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You are here: Home / Archives for Napa Valley Wine Train

Napa Valley Bits & Pieces of News – Wine Train Debacle

August 26, 2015 by Joe Becerra

train napa

To ride or not ride the train in Napa

Is Wine Tasting in the Napa Valley a Whites only activity?

The recent Wine Train debacle where a women’s book club of 10 Black women and one white woman were kicked off the wine train brought something clearly to my attention. We visit many tasting rooms in the Napa Valley and Sonoma, as frequently as any wine country travelers. The wine train incident made me realize that wine tasting in the Napa Valley and elsewhere in California is largely a White activity. Rarely in a Napa Valley or Sonoma tasting room does one see people of color enjoying a wine tasting flight. The only people of color I see in a tasting room are Latinos who work in the cellar or in the vineyards. We occasionally see Japanese visitors, but they are usually with a large tour group from Japan. I realize there are a few Latino and African American vintners in the Napa Valley, but why are there so few who come to the wine country to wine and dine? Are we intimidated or just not interested? We’d appreciate some feedback on this question.

The works of Ben Nixon at Mumm Napa Art Gallery

The works of Ben Nixon at Mumm Napa Art Gallery

New art exhibit at Mumm Napa

The very cool Mumm Napa art gallery has a new exhibit opening this Saturday, August 29, called “Timeless California & The Sierras: Photographs by Ben Nixon.” Ben Nixon creates landscapes using a 19th century, wet-plate collodion process. As you can see from the above photo, the images are very different and striking. A Mumm Napa Sparkling Gallery Opening Reception with Ben Nixon is scheduled for Saturday, August 29, and is open to the public. Details: “Join us and Ben Nixon for an evening of sparkling wine, stunning art, and the opportunity to learn about Ben’s unique photography style, all while sipping Mumm Napa sparkling wines. August 29, 6:30-8pm. No fee to attend, RSVP Required. RSVP at 800.686.6272.” Cabernet harvest

Harvest activities

The harvest of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc is nearing completion, with the red grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon at the forefront nearing harvest. So far it looks like yields are down but, according to many in the vineyards, the quality is high.  Cabernet Sauvignon will be harvested very shortly. Vintners who like a lighter style will harvest their Cab grapes within a week or so. Those who like a more robust Cabernet style of wine will harvest in two to three weeks. Cairdean Estate Rousanne

Cairdean Vineyards introduces “Whites in Flight”

Cairdean Vineyards is offering a taste of five unique white wines inspired by the wines from around the globe. These are Gewurztraminer, Picpoul Blanc, Riesling, Rousanne and Fume Blanc. It is very interesting that a Napa Valley winery would undertake the production of a 100% Roussane and the obscure Picpoul Blanc grape. I tasted all these wines; they are delicious and a welcomed change-of- pace from the usual fare of Chardonnay. At the winery, one can purchase these wines for $125 in a six-pack with a bonus bottle of the Cairdean Estate Rosé. Tasting this flight is $25 at the winery’s elegant tasting room.

Filed Under: Napa Valley, Wine art, Wine Information Tagged With: 2015 harvest, Caridean Estate, Mumm Napa art, Napa Valley Wine Train

Train Napa: To ride or not to ride the Napa Valley Wine Train

January 10, 2013 by Joe Becerra

train napa

To ride or not the train Napa

Some call it the train Napa but we know it as the Wine Train. Every now and then a WCG reader will shoot us an email asking us for advice on taking a ride on the Napa Valley Wine Train that runs through the Valley. I’m sorry to reply to these emails that I have never been on the Wine Train and therefore cannot make a recommendation. I have had friends who have taken the wine train, and for the most part we have heard a mixed bag of reviews. Some think it is an awesome time, while others thought the money would have been better spent on visiting wineries or buying wine.

As far as I can see, the Napa Valley Wine Train is more like a restaurant than anything else. It is really not a wine tour. Sure, the scenery is very pretty along the route from Napa to St. Helena, but the problem is that you cannot get off and on along the way and spend some time at any wineries. When the wine train got the okay in 1989 to take passengers along the Valley, plenty of restrictions were placed on what the wine train could do and not do. Letting passengers on and off at wineries was a big “no.”

I can think of a few reasons why folks might want to take the Napa Valley Wine Train.

  • They love riding trains
  • What better way to enjoy the scenery of the Napa Valley by having fine wine and food without any traffic worries
  • It is a good introduction to the Napa Valley
  • It is a fun and relaxing time
  • It’s a party
image of the wine train ticket at Costco

Costco Wine Train Package

The cost of riding the wine train varies because they have optional tours at a few wineries either before or after the train ride. My local Costco Store has the Napa Valley Wine Train tickets on sale for $84.99 for one ticket. That represents up to a 22% savings according to the print on the package. There is a train for lunch and another for dinner. Beware, if you take the dinner train and it’s the dead of winter, you are not going see much scenery.

There are other options for visiting the Napa Valley other than riding the wine train. There are private limos that can be hired. Platypus is a company that picks up tourists at their hotels and drives them to a set of wineries with a picnic lunch included. You can certainly drive on your own, but make sure you have a designated driver. For good reason, the authorities heavily patrol the Valley.

The wine train is certainly not my cup of tea. When I travel to the Napa Valley, a big part of what I like to do is get out my car and explore the vineyards and compose photographs. I like searching the crossroads finding beautiful vineyard scenes and, oh yes, stopping in at any winery that looks interesting. If I’m driving while visiting, I make sure I bring in my wine spit cup so I can taste but not swallow the wine. I do like the wine train in one respect. I like watching the wine train as it goes by; the cars are old and look very pretty against the vineyards and the mountains.

In case you are planning a trip to the Napa Valley, here is a little video to help you plan a wonderful trip to the wine country: Napa Valley Travel Tips.

Filed Under: Activities, Wine News Tagged With: Napa Valley Wine Train, train napa, Wine Train

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