Napa Valley

The Swanson Late Bloomers: A Late Harvest Wine Trend in Napa Valley

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wine

Swanson Winery Entrance

Napa Valley is an environment committed to preservation, populated with those who perfect the essence of multi-layered taste -- be it food, wine or both.

French Laundry and Bouchon are in Yountville, also known as nirvana for Thomas Keller pilgrims. Exceptional wineries are tucked away, often from highway view, in Rutherford, Saint Helena, Oakville, and Calistoga. Resorts are also hidden: The Inn at Carneros (up a side road, behind a garden wall), Calistoga Ranch (in a private canyon), Meadowood (at the end of Meadowood Lane and near the base of Howell Mountain) all removed from plain sight, all worthy of joyous discovery.

Those who retreat to Napa that often engage in wine tastings also discover trends. On a recent journey, I uncovered the emergence of late harvest wines that are becoming increasingly well-known and more appreciated than ever before. Swanson Vineyards makes three exceptional late harvest wines, and has evolved into one of the leaders in this field.

Tags: California, Calistoga Ranch, Dessert Wine, Inn At Carneros, Late Harvest Wine, Meadowood Napa Valley, Mission Grapes, Napa Valley, Napa Valley Wine Trends, Swanson Angelica Wine, Swanson Crepescule Late Harvest Wine, Swanson Late Harvest Wines, Swanson Tardif Late Harvest Wine, Swanson Winery, Wine Trends, Yountville

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Napa Valley Wine Auction Sets New Record

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Another sign that people are back to spending on luxury goods was the record-breaking result at the 15th annual Napa Valley Vinters wine futures auction to the trade over the weekend. The event, which brought together a crowd of around 1,000 vintners, retailers, restaurateurs and others, brought in nearly $2.4 million, beating 2008's record-setting $2.2 million bidding on rare and highly desirable wine lots.

The event at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St Helena beat last year's take by more than 23%. A total of 68 successful bidders purchased 1530 cases at an average case price of $1546, a 37% increase over the recession-stressed take of 2009 and 20% more than 2010. A record was also set for a single lot. A Japanese wine company paid $125,000 for five cases of Scarecrow Wine, easily beating the record of $80,000 set in 2007. For wholesalers, retailers and restaurant owners the auction is a chance to buy wines from top wineries that are often hard to acquire. Other top lots of the day include Schrader Cellars, Ovid, Levy and McClellan, Shafer Vineyards, Robert Mondavi Winery and Reynolds Family.

[via Decanter]

Tags: napa valley, scarecrow wine, wine, wine auction

Napa Valley School Benefit Offers Wine Lots For A Good Cause

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Events, Charity

We like the way they raise money in wine country. The 12th annual fundraiser for The Young School in Napa Valley's St. Helena includes silent and live auctions with a wine focus. This year's event takes place on Saturday, March 12 at Failla Winery.

The winery's elaborate caves make a dramatic setting for the evening, which is called Casbah in the Cave. The evening features a Moroccan feast by Alex's Catering as well as a classical Middle Eastern dance performance. There will be a wide selection of auction lots featuring splendid adventures and truly fine wines from a variety of local wineries including Abreu, Blackbird, Colgin, Robert Foley, Harlan, Ovid, Joseph Phelps, Shafer and Silver Oak. Many wineries such as Far Niente and Smith-Madrone are offering event lots and travel lots offer getaways to Portugal, Nantucket and more.

The Young School is a private non-profit non-denominational Montessori-derived program for children ages 6 through 12 years old/first-sixth grades. The name of the school is taken from two sisters named 'Young' who were well-known Sonoma teachers several decades ago. The first Young School was founded in their home in downtown Sonoma. In 1997 the school moved from its Sonoma location to St. Helena in the Napa Valley. It operates as a 'one-room schoolhouse' in quarters rented from a church in a residential neighborhood of St. Helena and has an enviable 12-1 student-teacher ratio.

Tickets are $100 per person in advance and available at the benefit website.

Tags: napa valley, st helena, the young school, wine events

Auberge du Soleil Celebrates its Anniversary with Getaway Package

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Auberge du Soleil, the iconic Michelin-starred restaurant (and winner of the Luxist Readers' Choice Award for Most Romantic Restaurant) and premier luxury resort is celebrating its 25th anniversary as a resort (30 years for the restaurant). Auberge du Soleil, which is Napa Valley's first fine-dining venue, helped transform the area into the must-see destination it is today for food, wine, and the beauty of wine country. In honor of this milestone, Auberge du Soleil will celebrate with a year of culinary offerings and experiences in addition to a fresh new look unveiled this month.

The first culinary offering features a "30-Year Journey Through Wine" list featuring 30 consecutive vintages from around the world as well as from the Napa Valley that was compiled by Wine Director Kris Margerum. This special list will be available through 2011 in addition to the more than 1,300 selections that are featured on Auberge du Soleil's standard comprehensive wine list.

Gallery: Auberge du Soleil

Tags: auberge du soleil, awards-main, luxist-awards, luxist-main, michelin, michelin guide, michelin stars, Napa Valley, Relais Chateau, RelaisChateaux

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Bathe in Milk Chocolate for Valentine's Day at Auberge du Soleil

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley offers milk chocolate bath for Valentine's Day

Auberge du Soleil, California wine country's most luxurious country inn, has created the ultimate indulgence for its guests who also happen to be chocolate lovers.

During the month of February, its 7,000 square foot spa, which was built for the exclusive use of the inn's guests, is offering a milk chocolate bath for two in a private outdoor garden---of course while eating sumptuous desserts and sipping on a specially paired wine.

This antioxidant rich body treatment is supposed to stimulate the senses, soothe the mind, and rejuvenate the soul, according to Auberge du Soleil. The treatment begins with a delectable cacao and grape seed exfoliation. Guests then slip into a milk chocolate bath for two in a private outdoor garden while indulging in dessert and specially paired wine. Finally, the couple is given a full body massage using a decadent massage oil of chocolate and spice.

The cost of the treatment varies depending on the length of the massage. The treatment with a 90 minute massage costs $570 per couple, while a 90 minute long massage costs $760 per couple. The treatment is available throughout the entire month of February.

Gallery: Auberge du Soleil Offers Valentine's Day Package

A Spa Treatment Room at Auberge du Soleil

The Courtyard at Auberge du Soleil's Spa

Tags: Auberge du Soleil, awards-main, chocolate, luxist-awards, Napa Valley, spa, Valentines Day, wine

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Cosentino Winery Sold

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

In November we learned that Cosentino Winery, a 70,000-case winery on Highway 29 near Yountville, California had closed its doors. The winery was up for sale and the Sonoma Register reports that is now has new owners. Santa Rosa-based Vintage Wine Estates bought the property. Records show that Vintage Wine Estates now holds a $6.9 million loan from Physicians Reciprocal Insurers, Cosentino's senior secured creditor, which took ownership of the property last fall. Cosentino's loan with PRI was $12.5 million. The loan may only be part of the full truncation; the purchase price has not been disclosed. The winery had gone up for a trustee sale in December but no one met the minimum bid of $10.55 million. The company will not take on Cosentino's debts. Vintage Wine Estates also owns Girard Winery, Sonoma Coast Vineyards, Windsor Sonoma Winery and International Wine Accessories. Mitch Cosentino, who founded the winery but sold it some years back has a new wine project with golfer Fred Couples.

UPDATE: North Bay Business Journal reports that Vintage Wine Estates brought back founder Mitch Cosentino to help "stabilize" the brand.

Tags: cosentino winery, napa valley, vintage wine estates

Poetry Inn's "Resolution Rehab" Package

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

If you're one to make New Year's resolutions that you have a hard time keeping you might benefit from a full on "Resolution Rehab" experience at Poetry Inn. As if you needed any extra incentive to head off to Napa Valley during the doldrums of January Poetry Inn is making it ever more tempting with their package that's geared to getting you on track the right way for 2011. Customize the experience based on your needs, wants, and (of course) resolutions, with choices including one-on-one therapy sessions with a top therapist that once appeared on Oprah, a custom juice cleanse, extreme yoga, spa treatments, life coach sessions, nutritional consults, as well as hiking and vineyard tour experiences. And after you've finished all your soul searching and spirit rejuvenating you'll be treated with a 3-liter bottle of the 2007 Poetry Cabernet Sauvignon to take home.

Poetry Inn's Resolution Rehab package is available starting January 1, 2011, with pricing available upon request.

Source

Tags: napa valley, new years, new years eve, poetry inn

Solage Calistoga Defaults On Loan

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Trouble in Napa Valley. The Napa Valley Register reports that the owners of the luxurious Solage Calistoga in Calistoga, California has defaulted on a $47.2 million loan on the property. The resort, which opened in 2007, has 89 rooms and suites and has an eco-friendly slant that includes bicycles, earth-friendly interiors, environmentally safe cleaning products, locally-sourced food, sustainable landscaping, recycling and water reclamation. The resort has a bistro, full-service spa that includes Kate Somerville facials and a 130-foot swimming pool surrounded by cabanas. The restaurant, Solbar, is headed by Brandon Sharp, an alumnus of the hot Gary Danko restaurant in San Francisco.

Solage Calistoga General Manager Richard Hill has said that the default occurred as part of a loan renegotiation process and the property will not proceed to a Trustee Sale. It remains open for business as usual. Rates at the luxury resort start around $325 per night.

Tags: calistoga, hotels in trouble, napa valley, napa valley resort, solage calistoga

Napa Valley Vodka, Sips of Sauvignon Blanc

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Last year saw the introduction of Napa Valley Limoncello, this year Arthur Hartunian, the owner of the Napa Valley Distillery, has a new trick up his sleeve, Napa Sauvignon Blanc vodka. The luxury vodka is made from pricey Napa Valley grapes.

According to an article in the LA Weekly it can take nearly 20 tons of grapes to produce a 300-gallon batch. The vodka is filtered 10 times, first through bone charcoal and later through platinum-plated filters. After that it is given a waiting period of up to 60 days. Like other grape-based vodkas this one is described as slightly sweet with a complex finish. The 2008 'vintage' of Napa Valley Vodka sells for $75. This year's release was limited to 2,600 signed bottles.

Tags: grape vodka, grape-based vodka, napa valley, napa vodka, sauvignon blanc, vodka

Food & Wine Magazine Best American Wine Awards 2010 Results

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wine

"Wow, that is actually pretty good.... and so is that one!" I was pleasantly surprised by the choices for the best American Wines selections in this year's Best American Wine Awards from Food & Wine magazine. Attending the award party at the Carneros Inn in Napa Valley, CA, I was delighted that the winning selections were pretty darn delicious. It is just nice to know that the editors take the awards quite seriously.

The annual award put on by the well-respected magazines has a few categories, but they keep it pleasantly simple. The categories are "Best Wines Under $20, Best Wines Over $20 (the latter two with a number of winners), Best Importers, Winemaker of the Year, and Best New Winery." You can see the full list of winners with the specific prices and descriptions here.

As a wine appreciator but 'good wine' brand novice, I was pleased to see a faithfully selected list of brands sure not to disappoint. You now have another weapon in the fight against staring at the wall of wines in front of you at the store for far too long - trying to make a decision. Regardless of your budget the Food & Wine magazine's picks for this year have you covered.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com

Gallery: Food & Wine Awards 2010 Winners

Tags: bst american wine awards, carneros inn, food and wine, napa valley, wine awards

The French Laundry Wins the Luxist Award for Best Domestic Restaurant

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Few fine restaurants boast a past as sordid as The French Laundry. Even so, the Yountville, Calif. eatery is consistently rated among the world's best, and is the Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice winner in the best fine domestic dining category.

In the late 1880s, the building that currently contains the three Michelin star French Laundry was a humble saloon. When a town ordinance mandated that no alcohol be served within two miles of Yountville, the building was converted first into a brothel, then to a French steam laundry by the 1920s. In 1974, the town's mayor bought the laundry and converted it into a restaurant; twenty years later it was purchased by current owner and chef Thomas Keller.

Gallery: The French Laundry

Tags: awards-main, best domestic restaurant, best restaurant, luxist-awards, michelin, michelin guide, michelin stars, Napa Valley, The French Laundry, thomas keller, winners-fine-dining, Yountville

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Auberge du Soleil Wins the Luxist Award for Best Romantic Restaurant

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Auberge du Soleil is nominated for a Luxist Award for Most Romantic Restaurant.

Enjoying a glass of wine at sunset in California's Napa Valley is one of the best ways to start an intimate evening, and the restaurant at Auberge du Soleil offers a chance to do just that. Auberge du Soleil is the Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Award winner in the best romantic restaurant category.

Founded in 1981 by San Francisco restaurateur Claude Rouas, the eatery helped spawn the wave of popularity currently enjoyed by the entire Napa area. In 1985, Rouas and business partner Robert Harmon opened the inn---in French, auberge---to host visitors to the California wine country. He envisioned both the restaurant and the inn as a tribute to his beloved Provence, and, true to form, both continue to be exactly that.

Gallery: Auberge du Soleil

Tags: auberge du soleil, awards-main, luxist-awards, Most Romantic Restaurant, napa valley, Robert Currey, winners-fine-dining

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Flexjet 25 Napa Valley Jet Card

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

The latest Flexjet 25 Card from Jet Solutions is the Napa Valley Jet Card which offers food and wine lovers gourmet treats in addition to luxurious private jet travel. The jet card package helps raise funds for Auction Napa Valley, which has given nearly $100 million to area charities for more than 30 years. This holiday season, purchasers of the "Napa Valley Edition" jet card can attend an intimate culinary experience with Chef Masaharu Morimoto, along with a pair of all-inclusive passes to Auction Napa Valley, the must-attend wine charity event of the year.

The card is available for purchase through December 31, 2010 and the experience begins with an invitation for two to a dinner personally prepared by Iron Chef Morimoto. Guests can also attend a private cooking class and sake tasting with Chef Morimoto at Morimoto Napa. Jet card customers will also receive two four-day passes to the prestigious Auction Napa Valley with accommodations at Meadowood Napa Valley. A personal driver and luxury vehicle will also be provided for Flexjet 25 Jet Card program guests throughout the weekend. The Flexjet 25 "Napa Valley Edition" Jet Card, available in limited quantities, starts at $124,900, with timing of the package set for June 2 to June 5, 2011. For more information, call 888-240-2108 or visit www.flexjet25.com/napavalley.

Tags: auction napa valley, chef morimoto, flexjet, jet card, napa valley

The French Laundry: Consistently Ranked Among the World's Best

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Few fine restaurants boast a past as sordid as The French Laundry. Even so, the Yountville, Calif. eatery is consistently rated among the world's best, and makes for an easy choice as a Luxist nominee in the best fine domestic dining category.

In the late 1880s, the building that currently contains the three Michelin star French Laundry was a humble saloon. When a town ordinance mandated that no alcohol be served within two miles of Yountville, the building was converted first into a brothel, then to a French steam laundry by the 1920s. In 1974, the town's mayor bought the laundry and converted it into a restaurant; twenty years later it was purchased by current owner and chef Thomas Keller.

Gallery: The French Laundry

Tags: awards-main, Best Domestic Restaurant, luxist-awards, Napa Valley, The French Laundry

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On The Road: The New Mobile Tasting Room For The Wines Of Redemption

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Chris Cutler is in the redemption business, but is not a Minister, Pastor, Priest or Rabbi. He is in the wine business, being both a viticulturist, and wine proprietor. He is familiar with all aspects of making wine, in his case, the Wines Of Redemption.
At present, he has created Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc. In addition, he will be introducing his first Cabernet/Syrah for Fall release. But wine is not all he does, though it is a guiding passion. In addition to owning five businesses, he also renovates and restore small, interior spaces. His latest and most lucrative idea combines these talents by creating a new idea -- a mobile tasting room for his Wines of Redemption.. This tasting room, the first of its kind anywhere, will be created inside a 26 foot 1968 International Overlander Airstream Trailer, that he recently purchased and has begun renovating. A local St Helena (Napa Valley) design firm, 38 Spatial, is so intrigued, they have volunteered their expertise to make the space a truly unique, wine tasting experience on wheels.

I asked him about his Wines of Redemption, and his new idea in process about a mobile tasting room.

Tags: ACME Wines, Airstream trailers, Chris Cutler, fine art wine labels, Gary Taxalli, Napa Valley, Napa Valley vintners, Napa valley Wines, Thomas Campbell, Wines of Redemption

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