Activities Archives - Page 6 of 9 - Wine Country Getaways

Chardonnay Harvest at Truchard in Carneros

by Joe Becerra

At 6:45 on this Wednesday, I arrive at one of Truchard’s beautiful Carneros vineyards where 30 harvesters are hard at work amid the rows of Chardonnay grapes. There is no fog this morning in Carneros and the sun is not over the hillside as yet. It is an ideal temperature for the grapes to be … Read more

Summer Fun at the Robert Mondavi Winery

by Joe Becerra

Last Saturday, after some 40 years of visiting Napa Valley wineries, for the very first time we attended the musical concert at the Robert Mondavi winery featuring the group Ozomatli. What a fantastic venue for a concert.

This series has been going on for 40 years and Margrit Biever Mondavi, who started the series, is still on hand to make the introductions. This year’s summer series of concerts will run through August 1. The proceeds from the concert series go to support various musical programs throughout the Napa Valley.

Women Winemakers Shine at Acme Tasting

by Joe Becerra

On Saturday I had the good fortune of being invited to an amazing wine tasting of boutique wines made by a group of elite winemakers. Acme Fine Wines, one of the premier wine shops in the Napa Valley, arranged the tasting. Owners Karen Williams and David Stevens brought together 12 winemakers who make wines for some 60 small wineries. The tasting was divided into two sessions. The first session was for media only and the second session began at 1 pm for consumers. Acme Fine Wines is a small wine shop located on a side street in St. Helena and it was jammed to the gills for both sessions as wine afficionados leaped at this opportunity to taste wines made by these artisan winemakers.

Napa Valley Wineries Need to Go on the Offensive to Keep Tourism Alive and Well

by Joe Becerra

There is trouble ahead for Napa Valley wineries in 2009 and maybe beyond. You might think that all California wineries will suffer equally, but Napa wineries may be more vulnerable. A trip to the Napa Valley costs more than going to Paso Robles, Mendocino, or the Russian River wine region. Lodging and restaurants are more expensive, tasting room fees are higher, and on average, the cost of a bottle of wine is more expensive in the Napa Valley.

Since January we have been to the Napa Valley on three separate occasions. Granted we always visit during the week but almost every tasting room we have been into has been empty, void of visitors. Where are the tourists? In each tasting room we have heard the same lament about winter months being slow, but never this slow. The outlook for visitors the rest of the year does not look good. The San Francisco Convention & Visitor’s Bureau is predicting a drop in European and Asian travelers and in corporate travel by U.S. companies. No company wants to look bad for taking unnecessary travel junkets. More tourists are traveling on a beer budget.

Napa Valley Mustard Festival The Main Attraction is Free and Spectacular

by Joe Becerra

The 16th annual Mustard Festival began in earnest on January 31 and will run through March 28th with various events. The idea behind the Mustard Festival is to promote tourism in the Napa Valley during the “quiet” time of the year. The weather is always iffy and the vines are all dormant, so tourists tend to stay away during these winter months. In April bud break occurs and spring flowers awake, and once again all is right in the world of the Napa Valley.

Step Back in Time The Napa Valley in January

by Joe Becerra

January is the slowest month in the Napa Valley. Any tasting room worker will tell you that they get the fewest visitors in January and their workdays just seem to drag. People tend to stay away from the Napa Valley during January for various reasons. The weather is unpredictable and there are no major events taking place in the Napa Valley until the Mustard Festival that begins officially on January 31st. People are recovering from the Holidays and are still keeping their New Year’s resolution about eating and drinking less, exercising more, and saving money. Nonetheless, this may be one of the most enjoyable times to visit the Napa Valley. You will almost get the feel of what the Valley was like 40 years ago. The Napa Valley is quiet and peaceful during January.

If you want even more of an escape to the olden days, spend time in Calistoga. Calistoga is a folksy town, more country-like and less posh than Yountville or St. Helena. Much of Calistoga looks and feels the same as it did 40 years or more ago. Just venture into the Calistoga Inn and you will see what I mean.

Wine Blogging Conference – Napa Valley Missing in Action

by Joe Becerra

I’m not sure how the organizers of the Wine Blogging Conference found sponsors or determined what events were to be staged, but clearly Sonoma wineries were at the forefront of this inaugural event. Except for the Culinary Institute of America, which conducted the blind wine tasting event, Napa Valley and its wineries were nowhere to be seen at this conference.

Sonoma wineries went all out for this event. From the opening event, a lunch and tasting of 12 Sonoma wines at Kick Ranch Vineyards, to the final luncheon on Sunday, just about every event featured Sonoma wines. The major sponsors, the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley, the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau, and Sebastiani Vineyards, provided lunches, dinners, bus transportation, and more wines than we could possibly taste. What a coup for Sonoma wineries.

Napa Unsettling Problems

by Joe Becerra

With redevelopment projects along the Napa River and the buzz created by the Oxbow Market, you would think that all is joy among Napa businesses, restaurants, and lodging establishments. Not so. The last few weeks have not brought good news to the city of Napa.

One of Copia's exhibits,
interesting or humdrum?

Copia continues to have its share of financial problems. Copia recently announced layoffs and surprisingly their winter hours leave Copia open only on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Copia store and Julie’s Kitchen restaurant remain open on a daily basis. We stated in a blog post a year ago that on our last visit to Copia we felt that the exhibits were sparse and not very compelling. The most interesting area to us was the vegetable garden and now we hear that the garden plot might be up for sale to shore up Copia’s financing. You would think that with the addition of the Oxbow Market next door, Copia would see an increase in visitors. Apparently, that has not happened.

Yountville – Best Wine Town in the Napa Valley?

by Joe Becerra

In a couple of weeks, we will be visiting the Napa Valley for a few days and once again we will be making the town of Yountville our destination locale. We also like Calistoga, but we have to give Yountville the edge for a number of reasons.

For starters, Yountville has a great choice of restaurants and most within walking distance of all the B&B’s. The famous Thomas Keller has the French Laundry, Bouchon, and Ad Hoc in Yountville. There are also Redd’s, Bistro Jaunty, and Michael Chiarello is about to open a new restaurant in the V Marketplace, Bottega Restaurante. We are very fond of Mustard’s but you have to hop in your car or take a cab. It is just too far to walk from Yountville’s main area of Washington Street. Fortunately, the cab service is quite reliable.

Napa Valley on the Cheap — A Frugal Getaway

by Joe Becerra

With the gloom of the economy casting a pall on just about everything these days, a trip to the Napa Valley just might be the perfect escape. Harvest is over but fermenting tanks are going strong and there is that delicious smell in the air of wine being made. The vines are turning various shades and Fall is a wonderful time to be in the Napa wine country.

There is some economic relief in sight in the Valley because as the harvest ends, many of Napa Valley’s finest lodging establishments begin their Fall and Winter rate specials. Our guess is that because of the economy there will be more specials and packages as lodging establishments and other businesses try to lure visitors to the area. Now is the time to plan a budget trip to the Napa Valley.

Here are some tips on how to save some cash visiting the Napa Valley.