BY STEPH KEAY
HauteSHOPPING
NOT YOUR USUAL ROADSIDE ATTRACTION With Baccarat chandeliers, high-tech wine stations, and a fully stocked market with gourmet local goodies, Oakville Grocery is a destination in itself. I still fondly recall early mornings loading into the family car, the open road beckoning at the outset of a new adventure. Along the way, we dsicovered shops to peruse odds and ends, icecold sodas and fresh sandwiches from country stores, and the discovery of hidden gems that faded into the distance—and eventually my memory—as we continued on our way. For Jean-Charles Boisset, one of these fond memories persisted. A native of France, Boisset toured California with his grandparents and sister when he was just 11 years old. It was then that he discovered Oakville Grocery, a long-standing general store next to the St Helena Highway. “A lover of history even then, I marveled at the rustic feeling of the place, which spoke to me of the courageous American pioneers I had read about in my native France,” he says. When an opportunity to acquire the store arose two years ago, he leaped at the chance to own the charming property he so adored. Born in Vougeot, Boisset’s father was a vintner, and his family owned iconic vineyards and wineries all over France. Surrounded by such history, he grew up with great appreciation for the time-honored traditions behind viticulture. His approach to winemaking combines this respect for history with modern innovation—not unlike his stunning restoration of Oakville Grocery.
Oakville Grocery
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The gorgeous interior of 1881 Napa