also provide a golf car that’s completely enclosed with an electric or propane heater and/or a swamp cooler built in. But golf cars aren’t just for golf anymore. Timms noted that his business once sold about 80 percent golf cars to 20 percent utility vehicles, but now he sells an equal number of both. “Since our manufacturer starting making carts for commercial use, that business has really picked up,” he said. “Instead of just modifying golf cars, we can now sell units specifically made for hauling, like a small truck, or large six passenger shuttles for the winery and resort businesses.” Timms noted the wineries and resorts like the quieter electric engines that don’t disturb their guests. 24
Some of the commercial vehicles can run up to 20 mph, Timms noted, “but you don’t want to load six people on a shuttle and go those kind of speeds, that would be dangerous,” he said. The technology of these vehicles has changed a lot since the old days as well. “A while back,” Timms said, “the electrical system changed from DC to AC volts, and they’ve just released lithium batteries.” “It’s all about efficiency,” he said, “which has to do with extended run times and that equals cost savings for the consumer.” For instance, you’ll get much longer life out of a lithium battery, which is used in today’s Tesla cars. That will add to the cost of a golf car, but they will come with a 5-year warranty and could last as long as the life of the golf car. “You might never need to buy replacement batteries because they’re estimating they will last three times as long as the old lead acid batteries, which often need to be changed out at least three times during the life of the golf car,” he said. Timms estimated an entry-level golf car with lithium batteries might run in the neighborhood of $9,000. “I remember when we started the golf car business an entry level car was like $4,100, now they start off around $7,600,” he said. “Today’s AC drives have made a huge difference; because all the courses and terrain around here are steep and the AC drives give you added speed and torque. With the old DC cars you had to set it up for one or the other.” And for commercial use, Timms can how offer new haulers and consumer shuttles in a 72-volt model instead of 48-volt. “They’re like little Billy goats,” Timms said. “It’s a fun business,” said Timms, “we’ve been in this same location on South Coombs longer than we’ve been selling golf cars, and that’s over 30 years. It’s a family legacy I’m trying to keep going.” He noted that when the economy is up, so are his sales which means times are good right now. Timms is well positioned for the future because “we’re going to see a lot more electric vehicles down the road because it’s the greener thing to do.” While he does get some out-of-town business, the majority of his
business is local. Whether you are looking for your golf outings or commercial use, A&T Custom Golf Cars is going to make it as easy as possible for you. They sell about 60 percent pre-owned golf cars vs. 40 percent new. “You could get into a fairly new cart for $3,500 to $5,500 that will include the newest technology like electronic braking that automatically slows the car and brings it to a complete stop.” A&T offers 0 percent financing for 24 months for new vehicles, or 3.99 percent financing for used up to 36 months. “Golf carts will last a while but people often want to buy the next new thing as long as the economy is good,” said Timms. ”I’ve sold one guy five carts because he’s always looking for something new.” Especially on the commercial side, the ability to lease has really changed the game. “Now we have commercial leasing options,” Timms noted, “where every three years customers trade them out for new ones, so they can keep their image up at a low price. It also keeps the capital budget down because you are turning in the carts before the batteries need to be replaced, and that can add up to substantial savings if you have several carts,” he said. Repairs? Sure, A&T does those, too. “We just pulled a golf pencil out of a customer’s tire,” he laughed. “I didn’t think that was even possible for a pencil.” Is there your own personalized golf car in your future? With the way things are trending, they’re could be one in everyone’s future.
of your dreams
Gus Timm of A&T Custom Golf Carts
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We Satisfy Burning Desires 368 Yolanda Ave, Santa Rosa
707-523-7747 M-F 8:30-5 • Sat 10-3
Family Owned & Operated Since 1960
Events of summer Some of the fun ahead in our busy summer season
Pawsport Napa Valley May 18-21 Various locations napahumane.org/PawsportNV Napa Human sponsors a petfriendly weekend of wine, featuring tastings at more than a dozen wineries and tasting rooms throughout the valley.
BottleRock 2017 May 26-28 Napa Valley Expo, Napa bottlerocknapavalley.com The county’s biggest music festival returns for a fifth season, featuring a wide assortment of performers from many genres, including headliners Tom Petty, Foo Fighters, and Maroon 5.
Auction Napa Valley May 30-June 4 Various locations auctionnapavalley.org 28
in the Napa Valley
An extraordinary mingling of Wine Country Classic Robert Mondavi WinNapa Valley wines, memorable meals from talented chefs, the sprint cars ery Summer Music beauty of our landscape at every June 24 Festival turn, the music and design and, Calistoga Speedway of course, the thrill of bidding July1-29 calistogaspeedway.org on one-of-a-kind Napa Valley Robert Mondavi Winery Sprint cars return to the halfwines and experiences, all coming robertmondaviwinery.com together in an original way each mile dirt track in the midst of the For five decades, Robert Monyear since 1981. The centerpiece Napa County Fargrounds. davi Winery has hosted legendary auction event will be at Meadartists for its Concert Series, this owood in St. Helena on June 4. Keith Connelly Napa year featuring Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness (July 1); Patti Valley Joe DiMaggio Labelle (July 8); The Revivalists Napa Valley Jazz (July 15); Michael Franti & SpearBaseball League head (July 22): and Ben Harper & Getaway the Innocent Criminals (July 29). June 7-11 Fourth of July Various locations Napa County Fair and jazzgetaway.com Tournament; A five-day luxury wine and jazz June 30-July 4 Fireworks festival set in the heart of CaliforJustin-Siena High School and nia’s famous wine country, feaJuly 4 turing an all-star cast of jazz and Veterans Home of California’s Napa County Fairgrounds, R&B greats. In addition, you’ll try Cleve Borman Field in Yountville. Calistoga some of Napa’s most iconic wines Information, call Dave Davison, napacountyfair.org and many hidden gems as well. 738-2712. Rides, events, exhibits and
games at the fairgrounds, follow- artists-in-residence from the U.S., ing the annual 4th of July Parade Europe and Canada performing through downtown Calistoga. new and classic chamber music repertoire in stunning winery Festival Napa Valley settings. July 12-23 Various locations festivalnapavalley.org The annual summer festival (formerly known as Festival Del Sole) artfully blends the world’s finest classical, jazz, opera, theater and dance artists with curated culinary, wine and fitness pursuits, staged in Napa Valley’s most iconic settings.
Napa-to-Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon Series July 16 Carneros destinationraces.com Runners tour the roads of scenic wine country, starting at Cuvaison Carneros Winery and finishing at Sonoma Plaza in front of City Hall.
AMA Flat Track Motorcycles July 29 Calistoga Speedway calistogaspeedway.org Ex p e r i e n c e t h e e x p l o s i ve excitement of motorcycle racing on the half-mile dirt track in the Napa County Fairgrounds.
Napa Porchfest July 30 Downtown Napa napaporchfest.org A day-long showcase of local performers, held on a most unusual stage: The porches of Napa’s historic downtown homes.
Music in the Vineyards
Cochon555 Heritage Fire Napa
Aug. 27 Charles Krug Winery, St. Helena Town & Country Fair cochon555.com/2017-tour/ napa Aug. 9-13 A national touring outdoor Napa Valley Expo, Napa showcase of all things meat napavalleyexpo.com/townreturns to the Napa Valley, feaand-country-fair turing over 50 notable chefs Circus dreams and carnival and butchers, each grilling heriscreams at the annual Town & tage-breed animals. Country Fair in the heart of Napa.
Louis Vermeil Classic Sept. 1-3 Calistoga Speedway calistogaspeedway.org An end-of-summer racing celebration featuring the annual Hall of Fame dinner on Friday, and racing by USAC/CRA non-wing, traditional “410” sprint cars on Saturday and Sunday, with teams from all over the West, and some local champions as well.
Main Street Reunion Aug. 18-19 Downtown Napa donapa.com/event/mainstreet-reunion A free hometown street party in downtown Napa, featuring food, fun, and an amazing collection of vintage cars and hot-rods. 41st annual Tour of Napa Valley Aug. 20 Various locations eaglecyclingclub.org Presented by Eagle Cycling Club, this biking event offers rides ranging from 35 miles to 100 miles.
Shakespeare Napa Valley Aug. 24-Sept. 10 Napa and St. Helena shakespearenapavalley.org Enjoy free outdoor performances of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Playing in Veterans Memorial Park in Napa on Aug. 24-27 at 7 p.m., moving to St. Helena’s Napa Valley College campus Sept. 8-10 at 7 p.m.
Blues, Brews & BBQ
Aug. 26 Downtown Napa donapa.com/event/bluesAug. 4-27 brews-bbq Various locations An all-day street party, featurmusicinthevineyards.org The four-week festival show- ing music, food and craft brew cases dozens of world-class throughout downtown Napa. 29
Making the most of BottleRock JESS LANDER
Festival vet offers pro tips on getting the best out of your experience I’m proud to say that I’ve been to BottleRock every year since its inception, each time with a threeday pass. Last year, I even reaped the rewards of a VIP upgrade. Add it all up and you’ll find that I’ve spent 12 full days navigating crowds and lines, battling sore feet—and maybe even a few hangovers—all for the love of music and a good time. I’ve also made some mistakes and learned some lessons along the way, which I’m going to share with you so that you have an optimal first-time BottleRock experience. What to pack Beat the heat with a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen (but not the spray kind, that’s banned), and bring an additional layer for when the sun goes down and it gets chilly for the headlining acts. Pack an empty insulated water bottle to keep your water (or beer) cold for hours, and wear supportive, close-toed shoes. I know sandals are tempting, but they won’t support you through a long day of walking and standing, and you will get stepped on once or twice while weaving through crowds. Your feet will also be black by the end of the day (I know this first-hand) and if that still doesn’t convince you, maybe the thought of wearing them into a port-a-potty will. Don’t go too hard the first day Some might call this a rookie mistake, and yet it’s the lesson I can’t seem to learn. So, like your parents, I’m going to encourage you to do as I say, not as I do. If you have a three-day wristband and you go a little too hard on the first day—I’m talking getting badly sunburnt and dehydrated, drinking too much or staying out too late at an after party—it could ruin the rest of your weekend. You don’t want to wake up Saturday morning feeling so bad that you miss the early bands you were hoping to see, or 30
Register file photo
Live Nation Entertainment has acquired a majority interest in Latitude 38, the organizers of the annual BottleRock festival, held in Napa in late May.
BottleRock 2017 May 26-28, 2017 Napa Valley Expo bottlerocknapavalley.com
spending the entire day struggling to enjoy yourself. As they say: it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Do Your Homework If you’re anything like me—a lazy radio listener who’s never even downloaded the Shazam app—you might not actually know the names of the artists behind your favorite songs. Every year when I first look at the BottleRock lineup, I’m only familiar with a handful of bands, but once I research them, I have an “Oh, they sing that song I love” moment and immediately add them to my schedule (download the BR app beforehand to build your daily schedule). There’s even a BottleRock Spotify playlist that you can listen to in order to discover
new bands you might like. If you do your homework, you won’t miss out on a great band that you might have wanted to see. Stay Cool I can’t predict what kind of weather we’ll have this year at BottleRock, but if it’s anything like the last four, it’ll be hot, hot, hot. If you’re carrying a general admission ticket, shade will admittedly be limited, but the smaller stages have the most cover, especially the stage to the left of the Burnell Street gate. If you nabbed yourself a VIP pass, congrats! There’s plenty of tented areas to seek cover under in between sets, plus air-conditioned bathrooms that you’ll want to hang out in all day. Drink The general drink tents will serve a handful of common beers on draft, but if you want more variety, there’s usually a special craft brewing area, so look for that. This year’s beer lineup promises
everything from local brewers like Napa Palisades and the newly-opened Tannery Bend, to craft extraordinaires like Ballast Point and Ninkasi. You’ll pay a couple bucks more, but you’ll be rewarded with a better buzz than you could ever get from a $10 Coors Light. Obviously, there’s no shortage of fantastic wine if vino is your thing, but just prepare to wait in line for it, and maybe grab two at a time. Eat Pretty much all of your favorite local restaurants will be setting up at BottleRock, but I like to use the festival as a chance to try something different (those restaurants will still be there come June). The food trucks usually offer the most affordable options, but at the expense of long wait times. From personal experience, I can tell you that Gerard’s Paella is not to be missed. Keep in mind that the earlier in the day you choose to fuel up, the shorter the lines will likely be.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
City Council member Doris Gentry Dream vacation: Swimming in Florida’s warm waters and walking on the beaches. The Keys, oh my, love all the Keys. Maybe Key West is my true fav. Most recent bedtime read: “This is Your Brain on Music,” by Daniel Levitin Favorite birthday gift: I did not have celebrations as a kid, so as an adult, my b’day is a BIG deal, every time is exciting. My fav gift is: friends, cake, cards, balloons. Hey there, May 26, come on over! Most favorite food: Espresso, latte, strong coffee, polenta, lamb shank, lamb chops, shrimp and I love cheese. Not a sweets person but I do love Key Lime Pie once a year and an affogato weekly. Least favorite food: Chinese, ewww, my least favorite. On a two-week business trip in China, I packed protein bars, water, and had a whole box of dehydrated food shipped to my hotel room. Weirdest job: Created a crop dusting school and plane manufacturing corporation. Imported parts and built Polish Dromader crop dusting planes in southern Missouri but did not have a pilot’s license or a chemical materials handling degree. How many places have you lived: Lived in Illinois, AZ, MD, VA, TN, Alabama, TX, Florida and a cattle ranch in the Sand Hills of Nebraska plus many places in those states. Last time you cried: Often, the plight of others humbles me, buckles me, sends me to frequent tears. Favorite sport: Is singing a sport? OK, then swimming. For two years, I was a swimming instructor for a college in southern Illinois and enjoyed those summers as a lifeguard. Best advice for the younger generation: Do not burn bridges, everyone is valuable and wise in ways we might not see at the time. Those in our path can help with our vision and future, even if we do not think so at the time; it is amazing how much we need others. What makes you annoyed: When people yell at their kids. Oh goodness, people, use your library voice. The more angry a parent gets, the softer they should speak. This goes for spouses also, just sayin’. Last time you were mad: Mad: completely unrestrained by reason and judgment; unable to think in a clear or sensible way. Therefore, I do not get mad. This is not a mental state that encompasses me even once a decade. Doris Gentry is a first-term member of the Napa City Council and is a longtime community organizer and activist. 31
Swim Trunks • Shoes & Sandals • Sunglasses • Accessories • Casual & Work Clothes • Fine Cigars
Patti Perez of Napa Valley Hearth, shown in her store in 2014 flanked by two gas stoves with an unlit wood burning stove behind her. Changes in air quality regulation mean most hearth-related products are gas or electric, not wood-burning these days. Register file photo
HOME
is where the hearth is
M I C H A E L WAT E R S O N
Local business rolls with changes in fire technology and rules When the Titan Prometheus stole fire from Apollo, according to Greek mythology, and gave it to mankind, humans became nearly as powerful as the gods. Indeed, since the taming of fire in the Stone Age, the comfort and attraction of a roaring blaze seem almost divine. No wonder the hearth has always been the center of the home. Sitting around the fire conversing or just sipping a beverage while enjoying a flamefed reverie, is the very definition of heaven on a chilly night. Napa Valley Hearth has been stoking local residents’ love of stoves and fireplaces for 30 years. But the material that fuels those hearths and heaters has largely changed from when native Napan 34
If you go Napa Valley Hearth is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.—2 p.m. Saturday, September through April. The store is closed Saturday during the summer months. The telephone number is 707 255-6854. Napa Valley Hearth is located at 1527 Silverado Trail.
Patty Perez bought a sheet metal business on Silverado Trail and completely shifted the operation’s focus. “With the air quality issues (today), wood burning has become less popular,” Perez said. Nowadays, those logs and glowing embers beneath the mantelpiece are often faux, lit by electric current, and dancing flames are usually consuming propane or natural gas. While some environmentalists argue that wood burning is carbon-neutral, and therefore more environmentally friendly, the
particulate pollution emitted by wood fuel is a major health concern, especially in more crowded areas. “During the winter, smoke from residential wood burning is the leading cause of air pollution in the Bay Area,” according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District website. “Small particles and toxic chemicals from wood smoke can cause serious health problems, especially in children, older adults, and those with heart or respiratory problems.” The agency monitors regional air quality and issues “Spare the Air” alerts, directives that ban wood burning on certain winter days. Buildings where a wood-burning device is the sole source of heat are exempt from the ban, if that source is EPA-certified. Open-hearth fireplaces, however, are never exempt. Violations can garner a fine of $500 or more per incident. The district also requires that only clean-burning, EPA-certified
stoves and inserts are sold and used in local construction projects. Blessed with a mild climate of warm days and cool nights, outdoor entertaining happens almost year-round in Napa. As the sun goes down, fire-pits and propane heaters are must-have items. And as a food and wine mecca, no local patio or backyard can do without a barbecue grill. “Outdoor living is such a big part of Napa Valley life,” said Perez. Local resorts, as well as residences, are big on outdoor hospitality, and are a significant customer base for the business, she said. The business expands its outdoor display section this time of year, according to Perez. Along with metal stoves and brick or masonry hearths and inserts, Perez sells the complementary accessories, such as screens, mantelpiece décor and furnishings. “Our business is really about the home,” said Perez.
GREAT ESTATES
Margrit Mondavi’s beloved ‘ruin’ sold M I C H A E L WAT E R S O N Few have done more to associate Napa Valley with the good life and all its amenities than Robert and Margrit Mondavi. Wine, their passion, rewarded their love and hard work with an enviable lifestyle. After the death of her husband, Margrit Mondavi sold the couple’s Wappo Hill home in Oakville and in 2009 bought a piece of property in Napa’s eastern foothills where she lived until her death last year. Near the end of Green Valley Road, where the roadway narrows to a single lane, the gated 10-acre property was put on the market this year. Built in 1990, “the Ruin,” as Margarit reportedly dubbed the 4,000-square-foot single story house, is a blend of rustic charm and modern elegance after an extensive makeover by architect Howard Backen and custom builders Grassi & Associates. Long an advocate of the arts – it was she who added “the arts” to the defunct Copia Center’s promotion of wine and food – a tour of the house and grounds provides insight into her aesthetic taste in its mixture of folksy and stylish elements, and how the touches of rustic character – visible tongue-and-groove construction for example – blend with the rural surroundings. And what surrounding they are. A walk across the wooden footbridge between old olive trees leads to a welcoming antique tile sign with the words: “Omni Vincit Amor” (“Love Conquers All”). Opening the heavy, custom carved wooden front door – transferred from the Mondavi house on Wappo Hill – one steps into a spacious living room with a vaulted, open beam cathedral ceiling and a large sliding glass door on the opposite wall that frames a breathtaking vista of the Napa Valley and the mountains beyond. Step through the glass door out onto the wrap-around deck to take in the full expanse of the panorama to the west, from the rolling, vine-covered hills in the foreground to the city of Napa and
The property owned by the estate of the late Margrit Mondavi recently sold for $4.6 million.
The interior of Margrit Mondavi’s home on Green Valley Road in Napa. The home recently sold for $4.6 million
the Mayacamas Mountains beyond. At the end of a wet winter, the landscape glows green. With an outdoor bar and an infinity edge swimming pool, in addition to the awe-inspiring surroundings, the deck is the place to entertain during warm weather. During the cooler months, occupants can stay warm by the wood-burning stone fireplace in the living room and listen to music through built-in speakers. Guests in every season seem to gravitate to the kitchen and this
kitchen couldn’t be more welcoming, with multiple skylights, honed white Calacatta marble slab counters and a breakfast bar that seats two. The spacious center island with a stainless steel, dual oven, six-burner stove provides ample work space for multi-course meals. The family room, with its brick wood-burning fireplace and more built-in speakers, adjoins the kitchen on one side, with the formal dining room off the other. Hydronic heating (circulated warm water) throughout the house
Submitted images
eliminates the early morning shock of bare feet on cold travertine tile when rolling out of bed in the master suite, which also has westward facing, sliding-glass-door access to the deck and pool. Visitors can stay in a separate guest unit, complete with laundry room, below the main living quarters. A house this special was not put in the hands of just any Realtor. Cyd Greer, a real estate broker with Coldwell Banker Brokers of the Valley for 13 years and the firm’s number one North America franchise broker for 2016, was the assigned agent for the $5 million property. “I love the tranquility of the setting,” said Greer. “The house felt very calm to me, very serene” Greer credits not only the spectacular view, but the white-on-white palette, consistent throughout the house, for the calming effect. After a short time on the market, the house sold in March. Although Margret Mondavi is gone, she left a beautiful legacy that will surround and inspire the new owners of her beloved “Ruin” every day. 35
Gift Ideas
Happy appy Mother’sDay D
Gift Guide
Hearts On Fire Studs
Mother’s Day Bouquets
The World’s Most Perfectly Cut Diamond
Complete selection awaits you!
CREATIONS FINE JEWELERS 3341 Solano Ave, Redwood Plaza, Napa 707-252-8131 www.creationsfinejewelers.com
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1
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A walking wine tour of Napa DAVID STONEBERG editor@sthelenastar.com
We visit the new breed of urban tasting rooms Before it was the Vintner’s Collective, the building at the corner of Clinton and Main streets was a Chinese laundry, a deli, a butcher’s shop, a brothel and a saloon. It was built in the 1860s and was one of the first operating businesses in Napa County. It is also the first collective tasting room in Napa; a concept that has exploded in poularity in the last five years in downtown Napa. Today the handsome stone building, which was damaged in the August 2014 earthquake, closed and then opened nine months later, is a tasting room representing some two dozen small-production boutique wineries from Ancien and Azur Wines to Treasure Wines and Vinoce, with over 100 wines in stock. Behind the counter Kevin Green answered questions and poured wine: “What we pour is basically customized to a guest’s palate. We ask, what do you like to buy and drink at home, so we customize a flight off that.” Four tasting options are available, from $10 to $95. Green, who started in the tasting room in early February, said his favorite producers include Philippe Melka, Julian Feyard, Luc Morlet, Ken Bernard and Rolando Herrera. “We are big fans of Rolando and his story with his label ‘Mi Sueno,’ meaning ‘My Dream’ in Spanish. He is living the true American dream, born and raised in Mexico, coming to the Napa Valley for jobs in the vineyard, building rocks walls, working in the cellar and creating his label.” What brought us here? The assignment was simple: Spend a sunny Thursday afternoon in downtown Napa, sampling the wines and getting the stories from those in the tasting rooms. We didn’t get to all of them but we found plenty of both wines and stories. Catherine Bugue, a person who loves drinking and 46
A selection of Napa tasting rooms
David Stoneberg, Star
Josh Uran, director of hospitality, left, and Kevin Green talk wines at Napa’s Vintner’s Collective, which has been a tasting room since 2002. After the July 2014 earthquake, the tasting room moved into an Airstream trailer but reopened in the spring of 2015.
“
Downtown Napa is doing it the right way. Being a collective is the trend now, it is popular and a smart way to go, multiple small wineries come together in one space and offer an outlet to customers to try their boutique wines” — Steve Sansone, Wines on First.
writing about wine, parked her car and we were off. OUTLAND — Caitlyn McCormick and Danielle Shehab were sitting at a table in an airy, sunlit space. Although Outland Fine Wines, the tasting room for Poe, Farella and Fornlorn Hope has been open since late December, its grand opening was March 11. Samantha Sheehan, owner and winemaker of Poe, makes her wines at Tom Farella’s Coombsville property. Both sought a space close to the downtown and when the lease became available last spring, Sheehan jumped on it and reached out to Mathew Rorick, who owns a vineyard and winery in Murphys, Calaveras County with his family. “Forlorn Hope is very much off the beaten path, both figuratively and literally,” McCormick said.
All of the wines are premium and visitors can taste by the glass, bottle or flight, which range from $30 to $38 per flight — or just buy a bottle to take home. Poe wines include chardonnay, rose, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and vermouth, sold both by the glass and by the bottle. Farella’s offerings are sauvignon blanc, malbec, syrah, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and an Alta Reserve, which is $42 a glass (served from Coravin) and $150 a bottle. Shehab, director of operations for Forlorn Hope, said Rorick has been making wine for more than 10 years. “His focus is to honor the past of California and the grapes that were grown here traditionally,” Shehab said, including chenin blanc, trousseau gris, grenache, pinot gris and petite sirah. On the 300 acres, of
-Vintner’s Collective Napa Valley, 1245 Main St., 255-7150, vcnv.com - Outland Fine Wines, 920 Franklin St., 227-1277, Outlandwines.com -Wines on First, 1463 First St., 2263046, Purecruwines.com - JaM Cellars, 1460 First St., 265-7577, Jamcellars.com - Capp Heritage Vineyards, 1245 First St., 254-1922, Cappheritage.com - Square One Tasting Bar, 1331 First St., 252-1000, Napatouristinfo.com - Vermeil Wines, 1018 First St., 2549881, Vermeilwines.com - Stonehedge, 1040 Clinton St., 2571068, Sa-napavalley.com
which 70 are planted in vines, there are 20 varieties of grapes planted. Forlorn makes 2,500 to 3,000 cases. “Right now, we’re really excited about the chenin blanc that’s coming off the vineyard. The limestone soil is perfect for that combination of chenin,” Shehab said. WINES ON FIRST – To reach the tasting room, walk down a paved alleyway past the entrance to Oenotri restaurant and it’s a door down on the right. Inside is Steve Sansone, wine director. Wines from three boutique Napa Valley wineries are poured: those from J. McClelland, PureCru and Jean Edwards Cellars. Flights range from $15 to $35. SJ. McClelland Cellars is small production, about 1,000 cases and is the exclusive wine of the Grammy Awards; Mitch Cosentino, an iconic Napa Valley winemaker, has just finished his 37th harvest in the valley and makes PureCru wines in a wide range of styles, from chardonnays to rosé to cabernet sauvignon; Jean Edwards Cellars specialize in “gorgeous, single-designate cabs from all over the Napa Valley, Pritchard Hill, Stagecoach, Yates Family, the really good stuff,” he said. The tasting room has been open since 2012 and is open late by design. Customers can order dinner from Oenotri, the well-regarded
Italian restaurant, in the tasting room. He added, “Downtown Napa is doing it the right way. Being a collective is the trend now, it is popular and a smart way to go, multiple small wineries come together in one space and offer an outlet to customers to try their boutique wines.” JaM CELLARS – Butter, toast and jam are served in the space that looks like a living room, but they are for drinking, not eating. Butter is chardonnay, Toast is sparkling and Jam, of course, is cabernet sauvignon. “Jambassador” Sofia Haspel said the space at 1460 First St., “is a very cool spot ... This is definitely not the typical standard tasting room, where you stand and get educated.” Haspel said that John and Michelle Anthony opened this as the “fun and outgoing” side of their John Anthony tasting room right next door. The JaM Cellar butter, toast and jam wines are exclusive to the tasting room and there are others available as well, including Friends of JaM and Smith Devereux. Wines are sold by the glass and flights are either $15 or $20. Haspel said the JaM wines are “approachable. Our cabs aren’t the typical huge, tannic, kick-to-themouth wines and our chardonnay is the same thing. I’m not a
chardonnay drinker, yet I drink Butter in an obnoxious amount.” CAPP HERITAGE – In a dark wood, traditional and beautiful tasting room at 1245 First St., Gary William Koehler stands behind the bar and wants to share the history of the Capp family, which is one of the oldest wine families in the Napa Valley. The story begins in 1845, when Dan Capp’s great-great-grandfather came across the Sierra Nevadas and homesteaded at the intersection of Highway 29 and Lincoln Avenue in Calistoga. Koehler told about Capp’s ancestors, the Hudson family, their efforts in the Bear Flag revolt, earning a fortune in the Gold Rush and buying what would become the entire town of St. Helena. “There’s a lot of history here,” he said, after telling the long and involved story. The Capp tasting room has been open for three years and Koehler has been a part of it “before it opened, before it was sheet rocked,” he said. Tasting fees are $20. Wines range from chardonnay to cabernet and when asked about the Napa Valley barbera, he replied, “All you need to know is it is ‘hmm, hmm good. I can tell you all about the ripe plums, dark cherries and berries and all that kind of stuff but the two real words are ‘hmm, hmm good. That’s all you need to
know.” Every second Wednesday of the month, the tasting room hosts a song competition from the Napa chapter of the West Coast Songwriters Association. “We have judges, we give awards,” said Koehler, who is also a songwriter. “They will come here in August for the grand finale” and the dozen chapter winners will compete during a two-day convention in Berkeley. SQUARE ONE – Alicia Huddleston at the Square One Tasting Bar, which is inside the Napa Tourist Information Center at 1331 First St., can get you a deal at a dozen tasting rooms in Napa. For $15, Huddleston is selling a Taste of Downtown Napa pass, put out by the Downtown Napa Association, offering half price tasting fees at a dozen tasting rooms and more than 100 wines, all within walking distance. “If you have a few days, you can split up,” visiting the tasting rooms, she said, but she added with a laugh, “If you want to get them done all in one day, that is a good ambition in life.” For locals, buying a pass is beneficial, Huddleston said. “You go out, maybe you’re waiting for dinner reservations or maybe you’re meeting some friends in town, it’s Please see Tour, Page 52
David Stoneberg, Star
David Stoneberg, Star
JaM Cellars at 1460 First St. is not your typical tasting room, instead it is a place for events, such as movies, live music and industry nights.
Shahin Shahabi, president and CEO of Stonehedge, said he started the brand with his father about 30 years ago. Their tasting room is at 1040 Clinton St. in Napa.
David Stoneberg, Star
Alicia Huddleston helps a customer at the Napa Tourist Information Center at 1331 First St., which is also the site of the Square One Wine Bar.
Standout wines from tasting rooms From rosé to cabernet sauvignon and everything C AT H E R I N E B U G U E catb u g u e@ g m a i l . c o m During a recent trip through a few of the many Napa tasting rooms, the following wines stood out and are worth mentioning. OUTLAND Three equally tasty brands are here Forlorn CATHERINE Hope, Farella and BUGUE Poe. Forlorn Hope 2015 Chenin blanc has rich flavors of ripe pear highlighted by a refreshing thread of minerality that flow across the tongue into a long, silky finish. Farella 2012 Malbec is a richly textured and structured malbec with intense, juicy black fruit flavors layered with a mix of spices. Poe 2016 Rosé of pinot noir and pinot meunier is a dry rosé with an expressive nose of strawberry and red cherry fruit. The underlying zip of acidity takes the rich fruit across the palate into a wonderfully refreshing finish. WINES ON FIRST Three killer brands: PureCru, the exceptional wines from longtime Napa Valley winemaker Mitch Consentino; J. McClelland, the official wine of the Grammys; and Jean Edwards Cellars, with its previous Opus One winemaker. PureCru 2015 Rosato di Sangio is touted as the most-awarded Napa Valley rosé, and mesmerizes the taster with a mix of fruity and floral aromas. A thread of minerality and freshness runs through Please see Tasting, Page 52
47
Be prepared to spend some time tasting the wines at Tank Garage — all blends — and admiring the unique merchandise that ranges from musical instruments made from old gas cans to super-cool T-shirts. The winery is aptly named because there really was a fueling station on the spot at one time. Anne Ward Ernst, editor@weeklycalistogan.com
The flavor of
CALISTOGA A N N E WA R D E R N S T ed i tor @we e k lycali s tog an. com
A foot or bike tour of the city’s quirky urban tasting rooms
W
hen taking a stroll through town, it’s best to take your time and linger in each tasting room in downtown Calistoga because that’s the way to soak up the local flavor – from the wines, of course, and the people. One of the best parts is you can act like the locals and walk or ride a bike from one to another. Start at the Calistoga Depot, 48
a California Historic Landmark, where you’ll find two tasting rooms where guests will be greeted by the winemaker and proprietor of each. At Heibel Ranch Vineyards, Trent Ghiringhelli, owner and winemaker, will greet you, but only if Chachi the uber-friendly golden Labrador with the tail that wags the dog is already occupied getting ear scratches. Heibel’s stylish “Tasting Car” occupies a honest-to-goodness antique rail car where guests can sit at a large table or sidle up at the bar to taste chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel or petite sirah. Ask
Ghiringhelli about the family ranch and learn the history. About 50 steps away, give or take a few, is Picayune Cellars with a California-French flair, just like its owner and winemaker Claire Ducrocq Weinkauf, a French native who grew up in Auvergne and now lives in town. The tasting room looks like a tiny one-room cottage with a casually elegant feel, and home décor items to peruse and purchase. An outdoor patio offers a cocoon-style swinging seat or comfortable sofa and chairs. A two-minute walk south on Lincoln Avenue, cross the street at
Washington Street and take a little diversion off of Lincoln to Olabisi Wines with its hip vibe and high ceilings. Winemaker and proprietor Ted Osborne honed his craft not only in Napa, but also Australia, South Africa, and Bordeaux. At the corner of Lincoln and Washington in the mint-green building where there is the Huge Bear Wines tasting room, don’t be surprised if the locals refer to the place as the old pharmacy – the pharmacy has been gone for years, but hey, it was a pharmacy at one time. Inside there really is a huge bear,
but he can fit without hitting his head because the room is tall. Anyone behind the counter will regale you with the story of the bears that used to be seen coming down from the hills, and were reported by The Weekly Calistogan way back then. Spend some time admiring the bear art on the walls and in the case before popping in a couple doors down to W.H. Smith Wines. Nestled between two clothing boutiques, W.H. Smith is easily spotted by its black and white striped awning. Inside the winery concentrates on Sonoma Coast pinot noirs and Howell Mountain cabernet sauvignons, sneaking in an estate merlot and cabernet franc. Known for its Wine Sensory Experience, the winery has been producing wine since the early 1980s. Further down Lincoln two tasting rooms – Maldonado Family Vineyards and August Briggs – share a building that looks like it may once have been a home. And it is a homey feel inside both tasting rooms. Maldonado is known for its unique role as both winegrower and winemaker in Napa Valley, and the decades of knowledge passed down generation to generation in grape growing. August Briggs has a tasting counter near the front window where visitors can watch other visitors pass by on the sidewalk. A special treat in the glass might be a charbono, a grape variety that has only 86 acres planted in California, with a main portion found in Calistoga. The varietal produces a deep inky purple wine with flavors of cherry, spices, vanilla and sometimes a hint of smoke, blueberry, or cassis. Pause as you walk across the Lincoln Avenue Bridge to watch the Napa River flow underneath as you head to the namesake winery of one of Calistoga’s favorite sons, Dick Vermeil. Vermeil – of NFL coaching fame – has dozens of items of football memorabilia on display in the tasting room, including a football jersey with number 44 on the back in classic Calistoga High School white and kelly green. Vermeil, CHS class of 1954, was inducted into the Calistoga Athletics Hall of Fame, and is still active in the
Anne Ward Ernst, editor@weeklycalistogan.com
Soaring ceilings dwarf the huge welcoming bear at the entrance of Huge Bear Wines. Ask wine guide, Damian Lagle, left, for the full huge bear story — he loves sharing it and their wines.
community. It’s time to cross back over Lincoln Avenue to what is dubbed the “shady” end of the downtown area, and during Calistoga’s warmer months the shade provided by the towering redwoods over both The Grade and neighboring Romeo tasting rooms can be a welcome respite. The Grade is a by-appointment-only tasting room in a Craftsman style house with warm wood and elegant, yet comfortable, rooms in which to sit. Or there is a large porch with comfy seating where a spot of The Grade’s sauvignon blanc is splendid for a pause, and must be followed by a splash of the winery’s cabernet sauvignon for a close-your-eyes-and-relish moment. Next door, Romeo is continuing to improve the guest experience with loads of shaded seating – with outdoor heaters for cool weather and misters to come for warm weather – plus a “Chef ’s Theater” where a wood-fired oven will fire up pizza, and bubbling fountains soothe the spirit. But wait, there’s more. On the fringe of both ends of town are one of each — fun and quirky, and trendy and sophisticated. On Highway 29 visitors will find Tank Garage Winery and T-Vine, both within walking distance of downtown Calistoga. Tank Garage embraces its history
Picayune Cellars tasting room has a variety of gift items to peruse whether enjoying a tasting or just looking for a souvenir. Anne Ward Ernst, editor@weeklycalistogan.com
as a former filling station and has a playful atmosphere and vibe. Authentic antique gas pumps welcome you as you enter, but the unexpected can be found behind a curtain, where members lounge in a dark and dreamy speakeasy atmosphere. All the wines here are “one-and-done” blends so if a wine revs your engine here, speed it up and buy it. Just a few hundred feet away is T-Vine, where Calistoga and its roots are steeped in its history. Charbono, also from the esteemed Frediani vineyards, can be found here along with locally grown grenache, zinfandel and petite sirah. Fully integrated with the Calistoga community is not just a marketing tactic, it’s a way of life. On the other side of town, on Silverado Trail, which can be walking or biking distance depending on where you begin, the cool and
evolving Lava Vine – recently purchased by local Rudy von Strasser, who will incorporate that label at the tasting room – is adding an onsite wine production facility. A short bike-ride away is Brian Arden, with architecture that takes full advantage of sweeping Napa Valley views through humongous windows behind the tasting bar. Outdoor seating invites guests to linger, a reminder that it is what needs to be done in Calistoga tasting rooms, soak in the views — or soak in a mud bath later – and the local stories and flavor of this UpValley, “down to Earth” region, as the Calistoga Winegrowers like to say. Editor’s Note: This is part of a series on Napa County’s urban tasting rooms. Napa is profiled in this issue; St. Helena and Yountville will be in the next edition.
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TOUR From 47
nice (with a tasting pass) to introduce yourselves to businesses you normally wouldn’t have wandered into.” You do not need to use the card in one visit; save it for multiple Napa visits over a one-year period. Starting with the Square One Tasting Bar, though, could take some time, since there are reds, whites, sparkling and dessert wines for tasting. A flight of four wines costs $19. Huddleston said what is offered changes daily. “We try to open at least a sparkling, two whites and two reds, but we’ll vary that, depending on circumstances,” Huddleston added. Wines available are from Antica, Beringer, Atlas Peak, Black Stallion, Raymond, Stags’ Leap, Sterling and others. VERMEIL WINES — If you’re a football fan, you probably know the name of Dick Vermeil, who coached the Eagles, Chiefs and won a Super Bowl with the Rams. Andrew Curry, director of retail sales, was proud to tell the story of Vermeil’s family that emigrated to the United States and settled in Calistoga. They started a wine project, but then got out of the wine business in the early 1900s. Dick Vermeil, born and raised
TASTING From 47
the wine, but its most becoming feature is the rich, velvety texture. J. McClelland 2012 Charbono shows that this heritage grape still has the goods. Deep rich plum fruit flavors sit on a firm backbone, but without the grape variety’s characteristically high tannins. Jean Edwards Cellars 2012 Rutherford G3 Cabernet Sauvignon spends 21 months in French oak, adding toasty spice to the deep black fruits. Rich and balanced, this is connoisseur-pleaser of a wine, built to 52
David Stoneberg, Star
Sofia Haspel is the “JaMBassador” at Napa’s JaMCellars, 1460 First St. She is pouring the tasting-room only sparkling wine, “Toast,” which goes with its Butter (chardonnay) and JaM (cabernet sauvignon.)
in Calistoga, rekindled the family passion for wine while he was still coaching, Curry said. After he retired in 2006, he put more effort into his wine business, opening a Calistoga tasting room. The second, in Napa, opened in 2013. Being poured that day were a “sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, a couple of zins, a cab franc, a couple of red wine blends and several cabernet sauvignons,” Curry said. The winemaker is Thomas Brown and the 2015 vintage wines are his first. Curry’s favorite being poured: “Cabernet franc. It is soft and smooth, but big and complex. It’s a great wine.” There are several events held in the tasting room, especially through the football season. “We try to show
all the NFL games, try to show basketball and baseball games (on their big-screen TVs) on request,” Curry said. “We get a lot of people in here,” Curry said. “It is constantly busy on the weekends. With all the new hotels being built, it is exciting to be in the downtown area right now.” He added, “It is always fun when Coach is in town. He has friends and guests come in, we have parties here, he’s always a good guy to have in the tasting room.” STONEHEDGE – Shahin Shahabi, president and CEO of Stonehedge, said 30 years ago, he started the business with his father. A few years ago, they purchased the Havens brand, a highly respected
mature gracefully, but giving tons CAPP HERITAGE The stories behind this tasting of pleasure to early-drinkers. room are enough to make you pull up a stool and stay a while, but JAM This is a not-to-miss, fun-filled the wine is another good reason to visit, with easy to love wines called hang. Capp Heritage 2011 Barbera Butter, Toast and Jam. There are movie nights, documentary nights, from Wooden Valley is a crowdindustry nights and all sorts of pleaser: a smooth-textured, fruitdeal nights at this more relaxed filled easy-drinker with tasty red and black fruits. sister space of John Anthony wines next door. STONEHEDGE/HAVENS Toast Sparkling Napa ValAn incredible lineup of wines. ley is a Brut-style sparkler which For anyone remembering the top means you don’t notice the off-dry wines of Havens when the winery sweetness due to the bubbly’s crisp existed off Highway 29 in Yountacidity. Made from 100 percent ville, you will warm to seeing some chardonnay, this rich yet refresh- of the same wines on the list here. ing wine has delicious red apple Havens 2013 Spring Mountain fruit, and only runs $25 a bottle. Cabernet Sauvignon has deep,
Napa Valley brand from Michael Havens, and over the years, they developed some other brands as well. “So basically, we are family wine producers,” Shahabi said. Stonehedge and Havens wines on his list range from $38 to $75 and include chardonnay, syrah, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and merlot, both from the Napa Valley and from elsewhere in California. Two tastings are available, seven wines for $20 or $30. The most expensive wine at $75 is also one of Shahabi’s favorites: a 2013 Havens Cabernet Sauvignon, made from grapes grown on Spring Mountain. As he opened a bottle, he said, “Spring Mountain has the taste that comes from the dirt, something you cannot duplicate, it comes from the ground. It is just something that a lot of other wines can’t quite duplicate or come close to. The land for whatever geological reason, produces some very, very unique characteristics and (the wine is) complex and delicate.” He added, “You know the old saying, ‘Winemakers make very, very good wine but it is only the land that makes great wine.’” Editor’s Note: This is part of a series on Napa County’s urban tasting rooms. Calistoga is profiled in this issue; St. Helena and Yountville will be in the next edition.
captivating aromas of blackberry and cassis fruit that are beautifully balanced by a lift of acidity; a great example of the power and finesse that comes from Spring Mountain district fruit. VERMEIL Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown brings it home with the 2014 Cabernet Franc, a wine with deep black and red fruits layered with tobacco and black pepper spice. Silky smooth and spicy, this muscular wine will be the center of attention at any dinner party. Catherine Bugue, the St. Helena Star’s tasting panel columnist, loves writing about — and drinking — wine. You can contact Catherine at catbugue@gmail.com.
Living The Life:
“Zinkandell” C O L I N M AC P H A I L
M
y son is 5 and a child of the Valley. He can open a bottle of wine. The best part is when he holds up the cork to his nose, still on the corkscrew, and says “bootiful.” He has done this with a spoiled bottle so I don’t get too excited by his qualitative pronouncements. His mother has very wisely dissuaded me from posting any videos of this on YouTube or similar media. He knows two varietals. “Zinkandell” and “Cabernet.” I suppose whatever you do, your wee ones want to mimic your work and interests. This Christmas, the connection went far enough to make me wonder. Our Christmas roast was in the oven and as it sizzled away it set off our delightfully temperamental fire alarm. It’s one of those that yells at you while beeping. “Fire, Fire” or “Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Monoxide.” I took the batteries out,
as you do, opened the doors and windows and let everything air out. Soon it was clear and time to reset and replace the alarm. When you reset it, it yells the warnings at you again to let you know that it is ready and at attention. When my son heard these alerts repeated, he took off round the house without any kind of prompt or context, yelling “Cabernet Monoxide, Cabernet Monoxide.” At first this was very funny, considering all the wine that gets opened at Christmas. (Some of us could use an alarm like that) I told the story to a few folks in the coffee shop. Then I started to wonder about the level of saturation that wine had in my home life that would have him make this connection. Perhaps it was an opportunistic linking, but perhaps not. Through work and interest I bring home, or open, wine almost every night. We
participate in a business where we promote and sell what we make as a kind of aromatherapy, but it is still alcohol. The exploration of how a good wine develops through an evening can be fascinating. At the same time, it is a legitimized method of genteelly getting soused while telling yourself you are exploring a craft and art form. I really like that whole ritual as well the salve of its affect. Our brains love the predictability of the reward sequence. The heft of the bottle in your hand, tearing off the foil, hearing the squeak and pop of the cork. The dopamine is being released as each ritual movement unfolds, long before we even taste the contents and get to the alcohol. I am home, off duty, about to be relaxed. I can sniff and swirl away safe in the knowledge that it carries all the same pure engagement as listening to wonderful music, looking at art, or reading a great book.
Except it isn’t quite like that. It is an addictive substance and over time the savoring can gradually fall well behind the drinking. After the ‘Cabernet Monoxide’ incident I decided that I needed to have a night without wine. It was not very easy. I missed the ritual and the fuzzy sense of well-being. I ended up going to bed early because I couldn’t think what else to do. It’s now a few weeks later as I write and the cutting back has been getting easier. You have to replace one habit with some new ones. I’m trying to diligently explore the aromatics and structure of Earl Grey tea. The fact that I am all perky and energized, writing this at 10:15 p.m. rather than snoring on the couch, is a good thing – I think. Colin MacPhail is a wine consultant and writer who lives in Calistoga.
53
WHERE
in the Valley? How keen is your eye for Napa landmarks? Our photographer J.L. Sousa travels a lot of miles in pursuit of his images and along the way he’s taken some shots of interesting, quirky, and unusual objects, many of them in plain sight from major roads. But it can be surprisingly hard to identify these places when you zoom in just on the details, even if you pass by the spots every day. How many of these Napa County places can you identify? Answers are on Page 98
54
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Playing in the m
A Napa native experiences his first mud bath, an Upva KIRK KIRKPATRICK After experiencing my first ever mud bath at Indian Springs, the site of Calistoga’s very first mud baths, I couldn’t help but wonder how the curative qualities of this magical and mysterious material might have first been discovered. No one is quite sure how long the mud baths were popular with the Native Americans of the area, the Wappo tribe. They were certainly a fact of life when the Spanish arrived in the 1800s, and may go back as far as hundreds or even thousands of years, according to widely varying historical accounts. It’s said by some Native American experts that mud baths and hot springs were known as neutral and sometimes holy ground, to which warriors could come to rest and recuperate unmolested by other tribes. Mud baths have come a long way since then. Calistoga has become famous for its mud baths, with more than a dozen spas offering experiences 58
of all types. In 1988, entrepreneurs John and Pat Merchant, bought what was then known as Pacheteau Baths and renamed it Indian Springs Resort, to honor the first inhabitants of the area. In 2004, they bought the neighboring resort, known as Nance’s, and incorporated it into Indian Springs. Ten years later, they expanded again, adding a restaurant and new guest rooms. In the 29 years since they bought it, they have transformed the property from a 17-cottage enterprise that was languishing in bankruptcy to the largest spa/resort in Calistoga, with 115 first-class rooms and a large, new restaurant called Sam’s Social Club. Again honoring local tradition, the Merchants named the restaurant after Calistoga’s original entrepreneur: “This is the original Sam Brannan spa,” said John Merchant, “his intention was to recreate Saratoga Springs, NY here in Calistoga. “
He said Indian Springs’ mud baths are the only ones in Calistoga using 100 percent volcanic ash, mined from a rich, 25-foot vein right on the property. “That’s what makes ours unique,” Merchant noted. “Our geyser water is highly mineral,” he added. “The minerals come out of suspension when the water comes up as steam. It coats the pipes and we have to change them out every eight months because of the mineral deposits. After we cut the old pipe out, it’s actually sold as art.” Spa Director Yalda Teranchi says most of their business is from repeat customers traveling up from the Bay Area or over from the Sacramento area: “They are going to drive up for the day or stay overnight or longer. Our clientele is heavily dominated by women but I have noticed in the three years I’ve been here more men are coming,” she noted. “We’ve done a lot of bachelorette parties but now there are guy groups also doing this as their
geta com a lo A has prai whi pain for It’s e and mud T into And ever T “ out, you
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A historic view of the old Pacheteau Baths, today known as the heart of Indian Springs Resort and Spa.
mud
Upvalley tradition
only getaway thing. They go wine tasting, and then they ash, come here for a mud bath. And, of course, we get rop- a lot of husbands and wives.” hant As the Native Americans discovered, the mud has many curative qualities that have been widely ded. praised and documented. Obviously, it’s very hot, the which I can attest to helping with various aches and and pains. But Teranchi also pointed out : “It’s great nths for de-toxing and sweating out those impurities. the It’s excellent for eczema, and even for insect bites and burns.” Not surprising as many sources say the heir mud has impressive anti-inflammatory qualities. rom Two questions everyone asks: 1) Am I getting rea: into the same mud that everyone else has been in? stay And, 2) Does the mud go, putting it delicately, om- everywhere? hree The answers are no and yes, respectively. she “When you have the mud bath and you get but out,” said Teranchi, “you take about half of it with heir you when you step into the shower. We then flip
the remaining mud and bring it from the bottom to the top. We then hit it with the 230° F. mineral water which sterilizes it, and then put fresh new mud on top. You sink a little bit when you get in, but you are always on top of fresh mud,” she promised. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it, I must admit. I did expect to sink down in when I got in the large, mud-filled tub but it was more like I had laid on a big, thick, gravelly and very hot pile of mud. Now, it’s true, boys do like to play in the mud so I wasn’t as frightened by the proposition as some. Once you are in, or on, the attendant (men for men, and women for women, in separate areas) layers the mud on top of you from neck to toe. You are immediately struck by the weight of it, it’s much heavier than I imagined. It doesn’t burn or sting, but you are immediately struck by the heat of the steaming material being scooped over you. I don’t recall smelling anything, but some say it has a smell of sorts.
Then the clock starts followed closely by sweat, you’re in 10 minutes tops which, trust me, is more than enough. At the halfway point, the attendant places a cool towel over your forehead which felt heavenly. Finally, your time is up and you are asked to shower off before heading for the mineral bath and then on to the steam room. Teranchi wasn’t wrong about taking a lot of mud with me. I took one of the longer showers of my life, trying to rinse off the gravelly mud which, indeed, had invaded places I didn’t even know I had. At last, it was off to the natural mineral water bath which I was pleased to discover had cooled down considerably from the steam which exits the nearby volcanic vent. At the end of it all, after 20 minutes or so of recovery time wrapped in hot towels with cucumber slices over my eyes, I will say with all honesty I really did feel great. “Some guests come for a week,” said Teranchi, “and take a mud bath every day.” I think I’ll have to work up to that. 59
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Napa-based James S
By wine critic standards, James Suckling is young — young enough to know that millennials are changing the way the world treats wine, and young enough to know to listen to them. Most of his staff is under 30, and he relies on them heavily to influence the look and feel of his brand. The onetime Wine Spectator senior editor and European bureau chief has
reinvented himse own right, not ju ducing wine-rel international win luxury designers t industry. And he’s mov crowd and towar expanding the U means boosting t “Outside of t California wine Napa Valley,” he potential for the w wines of ] the U.S Suckling lives Hong Kong, and Valley is the prem it makes sense th Tuscany for so l home to him, so But Asia? He says it’s th for wine, and so most time. He’s like “Great Wines Beijing. He’s wor with the Ministr And he’s pos when he says th is in Asia.” This is perha the conglomera now making win their wine — a ca blend – is the firs And Suckli world. He Estate the fa cas h
“ 62
ding his brand
mes Suckling takes his wine critic show on the road LAYNE RANDOLPH
ted himself as a multi-media brand in his ght, not just writing wine reviews, but prowine-related documentaries, putting on tional wine events, and collaborating with designers to create new products for the wine y. he’s moving the dial towards the younger and towards Asia. He’s got his sights set on ing the U.S. market worldwide, and that boosting the brand of the Napa Valley. tside of the U.S., when people think of nia wine or even American wine, it’s just Valley,” he said. “There’s an enormous export al for the wines of Napa Valley, and later [the f ] the U.S.” kling lives between his homes in Napa Valley, Kong, and Tuscany. He’s American, and Napa s the premier wine location in the U.S., so s sense that he has a base here. He lived in y for so long that it is now like a second o him, so that also makes sense. Asia? says it’s the most dynamic place right now e, and so it’s the place where he spends the me. He’s now holding his signature events reat Wines of the World” in Hong Kong and . He’s working on a just-announced project he Ministry of Agriculture in China. d he’s possibly their best wine ambassador he says things to journalists like, “The future Asia.” is is perhaps not surprising when you realize nglomerate luxury brand owner LVMH is aking wine on the border of Tibet. In fact, ne — a cabernet, cabernet-franc, and merlot is the first Chinese wine that Suckling liked. nd Suckling is no stranger to the luxury world. He not only lives on the Ferragamo Estate in Tuscany but collaborated with the family to create a leather wine briefcase to hold bottles and glasses. Then he partnered with Lalique to make the “The 100 Points Collection” of crystal wine glasses. The handmade briefcase and Lalique glasses combo can run up to $8,500. But these are sidelines and not his mainstay. He’s focused on sharing his wine knowledge. “I didn’t spend 25 years in the
somsak
business not to share it,” he said. He began his postWine Spectator career with a website designed to provide wine education and to review wines. He quickly found that because so much information on the Internet is free, people are reluctant to pay for content. And he struggled with the rampant copyright infringement he battled. Mike D. Diamond (of Beastie Boys fame) once told him that it was copyright infringement that made his iconic band go on tour instead of selling music, and so Suckling followed suit and launched his wine event business. “My goal is to do the best wine events and to attract younger consumers who are interested in having fun and tasting interesting wines.” His events are not your typical stuffy wine tastings. He has a traveling DJ, Australia’s Surahn Sidhu, who was with Empire of the Sun for several years. His music lends a fresh vibe to the events and crowds have been known to start impromptu dance parties, which is not exactly your average wine-tasting.
His event business seems to take up the greatest proportion of his time. This year alone there will be “The Great Wines of Italy” event in four U.S. cities, and the “Bordeaux Confidential” in Hong Kong, where barrels will ship overnight from Paris to Hong Kong for barrel tastings. Other than global wine events, he’s keen on Napa. “I’d like to taste more [Napa] wines and pinpoint some more of the [best] new producers. And, I’d like to do an event called ‘Great Wines of Napa Valley’ either this year or next – in either NYC or Hong Kong.” Suckling believes there is an exciting movement happening with American wines. He’s working on a documentary titled “American Wine Revolution,” which looks at “how wine began in America, all the way back to the pilgrims.” It will be his third documentary. He laments that historically, American winemakers have catered to the American market, which can be different than the global market. “American palates tend to like super fruity, big, muscular wines,” he says, “which are less popular outside the U.S.” “I left the U.S. in 1985, then I started tasting American wines again in 2005-2006, and it was crazy how the style had changed. [In 1985] people were picking at such high potential ripeness, and the wines were so alcoholic, but now people are more concerned with drinkability.” The trend to the non-jammy, lower alcohol wines is promising for Suckling. He notes that “internationally those wines aren’t as coveted as they are in the U.S., they’re just too heavy.” But he says that many of the top American winemakers are now making wine that is closer to the European-style. In fact, he’s so pro-American these days that he named the 2013 Opus One the global wine of the year in 2016. “I gave it a perfect score: 2013 was a great vintage, the wine is great, and you can buy it around the world. That was exciting as an American to have an American wine as Wine of the Year.” Asked about other California wine regions, he mentions northern Sonoma County as a highlight. “I tend to like stuff made on the coast, like the Fort Ross area.” He loves Napa reds but now plans to expand beyond Napa and explore other California wines. Suckling is excited about the future of American wine export. And he knows right where U.S. winemakers should focus their efforts: Asia. 63
Richard “Dick” Grace, owner of Grace Family Vineyards, stands by his 23-window VW bus.
The art of
RESTORATION
TIM CAR
St. Helena’s Joel Horne devotes his life to bringing classic cars back to life
A
s he was growing up in St. Helena, Joel Horne, owner of Napa Valley Restorations, always worked on car models — tinkering, gluing and painting them until they were perfect replicas of the originals. This fascination grew, and for the last decade he has centered his life around restoring the real thing — vintage cars, often for some of Napa Valley’s premier vintners and business leaders. “I’ve tried a few other careers in my life, but I’ve always come back to cars,” Horne said. “At one point I even looked into becoming a sheriff, but it wasn’t for me. I believe God wants me to keep doing the cars. It’s what I think about, dream about and where I feel I do the most good. I am lucky that there are so many people in the area that also have a passion for old cars.” One of Horne’s mentors is Russ Aves. “I learned so much from Russ,” Horne said. “He’s a local legend who is world-renowned for 64
his restoration of hot rods and custom builds. I have admired Russ for many years. He’s the real deal, and he has given me lots of help and advice over the years. It was an honor when he recently said that he was passing the hat to me.” Renovating vintage vehicles is a craft that takes skill and patience, with some projects taking years to complete. “One of my favorites so far has been the 1972 Series II Land Rover I built for Dave Phinney,” creator of the Orin Swift Cellars brand that sold in 2016 to E. & J. Gallo,” Horne said. “It took two years to finish, but it was well worth it — there’s nothing else like it. Dave told me it turned out so nice that he’s afraid to drive it.” As to why it can take so long, Horne explains that many of the replacement parts have to be found either in obscure shops and car yards around the world or re-created from scratch. “Being a car builder you have to wear many hats,” Horne said. “You’re the secretary, the parts orderer, the paint and interior expert, the estimator, the banker, the boss and sometimes even the friend to the client.” Horne has worked on four cars for vintner and attorney Robert Arns, who counts himself
as a fan. “Joel has brought back to life a few wonderful examples of history in these cars,” said Robert Arns. “The cars, like wine, capture a particular vintage. And where wine can become art in your mouth, cars are not only visual works of art that you can experience like art on the wall or a sculpture, but you can get in them and drive them and you are instantly drawn back to that era. To me, it’s exciting, merging for a moment with a piece of history. And then when you know someone like Joel Horne who can connect you with these cars, rebuilding them, bringing them back to their beauty, that’s when it can become something pretty magical.” Arns’ day job is as an attorney, but he became a vintner in 1998, when he and his wife, Anne, purchased 16 acres in Napa Valley. There they built Tournesol Winery. Horne has restored three vehicles for Arns and is currently working on the forth, a 1955 Porsche Speedster. “The Arns Speedster is special to me because it had sat in Ralph Dewer’s St. Helena barn for nearly 40 years,” said Horne. “Ralph was highly intelligent but lived like a crazy homeless person and had unfortunately never refurbished the car.
He in t the hold Spe that incl wan enth on i M to a like “ 194 had it p Uni wou artis —i Bro gray T as t rior
The Tournesol wine cellar includes a 1963 Porsche that has been restored by Horne. The car, considered a work of art by its owner, Robert Arn, is parked in front of a replica of Picasso’s “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.”
Erin Martin sits in her showroom in St. Helena while discussing the restoration of her 1943 World War II Dodge command car that she eventually gave to her father as a gift.
Tim Carl photos
Tim Carl photos
BELOW: Robert Arns, left, and Joel Horne, right, discuss the renovation of Arns’ newest project, the restoration of a 1955 Porsche Speedster that had been stored in a St. Helena barn for decades.
Gary Johnson, left, and Joel Horne, right, discuss Johnson’s 1956 356A Porsche, a car that was restored by Horne.
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He passed in 2015 with a reported $13 million in the bank, so it wasn’t that he didn’t have the money to fix the car, but some people just hold on to things. Everyone knew about Ralph’s Speedster — not many of them had been made that year — and so most of us tried to buy it, including me, but he never sold. I have always wanted to work on it since I first saw it in seventh grade. But here I am 32 years later working on it.” Most restorations result in a car that is as close to an exact replica as possible, but some clients like to get a little creative. “I had some creative freedom on Erin Martin’s 1943 World War II Dodge Command Car that had been her father’s,” Horne said. “She wanted it put back together so her father, who was a United States Army captain in the Vietnam War, would still recognize it. But because she is an artistic designer she wanted a cool paint scheme — including a new color for me, ‘Wet Elephant Brown,’ in addition to the typical greens and grays.” The reasons for renovating a car are as varied as the car owners themselves. Martin, an interior designer and owner of Martin Design in St.
Helena, had been given the command car from her father as a gift. “My dad gave me the car and told me that I’d never be able to renovate it,” Martin said. “Joel helped me meet that challenge. We had some differences of opinion when it came to color selection — Joel is a traditionalist and I am not. I ended up giving the finished car to my father as a gift — I drove it right up to his house. “Another reason to have one of these old cars is that they don’t need a computer electrician to keep them running,” she said. “So during the next zombie apocalypse all those Tesla drivers will be out of luck when the electrical grid shuts down.” Beyond planning for outrunning the next zombie invasion, other of Horne’s customers see restoration as a way to hold onto something that we seem to be losing. “Joel is a true craftsman,” said Richard “Dick” Grace, owner of Grace Family Vineyards. “He restored my 1960 VW 23-window bus down to the last detail.” When asked why it is important to restore old vehicles, Grace paused only a second before answering.
“We are losing craftsmen, and along with them we are losing our humanity,” he said. “Take this car to a downtown parking lot and you will see people stop and start to share stories that make them smile, remembering and sharing some special time in their lives. It provides a way in which people can connect, tell stories and interact. Craftsmen our an anchor to our humanity by providing a way to connect us through their pride of ownership and workmanship, and in Joel’s case, using a high degree of resolve, determination and pride in what can be challenging projects. We all need to support such efforts.” As for Horne, he plans to continue to do what he loves to do, renovating old cars for those who have the bug. “Americans love the freedom of driving cars down the open highway,” Horne said. “There may very well be self-driving cars someday, but I think most of us will still love turning the steering wheel and mashing a gas pedal down to the floor. As for me, I don’t know how many I have left in me, but I will keep going, trying to help those who have the vision and passion for bringing these beautiful cars back to life.” 65
&
WINE DINE
in the Napa Valley
66
Small World
RestauRant
• Middle Eastern Food • Falafel • Hummus • Shawarma • Lamb Gyros
928 Coombs (Downtown Napa)
707-224-7743
WE DO CATERING
The chicken katsu bento from Miminashi in downtown Napa. Furikake rice, tuna sashimi, mizuna and charred ginger vinaigrette.
J.L. Sousa photos, Register
Miminashi brings bento boxes to Napa SASHA PAULSEN spaulsen@napanews.com
The popular Japanese lunch tradition is ‘a complete meal in box’ I had my first bento box some years ago, flying on Korean Airlines from San Francisco to Beijing. The flight attendant offered it as alternative standard airlines chicken and pasta they were serving for whatever meal it was when no one knew what time it was. I didn’t exactly know what a bento box might be, but all of the Asian travelers around me were opting for it, so I followed their lead. It turned out to be a nifty and 68
quite tasty Asian meal, neatly arranged in the separate compartments in a box with a lid: chicken, vegetables, rice, kimchee, fruit. It came with a tube of sauce and a tiny packet of mixed pickle hot enough to blow your brains out; it was the best meal I’ve ever had in coach. Airline food service, it appears, is a natural fit for bento, which is most loosely defined as a homepacked or take-out meal, in which individual servings are arranged in a divided box that might be plastic and disposable or an elegant lacquered box. Bento boxes are popular in Japan where homemakers prepare
them for children to take to school or a spouse to take to work — often spending considerable time creating an artistic and nutritious meal for those away from home. Bento boxes can also be purchased in shops, department stores and train stations. “Unlike here, the food in Japanese train stations is really good,” said Chef Curtis Di Fede, who recently introduced bento boxes on his lunch menu at Miminashi, his izakaya-style Japanese restaurant in Napa. “At some stations, you can find 30-40 different bento boxes. Some are really extravagant.” There are no rules for assembling
a box, Di Fede said, but generally it contains a protein — chicken, fish, sashimi — along with rice and vegetables. In Japan, there are contests for bento box arrangements. Moms can outdo themselves to create bento box items that look like animals and flowers to entice a child to eat. “It’s a value pack,” said Di Fede, who said he got the idea of offering a bento at Miminashi after he often noticed people ordering several ingredients, sashimi and chicken and rice, separately from the lunch menu. “It’s the complete meal in a box.” The first Miminashi bento box contains a generous serving
chicken katsu (Japanese-style fried chicken), furikake (seasoned) rice, tuna sashimi, cabbage salad and charred ginger vinaigrette. He’ll be changing the ingredients from time to time, he said, serving salmon or eel, which, he noted, is a popular item at the restaurant. His bento boxes “have really taken off,” Di Fede said. “For people who don’t like their food
touching, it’s perfect.” Di Fede, whose first Napa restaurant, Oenotri, specialized in southern Italian food, said he’s often asked why he switched from Italian to Japanese cuisine. “I’m just fascinated by Japan,” he said. “The people are so humble and so nice.” And when it comes to hospitality, he added, “Japan is the eastern version of Italy.”
Di Fede made his first visit to Japan in 2013, and since has returned 10 more times as he researched the cuisine for his new restaurant. He’s compiling a list of his 40 favorite restaurants in Japan for the Miminashi website, he said. Even as we spoke he was preparing for his 12th visit, leaving in March for a series of sake tastings, restaurant visits, and, no doubt, bento box investigations. The bento boxes at Miminashi
are served only in the restaurant during lunches; the ramen, however, can be prepared for take-out. Miminashi, at 821 Coombs St., Napa, is open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and for dinner from 5:30-10 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 5:30-11 p.m. on Friday; 5-11 p.m. on Saturday and 5-9:30 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit http:// miminashi.com.
Shoyu ramen from Miminashi and owner Curtis Di Fede. Chashu pork, onsen egg, asparagus, nori-motodare, mizuna and negi.
Miminashi owner Curtis Di Fede, right, with two members of his team, Chef de Cuisine Sam McKenzie, left, and Pastry Chef Shelly McCard.
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HAPPY HOUR 11AM - 6PM
Monday - Friday
The mission is simple: serve delicious, affordable food that guests will want to return to week after week.
Open Everyday 11am - 10pm 1106 First Street, Downtown Napa • 707-252-4707
An authentic dining experience in Napa 1900 Trower Ave. at Hwy. 29 • Napa HOURS Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30 am – 2:30 pm Dinner: Mon-Thur 5-9 pm, Fri 5-10 pm Sat 3-10 pm, Sun 1-8:30 pm
Reservations: 707-255-5121 www.galpaogauchousa.com 70
Aroma
Indian Cuisine
Aroma, Napa's only Indian restaurant, offers authentic Indian Cuisine prepared with innovative use of fresh herbs and spices and highest quality ingredients based on traditional Ayurvedic concepts of 'hot' and 'cold' elements that are balanced for best health. Aroma's extensive menu features the classic Indian dishes, such as meats, seafood and vegetables in long-simmered sauces such as korma, curry, tikka masala, vindaloo, along with tandoori dishes, biryanis, chutneys, naan (Indian flatbread).
Open 7 Days/Week Lunch and Dinner • 11am-10 pm
Lunch Buffet
11am - 3pm • Monday - Friday Vegan and Gluten Free options Classic selection of beer & wine Dine-ins, take-outs, parties, banqueting, catering Spices adjusted to a preferred taste Delectable food and impeccable service
Bring this ad and enjoy a complimentary glass of house wine with your food purchase of $25 or more.
Valid thru April 30, 2017
3012 Jefferson Street, Napa 707-927-3347 aromaindiancuisinenapa • www.aromanapa.com
Something’s brewi TONY POER
A
s the saying goes in California, it takes a lot of beer to make good wine. When brewer Matt Cromwell was learning the ropes early in his career, it was a mantra that resonated with him. Among his former customers at Silverado Brewing Company in St. Helena were many Napa Valley winemakers and their crews. A decade later, Cromwell, his two business partners, and their multi-tasking general manager are putting their combined talents to work at Tannery Bend Beerworks, Napa Valley’s newest beverage outlet not in the business of crushing grapes. Those Upvalley cellar folk left high and dry by Silverado Brewing’s closure in 2012 now have a very good reason to venture
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Tannery Bend nano-brewery brings high-quality ethic to small-batch beer production to downtown Napa, where Cromwell’s micro-brewery creations await them. Technically, Tannery Bend Beerworks is a “nano-brewery,” at least as defined by the Brewers Association of Boulder, Colorado, which assigns categories according to production size. As the word suggests, a “nano” like theirs is a really small operation. “But generally, we just refer to ourselves as a brewery,” Cromwell said on a recent Monday morning, a
little more than a week after Tannery Bend’s grand opening. The brewery and tasting room occupy a compact but carefully laidout industrial space on the Napa River side of South Coombs Street. Seated at the poured concrete bar with his general manager and fellow Vintage High School alumnus, Mike Schneiders, the 34-year-old brewer talked about the origins of their project. “We opened on March 18th
— A day that will live in infamy,” he said, sighing deeply while Schneiders laughed. Reminded by his GM that it was just after St. Patrick’s Day, Cromwell exclaimed, “Thank god! We already had people hanging from the rafters. We didn’t need that.” Whatever the green beer offerings in Napa around the Irish holiday, it wasn’t happening on South Coombs. The enthusiastic locals who descended on Tannery Bend for its official first day enjoyed choices like Belgian-style Saison, Session IPA, and Belgian Winter Ale, three of the nine beers Cromwell brewed for the first week of business. “We tend to circle back a lot to Belgian beers, because I personally like Belgian beers,” he said. “We use a lot of saison yeasts, but really
wing in south Napa we’re open to doing anything.” His customers’ reactions—to anything and everything—during those first days were apparently quite positive: Tannery Bend sold out of most of Crowell’s brews and left him “scrambling to get the production back up again.” If the brewer and his partners, husband-and-wife Oenotri restaurant owners Tyler Rodde and Lauren Duncan, were looking for some reassurance that Napa is ready for a new craft brew venue, they haven’t been disappointed. In fact, their decision to locate at the south end of downtown was largely informed by this calculation: “We firmly believe that with the growth downtown Napa is experiencing, it’s going to have to bleed out somewhere, and we think that this direction is probably where downtown is starting to head,” Cromwell said. Comparing it to the more central section of downtown, he described the residential and business mix of the riverside location they selected as “also a real neighborhood, with a lot of locals who are looking for something on this side of town.” “We’re starting to see them come in, and they’re very excited about having a place in their neighborhood.” The route the young brewer and entrepreneur took to arrive at a former tannery on the banks of the Napa River was deliberate, if slightly circuitous. After graduating in 2005 from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in political science, Cromwell moved back home to Napa and got a job at Silverado Brewing Company. As he put it wryly, it was “to try and not go to law school.” The St. Helena brewers took note of his interest in the brewing side of the business
LEFT: Tannery Bend Beerworks General Manager Mike Schneiders, left, and co-owners Tyler Rodde, center, and Matt Cromwell, who also serves as the brewer, at the South Coombs Street brewery J.L. Sousa, Register
and kept him on for seven years. From there, he and his wife moved to Chicago for two years, where he attended Siebel Institute, the 145-year-old beer-making school. “I wanted to just kind of round out my education,” he explained. In the meantime, chef Tyler Rodde, who is another Vintage High alum, and his wife, Lauren, had opened Oenotri to much local and Bay Area acclaim for their southern Italian cooking. Connecting with his brewer friend after the Chicago program, Rodde mentioned to Cromwell that the couple wanted to expand the restaurant to a space next door and do brewing on-site to acquire what’s known as a “Type 75” liquor license, designed for small breweries. They would eventually win a full restaurant-type license instead, but, according to Cromwell, “by that point we had all talked about beer so much, we were kind of in love with the idea of opening a brewery.” Between the three partners, many ideas were floated for what the operation would look like. Cromwell recounted a period starting in 2012 when “the brewery idea literally changed shape probably a dozen times.” “It really depended on what site we were looking at, and finally when we found this place, the idea just kind of coalesced to what it’s become,” he said. “It’s a fairly sizable production space for such a small footprint, and then the small tasting room with the menu that we have now. But it took a good five years.” To complement Tannery Bend’s concise but highly creative bar menu designed by Rodde’s souschef, Matt Lee, Cromwell aspires to a food-friendly style of beer-making, saying, “If I can’t eat while I’m having that beer, it’s kind of a lost opportunity.” But it has as much to do with business strategy as craftsmanship, since a big part of Mike Schneiders’ responsibility is to wholesale Tannery Bend’s 5- and 15-gallon kegs to other bars and restaurants in the
J.L. Sousa, Register
Tannery Bend Beerworks co-owner and brewer, Matt Cromwell, left, and co-owner Tyler Rodde in the brew house of the South Coombs Street brewery.
J.L. Sousa, Register
Tannery Bend Beerworks co-owner Tyler Rodde, right, in the brewery which recently opened on South Coombs Street. General Manager Mike Schneiders works in the background.
Bay Area. So the GM, a former beverage manager at Norman Rose Tavern, has worked his connections to land his boss’s beers on a variety of tap lists, from Napa Palisades on Main Street to Central Market in Petaluma to Novy Restaurant in San Francisco’s Noe Valley. “Being a beverage buyer, I’ve been able to meet a lot of people in the same position,” the 30-year-old Schneiders said. “So I’m just relying on those kinds of relationships to
get my foot in the door, and then letting the product speak for itself.” Even minus a full menu, Cadet Wine Bar in the heart of downtown Napa is one of Schneiders’ best accounts. As Colleen Fleming, the co-owner of Cadet, said, “I see similarities in wine and beer all of the time.” She takes an evenhanded approach in her selection process for both beverages, noting Please see Tannery, Page 74
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TANNERY From 73
that Cromwell’s beers “are very balanced.” “I’m personally very excited about the Tannery Bend beer because, like with the wines we carry, there’s a lot of great flavor, but there’s balance and lower alcohol, so you can enjoy it more. It’s not over-bearing like a lot of current West Coast IPAs, so I see similarities.” Of course, the brewery’s most dependable customer has been their sister establishment on First Street, Oenotri, where Schneiders pointed out that “the scope of the beverage sales has been really nice.” “We don’t need people to go there and drink a lot of the beer,” Cromwell added, “but if every once in a while they’re having our beer instead of a cocktail or they’re substituting it for a glass of wine or an after-dinner drink, and they’re happy with it, then we’re doing our job, and that’s really been the case so far.” Back at Tannery Bend, the Monday morning vibe was calm, and the rafters were undisturbed. Whether empty or full of customers, there’s a stripped-down aesthetic that Duncan and Rodde, who designed the tasting side of the room, seem to have chosen on purpose to draw people’s attention to Cromwell’s beer. “We’re a neighborhood hangout that’s kind of funky and industrial, and people accept that,” the brewer said, looking around the room. Following that theme, décor in the space, aside from gleaming stainless steel fermentation tanks, mainly consists of a series of cornhole boards on display. Napa artist Nate Geare has created what he describes on his website as a combination of “Film Noir, street art, and the backyard college game of cornhole into a sophisticated look at contemporary Pop Art Americana.” Several colorful wooden boards line the walls. Each is the size of a portrait painting—though with a “cornhole” in it—and references a contemporary Hollywood movie. If customers’ conversations about the beer happen to trail off, the artwork provides something else to talk 74
Submitted image
Tannery Bend Beerworks
Tony Poer
about, for sure. “It fits our aesthetic here,” said Cromwell. “Kind of funky, kind of pop art. It’s kind of like us: done well but not taking itself too seriously.” Schneiders noted the only downside to the artwork is having to tell their customers that they can’t actually play cornhole—not yet, at least. But with Geare working on a pair of cornhole sets for the planned front patio space that will almost double Tanner Bend’s seating capacity this summer, the nano-brewery is becoming a viable downtown
Tony Poer
Tannery Bend General Manager Mike Schneiders writes down beers on a mat for a tasting flight of beer.
business that also happens to be a beer-lover’s playground. Cromwell then offered a final thought. “In the last five years or so, you’re hearing a lot less of people coming to Napa and saying, ‘I’m here for good wine,’ and you’re starting to hear more and more, ‘I’m here for good things.’ Whether that means it’s a dining experience, it’s a cocktail experience, it’s a wine experience, and now it can be beer experience too. It’s a little bit of everything. People aren’t pigeonholing themselves into coming to Napa just for wine; they want a more
well-rounded experience. They’re just into well-made stuff.” All things being equal, and with California practically awash in craft beer these days, might artisan brewers like Matt Cromwell start reaching for a cold bottle of sauvignon blanc around 5 p.m.? The short answer is probably not—though for beer makers in the middle of wine country, it’s always an option. In the meantime, Matt Cromwell and company are learning to see the big picture when it comes to micro-brewing, from small batch to small batch.
Recipes for
Spring
BLUE CORN TORTILLA CRUSTED ALASKAN HALIBUT NAPA VALLEY BISTRO For the Halibut 4oz. Ground blue corn tortilla chips 4 6oz. Portions Alaskan Halibut 2 oz. Canola oil Salt & pepper to taste Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees In a Medium skillet over medium heat, add Canola oil and sear Halibut on one side until brown (About two minutes) Cover Halibut with Corn tortillas Place in oven and bake for 6 minutes For the Succotash 10 oz. Diced, blanched potatoes 10 oz. Sweet corn 6oz. Wild mushrooms (Chanterelles, Black Trumpets, Shitakes) 6oz. Diced Leeks Add corn, leeks and potatoes. 4 to 5 sweet 100 tomatoes Sauté for two minutes, until corn 2 Tbs Fresh Herbs (Thyme, is soft Tarragon, Parsley) Add butter, Tomatoes, herbs and 2oz. Canola oil salt & pepper to taste In a medium skillet over medium For the Nage heat add canola oil and sauté mush 6 Leaves lemongrass (not rooms until they release their water. stalks), chopped
Napa Valley Bistro
½ medium onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 stars of Star Anise 2oz. Ginger 7 Basil Leaves 2 Thai chilis 1oz. Lemon Juice 3oz. Vegetable Stock
2oz. White Wine 6oz. Butter In a heavy bottomed pot, sweat the first 7 ingredients in 2oz. Canola oil. Add Chicken Stock & White Wine. Increase heat and reduce by half.
SPRING COCKTAIL: POMTINI M A R K E T R E S TAU R A N T St. He le na This cocktail is great for spring time: refreshing but not too sweet. Our locals thoroughly enjoy this drink with our seasonal featured appetizers on the menu now. One and a half ounces of
Humboldt Sativa infused Vodka half an ounce of Pomegranate Puree (from Perfect Puree Napa Valley) A half-squeeze of lime Shake ‘till ice cold, ser ve straight-up in a Martini glass. 75
EARLY BIRD DINNER SPECIALS 4 to 6 p.m. Every Day!
*One per person with coupon.
CHOOSE FROM THREE ENTREES: GRILLE TOP SIRLOIN 6 oz PAN-SEARED TILAPIA served with lemon caper butter sauces GRILLED TERIYAKI CHICKEN BREAST All dinners include soup or salad and are served with your choice of mashed potatoes, rice or baked potato and seasonal vegetables.
1453 West Imola Ave., Napa River Park Shopping Center 258-8905
YOUR CHOICE $14.99 HAPPY HOUR Every Day 3 to 6 p.m.
Every Fri and Sat 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. KARAOKE With Naty and Louie Alamares
Welcome to Breakfast!
Open for Breakfast from 6 to 10:30 am every day! The Big Breakfast......$9.95
Texas French Toast...$10.95
Half Big Breakfast .....$7.25
Mexican Scramble Chorizo... $9.95
Every Sunday 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. LATINO NIGHT HOSTED BY DJ WILLY
Breakfast Burrito.......$6.95
Steak and Eggs .......$15.95
Biscuits and Gravy...$11.95
Veggie Omelet..........$9.25
One Egg....................$6.95
Red Hen Omelet .....$19.95
Denver Omelete .....$11.95
CALL 258-9990
Napa Omelet ..........$12.95
Huevos Rancheros...$10.95
Chilaquiles ..............$11.95
FOR RESERVATIONS
4125 Solano Napa 255-8125 999 Trancas aT Beard • napa 76
www.redhencantina.com
Angel’s Cafe and Deli Family Owned and Operated
Homemade Breads and Desserts
Angel’s Cafe
MEATS Roast Beef.............................$8.99 Roast Turkey Breast................$7.99 Roast Chicken Breast.............$7.99 Italian....................................$8.99 Ham.......................................$7.99 Pastrami ................................$8.99 Meatballs...............................$8.99
SANDWICHES Portabello ..............................$8.99 Veggie Sandwich ....................$7.99
WRAPS SALADS Ceasar ...................................$5.99 Italian....................................$5.99 Ranch ....................................$5.99 Honey Mustard.......................$5.99 With Meat..............................$7.99
SOUPS Chicken Noodle Soup of the Day Small - $2.99 Medium - $4.00 • Large - $5.99
1800 Soscol Ave Suite A, Napa
HOMEMADE ROLLS
Wheat • White • Sour Dough Dutch Crunch
HOMEMADE AIOLI’S Chipotle • Pesto • Roasted Pepper Roasted Garlic • Balsamic Mayonnaise
CHEESE Mozzarella • Cheddar • Swiss Monterey Jack • Provolone Pepper Jack
FLAT/SLICE BREAD Naan • Pita • Wheat Multi Grain • Sour Dough
DRINKS Fountain Drink Small..............$1.49 Fountain Drink Medium ..........$1.89 Fountain Drink Large ..............$2.29 Glass Bottled Soda Bottled Soda • Energy Drinks
EXTRAS Avocado .................................$1.00 Bacon ....................................$1.00 Cheese...................................$1.00 Meat......................................$3.00
707-224-1095
Monday- Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday 9 a.m to 5 p.m.
The Culinary Institute of America at Copia’s Executive Chef Christophe Gerard, left, and Chef de Cuisine Chris Kennedy Aken. J.L. Sousa, Register
Edible
adventures SASHA PAULSEN spaulsen@napanews.com
The Restaurant at CIA Copia offers a one-stop tour of the world In theater, the fourth wall is a term describing the invisible barrier that exists between actors on stage and the audience. In restaurants, this wall, most often, is not imaginary, but a real one separating the kitchen and its staff from the diners. You, the diner, are seated, peruse a menu, maybe ask a few questions of a server, make a choice, and hope that when it arrives, you won’t look at what the others have and wish you’d ordered that. 78
All of this has changed at the new restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa. The reinvented space that once was Julia’s Kitchen is now simply The Restaurant. The space has been warmed up with apricot-colored walls, and giant-sized images of utensils (from the collection donated to the CIA by Chuck Williams, founder of Williams Sonoma) and it’s lightened by a wall of glass doors that look out at olive trees and the Copia garden. And the other wall, the fourth wall, has all but disappeared, replaced by an adventurous approach to dining that brings the diners and the chefs who cook their food face to face.
Here’s how it works: when you arrive you are given a single piece of paper that lists the dishes chefs will be preparing that night and, on the back, the beverages, wines, beers, and cocktails available by the glass. Behind a long counter, these chefs are at work at their stations, assembling their particular dishes. In short order, one will carry over a tray with the ones that would be starters for a meal — maybe rosemary flatbread with a choice of three spreads, or “truffles” made of chick peas, filled with house-made mozzarella. You can scrutinize the dish, ask the chef questions, and then take it or not. If you do, the chef makes a
little mark on your menu. If it’s not what you have in mind for dinner, no worries, the chef will move on and soon another one will bring more choices: fois gras mousse or a salad of Romaine hearts, chestnut soup, smoked salmon and caviar cream blinis. Meanwhile, a manager is directing traffic, determining which table might be ready for a new set of offerings, maybe roasted winter squash willed with burrata, roasted oysters, or a bowl of Washington mussels in bouillabaisse broth with a grilled baguette. The next set of dishes might include rainbow trout, rack of lamb, steak, chicken. A changing menu of
desserts wraps up the evening. All of this unfolds like superb theater, quietly, flawlessly, and vastly entertaining. C R E AT I N G A C U L I N A RY ADVENTURE Directing this new culinary enterprise is Christophe Gerard, a chef with a keen sense of adventure. A native of Chartres, France, Gerard earned his culinary certificate from the Centre de Formation d’Apprentis “Les Chaises” and subsequently worked at renowned restaurants in France (René Delplanque’s Relais des Hussards in Coulombs, and the Michelin threestar Taillevent in Paris), New York (Lespinasse at the St. Regis, Café Pierre of the Pierre Hotel, and René Pujol) and Florida (Dux at the Peabody in Orlando and 1220 at the Tides in Miami Beach). In 2002 he came to Napa to open Angéle, quickly named by Food and Wine Magazine as one of the top new bistros in North America. He went on to open the avant-garde 55 Degrees in Sacramento, but was soon lured back to the Napa Valley where he worked at Francis Ford Coppola’s estate winery, Rubicon Estate and the Farm at the Carneros Inn. An enthusiastic world-traveler when he is not behind the stoves, Girard directs a staff of nearly 30. Part of his job is developing a seasonal, market-driven menu, but this, he stressed, is a collaborative effort. Another part is getting everyone, diners and cooks, comfortable with the new approach to dining. For some chefs used to working quietly and invisibly, Gerard said going out into the dining room can be a formidable challenge. One he described as looking visibly terrified, initially. “So I said, just relax, enjoy yourself, have some fun. Now, he is great.” “I tell them, have fun, but still, make sure it’s done the way it has to be done,” the French chef said. The response from diners has been positive, he said. “We’re offering them a different experience.” “Some people will say, ‘Ah, it’s like dim sum,’” he said, “but it’s not. If you are in a dim sum restaurant, and you turn down too many
J.L. Sousa, Register
Veloute of roasted chestnut, celery root and estate apple as prepared by the Culinary Institute of America at Copia.
VELOUTE OF ROASTED CHESTNUTS, CELERY ROOT AND APPLE C H E F C H R I S TO P H E G E R A R D Serves 4 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, peeled, trimmed and thinly sliced 1 medium leek, white part only, trimmed, thinly sliced, washed and dried 2 McIntosh or Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 10 ounces celery root, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 bay leaf 1 sprig thyme Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg Salt and freshly ground white pepper 3/4 pound peeled fresh chestnuts from 1 ¼ pounds chestnuts in shells, or 3/4 pound
dry-packed bottled or vacuum-sealed peeled fresh chestnuts 2 quarts water 1/2 cup heavy cream For garnish: 1 small parsnip (peel and shaved with a peeler, fried in a 280 f vegetable oil until crisp and lightly brown) 1 bunch of chives Heat the oil in a stockpot or large casserole over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, apples, celery root, bay leaf, thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper and cook. Stir occasionally for about 10 minutes or until the onions and leeks are soft but not colored. Add the chestnuts and water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer. Skim the surface regularly for 35 to 40 minutes or until the chestnuts can
be mashed easily with a fork. Add the heavy cream and simmer 5 to 10 minutes more. Then discard the bay leaf and thyme. Purée the soup until smooth using a blender, food processor or hand-held immersion blender. Then pass it through a fine-mesh strainer. At this point, you should have about 2 quarts of soup and the soup should have the consistency of a Veloute or light cream soup. If you have more, or if you think the soup is too thin, simmer it over medium heat until thickened. Taste and, if necessary, adjust the seasoning and serve hot Garnish with the fried parsnip and chive
dining adventure unfolds. Although most of the seating is at tables or in booths, we opted to sit at the bar for ring-side seats overlooking the chefs’ stations. Here we could watch them, step by step, preparing plates of charred A MARKET DRIVEN MENU carrots, drizzled with cumin, or finWe dropped by on a recent cold, gerling potatoes with chorizo. In the rainy night to see how this new background, in an unusual vertical
rotisserie, a pineapple was roasting, spinning slowly upright on a spit. Two dishes, the whole roasted chicken (also done on the rotisserie) and a 16 ounce Akaushi New York strip steak, are designed to be shared but we found that all the portions were generous and easily shared, if
dishes, they won’t come back. But we will.” And for those who wish to simply order from the menu, they will accommodate them too. “I want people to be happy,” he said.
Please see Edible, Page 80
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EDIBLE
BABY GOLDEN AND CHIOGGIA BEET SALAD CHEF CHRISTOPHE GERARD
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you are inclined, as we were, to take one of everything. The prices for the dishes and the drinks are reasonable enough to encourage adventuring. We sampled the chickpea truffles ($7), a wonderful combination of cruchy crust and warm, melting interior; the veloute of roasted chestnut which is poured over julienned celery root and apple ($9); the fire-roasted cauliflower garnished with capers chips, raisins and dill; rainbow trout, filleted and sprinkled with pistachios, and finely shredded Brussels sprouts in sage ($19), brown butter and the porcini crusted hanger steak that is served with bone marrow ($21). We stopped saying yes here in order to have a dessert of roasted pineapple and a cranberry-apple crumble. You can also finish your meal with a visit from Bessie, the rolling cow cheese tray. Drinks are also poured from a cart. A 2015 Codax “Burgans” Albariño ($10 a glass) was my choice for the night, but I’ve also enjoyed the La Follette pinot noir ($14) and the Gérard Bertrand Crémant de Limoux ($12). You can also choose from the cocktails ($10-$15), beers on tap and in bottles, ($6-10) and non-alcoholic cocktails for $4. All of this while watching chefs at work. Edible theater — does it get any better?
With Burrata Cheese, Rustic Arugula, Torn Croutons, Bacon Maple Sherry Vinaigrette Serves 4 1 bunch baby Chioggia beet 1 bunch baby golden beet 4 oz. fresh burrata cheese Extra-virgin olive oil to taste Salt and black pepper to taste 2 oz. arugula salad 1/8 cup sherry vinegar 1 very small loaf of country bread 4 quart vegetable oil For the vinaigrette: 5 strips thick cut bacon, diced small 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 small minced shallot 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup sherry vinegar 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon dijon mustard 1 teaspoon salt Vinaigrette method: Add bacon to a cold skillet, heat skillet over medium-low heat and slowly render out the fat from the bacon. Cook until bacon is crispy and produced just over 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings. Transfer cooked bacon to a paper-lined plate. Add minced
J.L. Sousa, Register
Compressed beets and Point Reyes Bay blue cheese from the Culinary Institute of America at Copia.
garlic, shallots and rosemary to the skillet and cook until aromatic, about 2 minutes. In a small non-reactive bowl, combine bacon drippings and remaining ingredients. Whisk until emulsion is formed. Use immediately or store in an air-tight container. For the beets: Wash and trim the baby beets, mix beets, extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Lay the beets inside a small roasting pan, cover with aluminum
foil and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F until the beets are tender (check the beets with a small paring knife or a cake taster to make sure they are cooked enough) beets should not be hard. Let cool down at room temperature then peel. Cut beets in 1/2 or into quarters and mix with extra-virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar and salt and black pepper. Let marinate at least for an hour at room temperature before serving. For the croutons: Remove the outside crust of the country bread and remove the inside of the bread and torn to croutons size. Warm up the vegetable oil to 280 degrees F and fry until light and golden. Dry on a paper towel and season with salt. Plating: Plate 1 oz. of burrata in the center of the plate, arrange the beets around the plated with harmony, drizzle extra-virgin olive oil on the burrata and season with salt and black pepper and add a small amount of arugula. Spoon some dressing around the beets and a tiny bit on the arugula. Spread couple croutons on the salad and serve.
OVEN-ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH GOLDEN RAISINS, CAPERBERRY CHIPS, PINE NUTS AND DILL CHEF CHRISTOPHE GERARD Serves 4 1 large head of cauliflower 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (grapeseed oil) 1 teaspoon kosher salt Fresh ground black pepper For the Dill Vinaigrette: 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice 6 tablespoon vegetable oil (grapeseed oil) 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 tablespoon of chopped dill 1 small shallots minced 2 tablespoon of caperberry 80
brine For the Garnish: 6 caper berry chips (sliced with a mondoline and fry in a 280 degree F oil until crisp, reserve) 1 tablespoon of golden raisins 1 tablespoon of toasted pine nuts 6 sprig of dill 2 tablespoon of dill vinaigrette For the vinaigrette: Combine lemon juice, caperberry brine, minced shallots and let the shallots sit in the liquid for 20 minutes. Add Dijon mustard and mix with a whisk until well
combined, add chopped dill and set aside. For the cauliflower: Rub the cauliflower with the vegetable oil and season well with the salt and pepper and set on a cooling rack with a sheet pan on the bottom. Preheat the oven at 425 degrees F and roast the cauliflower until lightly charred and on the tender side (make sure that the cauliflower does not get overcooked and too soft). Remove from the oven and let cool down at room temperature.
Break down the florets from the head of the cauliflower and set aside. In a roasting pan, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and heat the pan until the skillet is hot but not to the smoking point and add cauliflower florets, golden raisins, toasted peanuts, sautéed for 1 minutes to warm up all ingredient and check for seasoning. Mix the cauliflower in a small bowl with the 2 tablespoon of dill vinaigrette, dress the cauliflower in a small plate or bowl, garnish with caper berry chips, pine nuts and dill sprig.
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Restoration is complete on Trefethen winery, originally built in 1886, and severely damaged by the 2014 Napa earthquake.
Andy Katz photo
Trefethen rises from the
EARTHQUAKE JESS LANDER
A
fter the 6.0 earthquake hit Napa on Aug. 24, 2014 at 3:20 a.m., the photo seen around the world was of Trefethen’s historic 1886 winery building leaning four feet to the west and looking like it was going to collapse any minute. Two-and-a-half years later, this building, which has now survived the kiss of death twice throughout Napa’s history, is reopening under the leadership and hard work of the third-generation Trefethens, Hailey and Loren.
Iconic building saved from near-collapse, is reopening
the same architect for Far Niente, Inglenook, the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, this redwood, gravity flow winery originally known as Eshcol witnessed the original renaissance of Napa Valley viticulture. After Prohibition, it was one of just a few dozen wineries left standing. RESURRECTION, PART I For about 40 years, standing Designed by Hamden McIntyre, is about all the building would
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do, waiting patiently for the Napa Valley’s next big boom. In 1968, Catherine and Eugene Trefethen purchased the property, but farming, not winemaking, was their priority, as their intention was to sell the estate’s grapes. “It was a winery that was known for its quality. It really was a model farm, a model estate,” said Jon Ruel, Trefethen’s chief executive
officer, who has been with the company for 13 years. “When the Trefethens purchased, it had been mothballed. There was no winemaking, very little vineyard; there was more prune trees than vines—prune trees, walnut trees and grazing land.” It was their son, John Trefethen, who had a greater vision, and he and his wife Janet went on to build Trefethen into the winery it is today. After making wine in the basement for years, the couple produced their first commercial wine in 1973, and Trefethen’s big break came at the 1979 Gault Millau World Wine Olympics in Paris,
e n d o ; n s
, e o y n e l g ,
held just three years after the 1976 Judgment of Paris that got the rest of the world’s eyes on Napa Valley for the first time. The Trefethens didn’t even enter the competition, which featured wines from 33 countries, but a friend secretly submitted their 1976 chardonnay, just for fun. Then it won the title of “Best Chardonnay in the World.” “He didn’t tell us, so when we won, when Trefethen chardonnay was declared the best chardonnay in the world, nobody could believe it, especially not anyone at Trefethen,” said Loren Trefethen, 34. “My mom started getting these phone calls and she thought my dad’s friends were playing a practical joke, so she unplugged the phone, went back to work, and for a whole day nobody could get a hold of anyone at Trefethen. It wasn’t until the following day when the CBS News helicopter landed that mom realized she might have made an error. So she received them, gave them the scoop and that was not the end.” As it turned out, not everyone was ready to accept an American winner. A disgruntled Robert Drouhin, whose family has been making wine in Burgundy since 1880, wrote a letter demanding a rematch, and all of the winners reassembled in 1980. Again, Trefethen left victorious. “Those three tastings really changed the world of wine and put Napa Valley on the map, starting with the Judgment, then the Wine Olympics, and the rematch in 1980. We became one of the first cult wines,” said Loren Trefethen. You might say the rest is history, but in another 34 years, Trefethen would need to rebuild once more. THE EARTHQUAKE “We had employees who were on the phone within hours of the quake, saying, “Hey, how’s the winery? I gotta come in!’’ said Ruel. “And my first question to all of them was, ‘How are you? How’s your family? How’s your house?’ And they’d say, ‘I’m fine! I’m coming in!’” The truth was, the winery was in bad shape, and the family
Bob McClenahan photo
Seated, from left, are Hailey, Tenaya and Loren Trefethen. Behind them are John and Janet Trefethen.
needed all of the help they could get. But before any decisions about its fate could be made, the building needed to be stabilized and grapes needed to be brought in. An early harvest was upon them. “We didn’t need anyone to come tell us it was red-tagged,” said Hailey Trefethen, 30. “It wasn’t about saving it or anything at this point. We just needed to make sure it didn’t fall farther, and we needed to get our crush equipment, which was right up against the building, a little further away so that we could start bringing in fruit.” Just five days after the earthquake, they did, taking the utmost safety precautions. Some employees’ job was to sit watching the building with a hard hat and an air horn, ready to blow it in case the structure started to shift. The first step to securing the building was attaching massive steel buttresses to the outside. Once stabilized, it was time to evaluate if it was worth saving. The unanimous verdict: It was. “This building has been here throughout Napa’s history, when it was a booming industry in the 1800s,” said Hailey Trefethen. “We just think it’s so much part of Napa’s cultural heritage and it has a lot of really wonderful family memories for us too.” She and her brother, Loren, grew up in the building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, with fond memories of playing tag in the barrel room. “My parent’s offices were on the third floor and Mom hauled us up
there every single day when we were little, and she’d have a little cradle up there, so it was a big part of our lives that we spent here,” she said. RESURRECTION, PART II Hailey Trefethen took the lead on the restoration process, and over the last two-and-a-half years, has undergone a crash course in engineering and building. “These are the first blueprints honestly that I’ve worked with, first time working with a structural engineer, everything like that. It was all new to me and amazing,” she said. “My parents helped restore it that first time, and here we are again, restoring it, on a different level and for different reasons.” The first step was getting the building upright, a process that was supposed to be painfully slow. “Everyone had been talking about the structural memory this building had because it wanted to go upright,” she said. “A piece of wood or anything that’s been in one spot or one position for 130 years, it wants to go back to that same from. We thought it would take a couple months, but it ended up taking us about a week.” Engineers then began a full seismic retrofit, which included installing 20 tons of steel in the form of a steel moment frame inside. This frame enabled the Trefethens to keep the floor plan open and as close to its original state as possible. Currently, from the outside, the building looks just as it did
pre-quake, except newer. While all of the original redwood siding was taken completely off so that the building could be reframed, 88 percent of it was deemed in good shape, and put right back on, pieceby-piece. It then got a new paint job, but the Trefethens decided to keep its muted, rusty-orange color. “If you’re driving up to Tahoe or sometimes in the Sacramento Valley, you’ll see a really old barn that probably at one point was painted red and has faded to this kind of like orange, and that’s what we think probably happened with this building, but we’re not sure,” said Hailey Trefethen. “That’s the way we found it, so that’s what we always kind of kept it as.” It’s the inside that wows. Dramatically open and purposely minimalistic, it’s a tribute to the historic redwood siding and the towering Douglas Fir beams throughout. “From the outside, some people are like, ‘Oh great, it’s an old barn. You guys are going to save it, that’s nice.’ They don’t get it,” she said. “And then you walk inside and they start seeing this building and how it was constructed, and everyone gets so giddy. Carpenters who have come in to do jobs for us, and they’re just like, ‘Oh my God!’ Especially when you think about the era it was built in, it’s even more impressive.” The Trefethens also took the restoration as an opportunity to make improvements upon the building’s previous state. The first floor, which used to be half barrel room, half tasting room, is now exclusively barrel storage, with a small reception area for greeting guests. The tasting room has been moved upstairs to the second floor, which was previously inaccessible to the public because the building didn’t have an elevator. Now it does. “The second floor has always kind of been our favorite part, but we’ve never been able to share that with people because we didn’t have an elevator,” said Hailey Trefethen. “It also just really logically makes sense to put people above winemaking, rather than under winemaking, and to put them in a place that has 25-foot ceilings, where you really get a sense of its history.” 83
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Blue Note Napa Executive Chef Jessica Sedlacek’s BBQ pork belly sandwich with thyme french fries. J.L. Sousa, Register
SASHA PAULSEN spaulsen@napanews.com
CLASSICS WITH A “B
TWIST Jessica Sedlacek creates a standout menu at Blue Note Napa
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lues and jazz evolved from the influence of multiple cultures to become a uniquely American art form. Filled with soul, (it) evokes emotions and is composed with skill.” Jessica Sedlacek is talking about music, but she could also be describing American cuisine; and as executive chef at Blue Note Napa she’s been spending considerable time thinking about both since the famed jazz club opened its Napa outpost—the first on the West Coast—last October. “The exciting thing for me as a chef and a complete music junkie was the proposition to pair world-class music with equally worthy cuisine,” she said. “A creative culinary dream.” How she became chef in charge at Blue Note has a certain theatrical quality to it. The first Blue Note in Greenwich Village gained its world-wide reputation by presenting the best of the best in jazz; and it also serves food and drinks, a solid menu with items like the Blue Note Burger and a Grilled Philly Steak Sandwich. But when the team of Ken Tessler and Jeroen Gerrese decided to partner to open Blue Note in Napa, Tessler said, “We’ve been told we have to ‘kill it’ with food, so we’re
going to. We are as serious about our food as we are about our music.” They hired acclaimed chef Christophe Gerard, whose credits included top restaurants in France and the U.S.; but on opening night at Blue Note, when a sold-out crowd was on hand to hear jazz trumpeter Chris Botti, Gerard fell ill and Sedlacek, the sous chef, found herself much like an understudy called upon to step into a starring role. “It was one of those times when you either run or buckle down and get the job done,” Sedlacek said. “It was exciting; and definitely a growing moment.” It was also a moment for which she was prepared. The food was as bright as Botti’s trumpet, and when Gerard moved on to take charge of the new restaurant at the CIA at Copia in Napa, Sedlacek became executive chef at Blue Note. AN AMERICAN HERITAGE Sedlacek, whose heritage is Czech and Filipino, grew up in San Diego, but it was vacations at her grandparents’ South Dakota farm, cooking with her grandmother, that shaped her first culinary memories. “It was a family farm,” she said. “My grandmother made pot roast, apple pie, everything was made from scratch.” Southern California added its rich diversity of ethnic tradition—Mexican, Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, Korean—to her experiences. Still, Sedlacek didn’t think about becoming a chef, she said, until her boyfriend told her he was heading to Hyde Park, N.Y., to study at the Culinary Institute of America. “I said, all right, I’ll go to culinary school,” Sedlacek recalled. “And then I remembered how much I liked cooking.” After graduating, she came west to work at Bouchon restaurant in Yountville. She next helped open the Goose and Gander in St. Helena, whose menu she describes as “comfort food but elevated.” Her next stop was The French Laundry, where she worked her way up to become a chef de partie, a station chef in charge of one particular area of production in a restaurant. “I learned so much,” she said. “It was fish elevated to an art form.” Leaving The French Laundry, she took some time to travel in Europe, before taking a new job at Blue Note. CLASSICS WITH A TWIST “Blue Note was never intended to be just a music venue,” Sedlacek said as she described the menu she and her staff created. “It is a place to have a total sensory experience.”
Designing a menu for Blue Note presents a special challenge, she said, in that service is designed around “two big rushes” before the nightly shows by a changing roster of artists. “I have the opportunity to create specials based on the music we are showcasing each evening,” she said. “The challenge, however, is J.L. Sousa, Register that the food not only Blue Note Napa Executive Chef Jessica Sedlacek. needs to reflect the artist’s style. Like any restaurant it must have a cohesive vision and consistent theme. The question became: How do we do that? So I decided to focus on fundamentals.” The result is food that emulates the jazz Blue Note is famous for; she calls it “classics with a twist” like the shrimp cocktail, made in this case, with marinated Bay shrimp, avocado, compressed cucumber and micro-cilantro. “Our barbecue pork belly sandwich pays homage to Southern cuisine, an American point of pride but I give it a twist based on cultural influences that are part of my history,” she said — like a touch soy sauce and a touch of fish sauce added to Kansas City style barbecue sauce. She creates the menu collaboratively with her staff by asking, “What do you want to do?” “One person suggested pretzels, so we began making them in-house,” she said. “They were a hit. We are getting to the point where we are making almost everything in-house. J.L. Sousa, Register “I’m really lucky in the people I work (ABOVE MIDDLE) Duck fat kettle corn with here,” she added. “They are the best. I from Blue Note Napa Executive Chef want to foster a creative environment where Jessica Sedlacek. (ABOVE BOTTOM) people enjoy coming to work.” Blue Note Napa Executive Chef Jessica Sedlacek’s take on shrimp cocktail is Arriving guests at Blue Note are greeted made with marinated bay shrimp, avowith a bowl of popcorn to share, but it’s her cado, compressed cucumber and micro version of slightly sweet and savory kettle cilantro served with rice chips. corn popped in duck fat. Music is woven through the offerings, beginning with Warm Ups like smoked and Swiss Chard ($28) and a Braised Lamb almonds ($8) and rice chips with yogurt red Shank with Morrocan Spiced Lentils and curry dipping sauce ($6), and Opening Acts Olive Oil Flatbread ($33). ($11-$20), including soups, oysters and a And there are Side Stage items including cheese board. Fried Brussels Sprouts ($7), Marinated Beets Current Headliners include Seared Pork with a Sherry Vinaigrette ($8) , French Fries Belly with Cornbread Stuffing and Cran- with Thyme ($6) and a Green Salad with berry Jus ($29); Whole Roasted Acorn Lemon Vinaigrette ($7). Squash with Faro Pilaf ($25); a Half Bone“This is my vision of jazz with food,” she less Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Pecans concluded, “and, of course, it is ever fluid ($27); Wild Salmon with Creamed Kale and evolving.” 87
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Southside Cafe to open’s new branch S A S H A PAU L S E N s p auls e n@nap ane w s . com
Local favorites and new dishes will be on the menu Morgan and Irma Robinson, the owners of Smoke Open Fire and Southside Cafe in Napa, will be opening a new establishment at the Century Center in south Napa before the end of the year. The Robinsons signed a lease in April with the Gasser Foundation to open the new restaurant, tentatively called the Southside Lounge, in the building that is currently under construction at the center. Irma Robinson said their goal is to be open by the holidays in the space next to the new Napa Valley Velo bike shop. The Robinsons are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their catering business Smoke Open Fire, and the first anniversary of the Southside Cafe, which opened on Old Sonoma Road in west Napa in May, 2016. Southside Cafe was an instant hit with locals who show up for its breakfast and lunch menu of dishes featuring local products “with a Latin twist” as well as its excellent coffee from Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters and its friendly, creative ambiance, with hand-made furniture, unique tiles, and local artwork. “We could not be more thrilled at the opportunity to open a second Southside location at the Century Center,” Irma Robinson said. “Our passion for, coffee, food, wine, and community have truly come together at Southside Café. We partnered with Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters from San Francisco who are leaders of the third wave specialty coffee movement. The beer and wine we serve is mostly made by our friends and neighbors. We draw inspiration from the farms that surround us in the Napa Valley, as well our travel to local and international destinations.” “Our plan is to build on what we 90
Submitted photo
Irma and Morgan Robinson will be opening a second location for their Southgate Cafe, with the help of their general manger, Evan Dodge.
have created at Southside Café and evolve the new space with extended menu offerings into the evening,” Robinson said. “It is important to stay authentic to our style. Our space will remain creative, artistic, and inviting for everyone, adults, students, and families.” Robinson said at the new lounge they will continue to serve Southside favorites like the house-made biscuits with chorizo sausage gravy. “We’ll be adding in some new items, as well, including a superfood bowl with red quinoa, roasted beets, baby kale, poached egg, smoked kefir, and chia seeds; a Chivito—the Uruguayan national sandwich with filet mignon, soft fried egg, ham, bacon, cheese and green olives served on a housemade bun and some specialty lattes focusing on tonics like turmeric.
“Our wonderful team, including our general manager Evan Dodge will continue to bring their dedication and great service to the next location,” she added. Joe Fischer from the Gasser Foundation said his group is “absolutely thrilled to have the Robinsons be part of Century Center with the Southside Lounge.” “We have searched and searched for the right fit for someone that could bring a coffee house/lounge concept to the center that was fun, funky and resident-oriented,” Fischer said. “We love what the Robinsons have created with the Southside Cafe and are excited to see how the Southside Lounge will pull in elements of Southside Cafe (in) a day-long offering of bites and meals in a welcoming environment that will be a great place to meet,
mingle, rejuvinate and enjoy the food of the Southside team.” The Lounge will have 2,200 square feet of indoor space as well as an outdoor patio. Meanwhile, Southside Cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at 2770 Old Sonoma Road, Napa. Southside also offers Fried Chicken Fridays on the first Friday of each month. Orders for a bucket of Fulton Valley Buttermilk Fried Chicken and sides like home-made biscuits, Napa cabbage slaw and German potato salad need to be placed a minimum of 72 hours in advance, and picked up (or enjoyed at the site) between 4 and 7 p.m. For more information, visit the website, www.southsidenapa.com/.
“Double Happiness” S A S H A PAU L S E N s p auls e n@nap ane w s . com
Chinese-themed XiXi Bistro set for June opening in Napa Dim sum on weekends, chopsticks classes for kids and authentic Chinese dishes with innovative twists: It’s all part of “double happiness” ahead for Napa. The XiXi Bistro — “XiXi” is Mandarin for “double happiness” — is scheduled to open in June on Clinton Street, in the space formerly occupied by Uva Trattoria, which closed in early March. The planning team sat down recently with the Register to talk about what is in the works. “I would like the restaurant to have a multi-faceted personality,” said Barry McComic, who is president and CEO of RBMC Advisors, LLC, the parent company for the restaurant. “We want to serve classical Chinese food in a restaurant that has great wine, and we want to introduce a weekend dim sum program.” Going out for dim sum on weekends is a popular tradition
in Chinese communities, noted McComic, whose wife, a native of Taiwan, teaches at UC Davis. Dim sum is also becoming “a staple of millenial culture,” added his daughter, Katherine McComic who is project manager for the restaurant and head of business development for RBMC. The McComics have enlisted the duo of Steve Garrett and Elaine Chao, who have collaborated on some half a dozen restaurants, to help create the XiXi Bistro. Chao, who arrived in New Haven, Conn., to attend college in 1987, found herself working restaurants and went on to open her own restaurants, Little Kitchen in Westport, and Kudeta in New Haven. Chao found success and many fans with her “tradition plus innovations” approach, said Katherine McComic. Chao will be developing a large menu that will not focus on one particular region of the richly varied cuisines of China but will be a South Asian menu of inspired classics, she said. The menu will include well known dishes, like General Tso’s chicken or Three-Cup Chicken
“because people will ask for it,” she said, but guests might also find cheeseburger egg roll or pumpkin dumplings on an extensive, creative bar menu. “Tasty treats based on Asian cooking, she said. They plan to stay open for the late night crowd, she added. “I think diners will be surprised,” she said. Garrett, the restaurant and construction consultant, is a sommelier as well, and will be developing a wine program for the bistro. While wine is regarded by some pundits as a challenge to pair with Chinese cuisine, Garrett said that more than three decades of collaboration with his partner, Chao, have shown him that it can also be a winning combination. He said the bistro will be holding wine tastings that focus on wines that are pleasing to a variety of palates and that compliment the range of dishes that can comprise one Chinese-style dinner. Atmosphere Design is in charge of the interior, where the plan is to retain the existing bar, but add dining booths, a private dining room, a wine tasting room and a take-out market. They plan to add televisions at the bar and
will experiment with using Bluetooth headphones for noise control. “We’ll give it a try,” Barry McComic said. The chief renovations will be in the kitchen where they will be adding the necessary equipment, like woks, to turn “an Italian restaurant into a Chinese restaurant,” he said. McComic, who is also developing the multi-use project on the former Napa Valley Register site on Second Street, said in developing any of his businesses, his employees are his top concern. Noting that his business mentors were the developers of Costco, he said he learned that “the most valuable thing in any business is the employees.” “When you find good people, you pay them well, and offer a pension plan and educational programs,” he said. “Your employees are the number one priority,” he said. “Next is the quality of your products and then the value to the customers. Those are the three watchwords.” “I want this to be known as a fun good place” for employees and diners, he said. That would be, indeed, a double happiness. 91
Michael Chiarello’s new Ottimo includes spaces to shop, taste and dine. Adrián Gregorutti photo
Italy meets Napa at Chiarello’s Ottimo JESS LANDER
New Yountville marketplace offers food and shopping After a year of waiting, chef Michael Chiarello has reopened the V Marketplace space formerly inhabited by his NapaStyle shop as an Italian marketplace called Ottimo, where people can shop, sip, eat and experience both Italy and Napa Valley all in one place. “It’s all of my favorite things that I love to do in one shop, everything I’ve done in the last 25 years. This is where they all collect,” said Chiarello of the new business. “But it’s not a story just about me and it’s 92
not a story just about Italy. It’s about where those two cross over.” His concept has been compared to Mario Batali’s large Eataly Marketplace in New York City and Chicago, but Ottimo, which translates to optimal, first rate or excellent, is much smaller and hyper-local, created specifically for Napa Valley. Although he originally planned to open last spring, Chiarello, 55, said he decided to take things slow and not to rush this project. “I’m too old to do something before its time. I’ve chased things my entire life,” he said. A few minutes into our interview, we were briefly interrupted by a neighbor, dropping off a tin of freshly-picked lemons. He promised
to preserve them and gift her back a jar if she returned in the next couple of weeks. “No, I didn’t pay her to come,” Chiarello laughed after the exchange. Not even 10 minutes later, we paused again for a photo request from an out-of-town visitor. She was overjoyed at her luck to have run into Chiarello — she said she’s one of his oldest fans. He couldn’t have drawn it up better. Side-by-side, these events confirm Chiarello’s intentions that unlike NapaStyle with its wine country souvenirs, Ottimo is as much for the locals, as it is for the tourists. “It was created to fill a void and a need that I didn’t think was here
for first off, locals, and visitors at the same time. We looked from an experience standpoint, at what the guests really want, where are their needs, or what do they not know that they want yet,” he said. MERCATO “People have enough stuff in their kitchen. If they’re going to buy something now, it should be something extraordinary,” said Chiarello. The front half of Ottimo is for shopping, where you’ll find everything from pottery made with the ashes of vines from Chiarello’s own vineyard to a line of colored salts— everything but white, which he is opposed to for health reasons. “I’ve been a proponent of never
o e.
o
trusting a white salt and understanding the benefits of a whole salt. It’s the only ingredient that goes into every single thing we cook or bake, and the number one ingredient in our body,” he said. All products are designed and developed by Chiarello and his team, or discovered by them. Vintage and repurposed are two common themes throughout, as many items, like an antique galvanized grape picking basket from France ($298), are one-of-a-kind finds. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. You can also shop Chiarello-approved kitchen tools designed to enhance the cooking experience, like a pepper mill with a wide lip, so that you don’t spill peppercorns all over the floor while filling it. You know you can relate. “The same things I create out of convenience and quality for my cooking here on this property, and at Coqueta, are the same things we offer up at Ottimo,” he said. “It isn’t about what looks good in your kitchen. It’s about what feels good and the relationship the cook has to it.” There’s a gorgeous silver flatware set, which Chiarello created in Florence with a silversmith. The spoons turn up at the end into a narrow point to deliver the food into the center of your tongue, not across all of it. “Most spoons are really broad at the end and deliver the food across the entire tongue. But how we cook and want to deliver the flavor, the first thing you want to taste is from the center of your tongue,” he said. He thinks through every detail, pointing out that the cutlery in this set is purposely brushed, not shiny, so as not to take the attention away from the food. “I don’t like shiny things,” he said. One section, marked Gusto, is a nook of Chiarello’s absolute most favorite things, including his favorite aprons (made by BlueCut in Los Angeles), a handy garlic sleeve that takes the skins off quick and easy (just $6), and several antique pasta-making tools, straight from his own personal collection and full of stories. You can also sample here and
then take home seasonal preserves, like a Calabria antipasto Chiarello grew up with and chili from his mother’s home town, which Ottimo imports. Different flavors of olive oil, like Calabrian Chili and Porcini, are harvested from 100-year-old trees in Tuscany, via a partnership he has with a good friend back home. MOZZERIA If you’re hungry, follow the smell of fresh dough and head straight to the back of Ottimo, where there are a handful of tabletops on wheels, for sitting or standing, and a large bar circling the open pizzeria. To the right, you can salivate at the large salumi fridge, full of hanging hams and links, all available for sale, but for a hefty price. A big treat for locals, especially in Yountville, is the ability to grab lunch for as little as $12. The menu features personal-sized pizzas, salads and simplified paninis called cresentines. These are not the overstuffed and oozing with cheese paninis you’re used to ordering–and probably struggling to finish—in America. Cresentines are all about the bread, which is made fresh to order and stamped with a flower imprint, with simple ingredients on the inside, like prosciutto, arugula and truffle aioli. At $6 apiece, they’re about the size of an English muffin, so you might as well order two. The Sloppy Joe-seppe, Chiarello’s Italian version of a sloppy joe sandwich—get it?—uses a slightly different version of his Bottega bolognaise. “No one does it here. We bought the press, the machinery; the equipment came from Italy. We bought multiple so when they start breaking and nobody repairs them in the U.S., we have more,” said chef Nick Ritchie, who has been working with Chiarello for more than 20 years, since he was a young teen. “It’s very unique. I can almost guarantee that no one is making these in California, that’s for sure.” Salads are served up cute and compact in small jars. Inspired by the Sophia Loren film “L’oro de Napoli,” pizza dough is run through the olive cooker in the morning, so that it’s crispy before it even gets
Submitted photo
Chef Michael Chiarello says that in Ottimo he has collected “all the things I love” in one space.
tossed and put in the brick oven. “Everybody has their favorite pizza, unless you can make something they’ve never imagined before,” said Chiarello. “The idea is to take something everyone understands, like a sandwich, a salad, a pizza, and present it in a way they may not imagine.” That looking for a snack, perhaps before their dinner reservation across the way at Bottega, the Mozzeria plate ($18) lends itself for sharing. It works like this: Choose from a selection of fresh mozzarella and pair it with three items from lists of Verdure (like braised artichokes and antipasto), Salumi and Salsa. Opening at 7 a.m., Ottimo serves pastries and coffee from their
Cafe and Pasticceri (pastry shop), and then breakfast starting at 8 a.m. on the weekends. Later, you can also grab some gelato or bottle bread— bread baked in a wine bottle with chocolate brioche on the inside. You even get to take the bottle home as a memory of the experience. LE ESPERIENZA As Ottimo evolves, new experiences will be offered that Chiarello says will be truly one-of-a-kind for Napa Valley. For instance, he has plans for private Swine, Wine & Rind tastings, which will pair cheese, pork and sparkling wines from Italy. Please see Italy, Page 96
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“Nobody’s ever really done a prosciutto tasting, so it should be fun. It’s an experience that doesn’t exist here, with wine that doesn’t exist here,” he said. Chiarello moved his own tasting room Chiarello Vineyards, previously housed in NapaStyle, across the street, creating a nice little triangle for him to easily pop between his three Yountville businesses. In its place, Ottimo’s bar, or Enoteca will transform into what Chiarello is calling a Build-A-Bear workshop for wine this summer. People will be able to book blending experiences, using graduated cylinders and roughly 15 different wines from Napa Valley, to make their own signature wine blend. “For me, with the farming side, nobody ever really experiences it, but the blending, they can actually participate in. The blending is super important, because you’re actually building flavors,” he said. “They’ll have a chance to make a cabernet that they can talk about how they did it, and have some emotion inside it.” Participants will have their blend saved on file so that they
Adrián Gregorutti photo
Ottimo is Italian for “optimal,” “first-rate” or “excellent,” which governed Chiarello’s choice of items for his marketplace.
can produce more of it in the future, even designing their own label with the purchase of at least a case. “There are amazing tasting rooms that do a better job than we do at a straight up tasting,” he said. “We want to give them an experience that doesn’t exist.” Around the same time, Ottimo will begin brewing their own beer, but what you drink at the Birreria
won’t be like the strong, hoppy brews that are currently trending in the United States. Consulting with a master brewer from Italy, Ottimo will produce light, foodfriendly, Italian-style beer. “It will be the first Italian brewery in America, I think,” said Chiarello. “There’s no genius in it, we just really wanted to do it. There’s a phenomenal beer culture in Northern Italy and they’re all
centered around restaurants that make beer, that develop beers to go with their food. Other than Belgium, it’s my favorite country that makes beer in the world.” You can expect Ottimo’s brews to pair well with a bag of Fritos, Chiarello’s signature snack, which he always has on hand. But the experience he’s visibly most excited about is a 40s-style, pop-in steakhouse, set to launch early this spring. Three days a week, Ottimo’s adjoining patio will transform into a formal dining environment, a ticketed event that’s similar to a dinner theatre. Men will be required to wear ties, and a handful of mink furs and smoking jackets will be available on loan. Bartenders will don vintage tails and white gloves, and live entertainment might include local musicians or storytellers. “There’s not a place where you can talk loud and be formal in the valley,” said Chiarello. Seventy-five guests a night will dine at round tables on big meats curated in-house, plus fish, like a salt-roasted halibut. Like everything else at the new spot, it’s likely to taste ottimo. “It’s the ottimo of what we produce, the ottimo of the season, the ottimo experience and an ottimo addition for the locals,” he said.
Adrián Gregorutti photo
Adrián Gregorutti
A selection of condiments offered at Ottimo is available for tasting
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Cresentines, a simplified version of paninis, are made at the Mozzeria at Ottimo.
What wine goes with fried chicken? Sommelier opens take-out in Napa Chris Blanchard, a Master Sommelier and former wine director at REDD restaurant in Yountville, is opening a new enterprise in Napa, specializing in fried chicken take-out, delivery and catering. Blanchard’s Fried Chicken, opened in April, honors his grandmother’s southern roots in Greenville, South Carolina. Bl a n c h a rd i s l e a s i n g t h e kitchen space at Melissa Teaff Catering at the Tannery buildings in downtown Napa, where he will be cooking up buckets of fried chicken, and southern favorites, including buttermilk biscuits, mac and cheese, tater tots, collard greens and cole slaw. Fried chicken take-out nights will occur twice monthly and feature other specials including fried chicken sandwiches, shrimp and grits and po-boy sandwiches. Blanchard will be offering a Nashville hot-style fried chicken, a spicy version of his classic, slathered with butter, cayenne pepper, brown sugar and spices, and definitely not for the timid. Bl a n c h a rd’s w i l l a l s o b e
offering catering and monthly pop up events at local wineries, concerts and other venues around the valley. Chris Blanchard is one of just over 200 Master Sommeliers in the world and has opened a
number of restaurants in the Napa Valley as Wine Director, including REDD, Bardessono, Solage and as Corporate Beverage Director for the Piatti Restaurant Group. He also performed in the late 80’s as “DJ Vitamix”, the first solo white
rapper on record, with a top 20 Billboard single, called “That’s the Way Girls Are” on Profile Records in New York City. For more information check out the website at www. blanchardsfriedchicken.com.
Napa Noodles to open Owners of Eiko’s bring Pacific Rim cuisine downtown
Jennifer Pitiquen, Dreamstime.com
The Zaslove family, owners of Eiko’s and Eiko’s at Oxbow, have announced the opening of a new restaurant. Napa Noodles will open in the summer of 2017 at 1124 First St., formerly Atlas Social. Napa Noodles will be managed by Allison Hallum, who currently manages both of the Eiko’s locations. The menu will be developed
by Eiko’s executive sushi chef Tateki Noma and executive sous chef Adam Ressler. According to a press release, “Napa Noodles will be an Asian Pacific Rim-style restaurant that fuses the Asian noodles with Napa Valley cuisine. Specialties include house-made noodles, savory soups, slow roasted meats, seasonal salads, Peking duck, flavorful rice dishes, Asian beers, sake, and local wines. The release added the concept grew out of “the need for high quality yet casual, family-friendly dining options in downtown Napa.” 97
THE ANSWERS
Here are the answers to our Where in the Valley quiz from Page 54
Pollin’s of Napa at 1518 Yajome Street in Napa. J.L. Sousa, Register
Ciccio Restaurant in Yountville.
J.L. Sousa, Register
Larsen Eye Group on College Street in downtown Napa. J.L. Sousa, Register
Senza Hotel on Howard Lane in Napa.
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