Napa
Horseback Riding High Above Napa Valley
Fifteen hundred feet above Napa Valley on a rocky, rolling patch of land planted here and there with rows of tidy vines is the West Coast’s largest Olympic equestrian training ground. Or at least it used to be. The 3,800, mostly wild, acres on Mt. George, which the team called home for 20 years, was purchased by Japanese gaming mogul Kenzo Tsujimoto in 1990 at which time he sent the Olympians packing and started taking soil samples. (The polo field for example, turned out to be an ideal place for a certain clone of Sauvignon Blanc.)
Win a Springtime Adventure in Napa!
With Spring right around the corner, what better way to spend this glorious time of year than sipping on a glass of California’s best wine and staying at the most peaceful Inn in Napa Valley? Enjoy a two-night stay at Harvest Inn and a four-course dinner for two with 3-2 oz pours of the Brassica 12 from Brassica Mediterranean Kitchen and Wine Bar in Napa. We've partnered with Brassica Mediterranean Kitchen and Wine Bar and Harvest Inn to pass this wonderful getaway on to you! It's worth $1200, so it's a major score.
Best Spots to Swim in Sonoma
When the foggy wind is whipping through San Francisco streets, it's easy to forget that summer really does exist less than an hour away. In fact, the 5-day forecast for Napa and Sonoma currently predicts an average high of 79 degrees F. Few things are better on a hot summer day in the wine country than sipping a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc or Rosé at a winery. But relaxing at a naturally beautiful swimming hole, a river, or a sandy beach in Sonoma is definitely in the running. Here are a few favorite places to take a dip in the Sonoma Wine Country.
SCOPA II Brings Al Fresco Dining, Wood-Fired Pizzas to Healdsburg
After dining at Scopa, the Italian-inspired restaurant in Healdsburg, it is not uncommon to come stumbling out onto the Plaza feeling light-headed. Partly because the small space is always packed and because you have likely enjoyed at least one bottle of red wine, but also, and more importantly, because the ingredients are so impossibly, explosively fresh, the pasta so light and tender, the meatballs so perfectly browned and spicy and the burratta so heart-breakingly creamy that you actually feel like you have reached nirvana.
Celebrate Jordan Vineyard & Winery's 40th Birthday with a Star-Studded Charity Event
If you haven’t heard the buzz, Healdsburg’s Jordan Vineyard & Winery has been celebrating its 40th anniversary in star-studded style at rooftop lounges across the country. The family-owned winery’s 40th birthday celebration culminates on Saturday, June 2, with a festive afternoon event on the iconic chateau’s sprawling lawns.
The Top 5 Things to Do in Wine Country This Month
Spring ushers in fair weather for outdoor culinary adventures and flea market crawls, and awakens the senses with eye-popping color from farmers markets to art exhibits. Here are our picks for the best things to do in Wine Country this month.
Four Great Sonoma Hikes
Despite acclaim for its wine and food, Sonoma remains the trail-lined farmland and wilderness that I hiked with my family as a kid. For those more interested in wining and dining, never fear, there are plenty of winery hikes for those wary of straying far from their glasses. Here are four great hikes in Sonoma where you can earn your indulgences and explore the land that gives rise to such fantastic vines.
Wine Country for Kids, Without the Wine
Somewhere along the line, someone started a bad rumor families can’t have fun in wine country. Granted most kids prefer apple juice to that funny tasting old grape stuff, but that’s ok, because you can taste the flavor of wine country in St. Helena without ever setting foot in a tasting room.
Family-fun in wine country without wine starts with wheat at Bale Grist Mill Historic State Park. A stone’s throw off of Highway 29 between Calistoga and St. Helena, it’s one of those places that’s easy to zip by.
Experiencing Napa via the Napa Valley Wine Train
Most people who have traveled by train in the US would probably agree that train travel leaves something to be desired, whether it's just a commuter train or traveling between states. America doesn't depend on train travel like other destinations, such as many parts of Europe. That was at the forefront of my mind upon my first trip aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train, but it may change how you feel about train travel as it did me.
Goose & Gander Brings Classic Cocktails, Seasonal Fare to St. Helena
When the Martini House, a beloved restaurant in St. Helena, closed its doors in 2010, there was much weeping to be heard in the northern Napa Valley. Rumors last year that Paul Fleming of Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse would be moving into the 90-year-old building were met with mixed feelings. Thankfully, that deal fell through and Chicago restaurateur turned Napa Valley native Andy Florsheim bought it instead.
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