Eat, Drink and Be Merry in Napa

HIT THE ROAD

EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY IN NAPA

By Christiana Roussel | Photos by Visit Napa Valley & Contributed

Whether you’ve been to Napa a dozen times or this Northern California destination is just now rising to the top of your travel bucket list, proper planning will ensure you’re able to experience the most of this singular hot spot.

HIT THE ROAD

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO With such a wealth of things to do and see, sip and taste, planning a trip to Napa can feel a little overwhelming. You want to do it all!

Enlisting the help of a dedicated and experienced travel advisor ensures you spend less time in the car and more time immersed in Napa culture. Birmingham resident Anne Tilson Varner founded Portiera Travel as a way to share her love of the region.

“I’ve spent the past two decades traveling to Napa, and in that time, I have gotten to know and become friends with so many wonderful people,” Anne says. “Locals are the greatest asset in planning Portiera excursions, and I am grateful for these cultivated relationships.”

BACKGROUND Napa Valley is one of those rare and wondrous regions where the climate, soil and topography—often referred to as ‘terroir’— meld to foster the ideal environment for growing outstanding grapes. These grapes are then painstakingly and lovingly converted into wine, making this some of the most covetable farmland in the country. At its core, Napa Valley is a farming community.

Agriculturally, Napa Valley was classified as an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1981, as California’s first AVA. This designation establishes defined growing areas which reflect regional-specific terroir. Within the Napa Valley AVA, there are 16 distinct—or ‘nested’—AVAs with names you’ll surely recognize: Stags Leap, Atlas Peak, Rutherford and St. Helena. Relaxed, convivial, teeming with pride and eager to share the bounty of their home, locals welcome visitors year-round to experience their life’s work.

Her office boasts bookshelves of binders created for friends and clients, each with well-timed itineraries and lists of not-to-bemissed hotspots. Anne says three or four days in Napa is a great place to begin your journey. portieratravel.com

Photo contributed by Portiera Travel

HIT THE ROAD

NAPA FOR THE NON-DRINKERS

HIT THE ROAD The length of Napa Valley runs roughly 30 miles, from downtown Napa to Calistoga on the North end; in between, you’ll find the towns of St. Helena and Yountville. Each town definitely has its own vibe and feel. In downtown Napa, trace your way long the Napa River to The Oxbow Public Market, which shows off the best of this agricultural region and is a must-do. Pop into Gott’s Roadside for an epic burger before you hit your afternoon wineries. Yountville is as picture-postcardperfect as you can imagine (and home to Thomas Keller’s Michelin-starred The French Laundry restaurant), while St. Helena is a shopper’s dream (La Bohème and Christopher Hill Gallery are two favorites).

and burrata on toast. Make sure you find the hidden entrance to the downstairs pub for a clubby vibe. Serious culinary enthusiasts will want to pop in to the Culinary Institute of America for a tour and a nosh. If spas are your thing, then head straight to geothermal hot springs-centric Calistoga, where founder Samuel Brannan modeled the entire town on the hot springs of Saratoga, New York. The mud and mineral springs here are known to have a therapeutic effect like no other. Earn that massage with a bike ride to Old Faithful Geyser of California.

You don’t have to be an oenophile or imbibe daily to enjoy Napa Valley—there are plenty of activities here that don’t require stemmed glassware.

Still not sure where to begin in planning your trip? We asked Anne to put together a sample itinerary for readers, with notable places to If you’re feeling peckish, plan a stop at Goose stay, wineries to visit and her favorite & Gander for some chicharrones or mushroom restaurants:

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BIKING—Napa Valley Vine Trail—this 12.5-mile trail that runs from South Napa to Yountville will eventually become a 47-mile walking and biking trail system. Rent ebikes from Napa Valley eBikes.

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HOT AIR BALLOON RIDES—Combine your bike adventure with a hot air balloon ride at Napa Valley Bike Tours, or book an escape with Napa Valley Aloft.

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MUSEUMS & PERFORMING ARTS—Wine isn’t the only culture here. The di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art merits a visit, while viewing the sculptures of Napa and Yountville beckon in the afternoon. The notable Rail Arts District (RAD) features two miles of interactive public art, easily viewed on foot or by bicycle.

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KAYAK or SUP on the Napa River

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HIKING—There are more than two dozen trails in the Napa Valley area alone—pick up a local guide or plan your route in advance using the Trail finder feature of visitnapavalley.com. You can sort your stroll by level of difficulty, length or vista, and if you happen to time your stay with the full moon, join up with the folks at Napa Valley Land Trust for their scheduled nighttime hike.

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SPA DAY—There are more than a dozen spas in the area, many of which offer the signature Calistoga mud bath treatment that will have you channeling your inner zen in no time.

NAPA COMES TO BIRMINGHAM TUMTUM TREE FOUNDATION South Napa

Resort: Stanly Ranch, an Auberge Resort Property (Budget Alternative: Andaz Napa) Tasting: Hudson Ranch (amazing Chardonnays; beautiful property) Lunch: Farm at Carneros Resort Tasting: Darioush Winery (interesting architecture and history) Dinner: Scala Osteria

Mid Napa Valley

Hotel: Poetry Inn, a luxurious B&B perched above Silverado Trail. (Budget Alternative: The Estate Yountville) Tasting: David Arthur Vineyards (high above Pritchard Hill with spectacular views) Lunch: Brix Restaurant in the Garden

Tasting: Staglin Family Vineyards (philanthropic family and where the 1998 version of “The Parent Trap” was filmed) Dinner: RH Restaurant Yountville (Alternative: if you want a casual dinner, head towards Ciccio, newly reopened)

North Napa - St. Helena / Calistoga

Resort: Meadowood Napa Valley (Budget Alternative: The Bungalows at Calistoga eclectic, warm fun) Tasting: Heritage School Vineyards (interesting history and amazing property) Lunch: Sam’s Social Club Tasting: Schramsberg (founded 1862, famous for bubbles and more)

Dinner: Brasswood Bar & Kitchen (look around for some of the local vintner rock stars who are known to haunt this place) Anne is quick to note that while many of the larger wineries accept walk-ins for tastings, the smaller boutique wineries request or require reservations.

“Often times, guests are meeting the vintner themselves, touring their family’s vineyard, with a private tour of the operations,” Anne says. “These are intimate experiences, best planned well in advance.”

As America’s longest-running wine auction supporting children’s charities, TumTum Tree Foundation has attracted Napa Valley winemaker luminaries to Birmingham for more than 30 years. What began in Frank and Pardis Stitt’s beloved Bottega dining room has grown into something altogether life-changing.

From that first year where $25,000 was raised for Magic Moments, TumTum Tree Foundation has grown, now boasting more than $16 million in donations, positively impacting the lives of children engaged in services provided by The Red Barn, Mitchell’s Place, Camp Smile-a-Mile, UAB Arts in Medicine and several others. The 34th Annual Grand Tasting and Live Auction Dinner will take place on Friday, Nov. 3. tumtumtreefoundation.org

Photo by TumTum Tree Foundation