inside
In this Issue
napa valley
20
52
90
Holiday shopping suggestions
5
A season for design
6
Holiday events across the valley
10
Where in the Valley?
13
A taste for granola
17
Wine and coffee?
20
Napa Generations; Boomers
24
Napa Generations: Gen-X
29
Napa Generations: Millennials
33
Napa Generations: Teens
44
Great Estates
49
CrossFit: a lifestyle
52
Living the life: Harvest adoration
54
Custom House: a legacy
58
Getting to know you: Steve Potter
62
Dining in the Napa Valley
66
Vine Cliff: A phoenix in the vineyards
72
Paul Block: Usable beauty
90
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The resilient Napa Valley spirit N O R M A KO S T E C K A Ad ve r ti s i ng Di re ctor
T
he Napa Valley is resilient. We’ve weathered floods and earthquakes and economic ups and downs. And this year, we survived fires that raced through Wine Country with unprecedented ferocity. Through it all, we’ve lived life with that special Napa Valley style. In this edition of Inside Napa Valley, we’ll celebrate that unbroken spirit with a wide look at life here in our close-knit community. We’ll start with a look at the holiNORMA KOSTECKA days, how to decorate, where to shop and how to find fun throughout the season. We’ll visit with some local businesses that have persevered through the decades and learn about a winery that went from being a
“ghost” to one of the gems of the industry. We’ll visit with an artist whose passion for recycling led him to use old wine barrels to create usable beauty. Speaking of artistry, we’ll have a look at a Napa coffee roaster who’s gathering national attention by infusing his product with the essence of Wine Country – literally. And a Napa mom whose passion for healthy snacks led her to a successful home business. Napa’s well-loved Police Chief Steve Potter, who is set to retire next year, will join us for another edition of “Getting to Know You,” and we’ll look in on a grand French chateau on the heart of the valley. You’ll get to test your sharp eye for detail with another edition of “Where in the Valley?” But given all Napa County has been through lately, we thought we’d take a
deeper look at our home: where it’s been and where it is going. We asked four writers of various ages to talk to their contemporaries about Napa County from their unique generational perspectives. The result we’re calling “Napa Generations,” the voices from Boomers, Gen-Xers, Millennials, and today’s teens. Their perspectives may differ, but they’re all united in the view that this is one pretty special place to live. And as always, we’ll bring you a selection of our favorite stories on the wine, food, and lifestyle that make Napa Valley, from our family of Napa Valley Publishing newspapers. Grab a mug of holiday cheer and join along. On the cover: : Photo courtesy Bob McClenahan Photography, napasphotographer.com. 3