Wine Travel

The Silverado Trail, Napa Valley, California...

The Groth Winery, as seen on a winter day, lies just off the Silverado Trail on the Oakville Crossroad...

  Vegas Wine News continues with Part Two of a journey to the famed Napa Valley…down the Silverado Trail...


    In the last edition of Vegas Wine News, we visited the west side of the Napa Valley by way of Highway 29, beginning in the town of Napa and traveling north to the little town of Calistoga at the other end of the Valley.  Now we take the journey from Calistoga south down the eastern side of the Valley, driving on the Silverado Trail, commonly referred to as the “route less traveled.”


    First, a few things of note about Calistoga:  This little town lies nestled between the Mayacama and Vaca mountain ranges.  Standing on Lincoln Avenue and facing west, it appears that the hills rise right out of the ground at the end of the street.  Lincoln, the main drag, consists of old-fashioned buildings and a tree-lined street with ample parking.  None of the buildings stands taller than three stories.   The small “downtown” area consists mostly of boutique shops and restaurants, with a few art galleries, wine tasting rooms and small hotels mixed in.  The town makes a great base for exploring the rest of the Valley, and while not inexpensive, tends to cost less for lodging and dining than the towns of St. Helena and Yountville mentioned in the November/December edition.


    Calistoga has several options for lodging.  The Mount View Hotel & Spa, located right on Lincoln, makes for a convenient and cozy place to stay.  It recently underwent renovation, and charges relatively reasonable prices when compared to similar lodging across the Valley.  Call them at (707)942-6877 or go to their website at www.MountViewHotel.com.  The Hotel d’Amici provides another, more intimate lodging option along Lincoln Avenue.  Consisting of four luxurious suites (priced between $165.00-$275.00 per night), it has more of a bed and breakfast feel than that of a hotel.  To reach them, call (707)942-1007.


    Most of the action in Calistoga centers around Lincoln Avenue.  Dining possibilities along this street include Brannon’s, the Flat Iron Grill and the Hydro Bar & Grill. All are within easy walking distance of each other, as the main business area of Lincoln Avenue runs less than one mile in length.




  

  

Pina Winery flies Old Glory above the Silverado Trail , with a view looking west across the Valley...

Looking west along Calistoga’s Lincoln Avenue...

    Proceeding east on Lincoln will take the visitor to the edge of town where signs will direct you to the Silverado Trail.  Turn right (south) and begin heading down the Valley.  The route runs along the east side of the Napa Valley, roughly parallel to Highway 29, which runs down the western edge of the Valley.  The Silverado Trail allows the traveler to enjoy a completely different experience than Highway 29.  Absent are the small towns, boutique restaurants, commercial distractions and heavy traffic seen so often on that route.  Instead, this road takes one past grand views of open vineyards covering most of the Valley floor and the sloping hills of the Vaca Mountains.


    Interspersed with the rural beauty, the driver will also pass a number of wineries along the sides of the highway (though not nearly so many as along Highway 29).  Some of the more notable wineries include, from north to south,  Cuvaison, Rombauer, Duckhorn, Quintessa, ZD Wines, Pina Cellars, Paraduxx, Robert Sinsky, Silverado, Pine Ridge, Hartwell, Stag’s Leap Cellars, Regusci, Chimney Rock, Clos du Val, Darioush, and Black Stallion.  Many other small, boutique wineries also have their facilities along this highway. 


    I will touch upon what I consider some of the highlights of the wineries located along the Silverado Trail.  You will see from the various descriptions that the wineries along this road provide a truly eclectic experience in wine touring.

The view from Rombauer Winery...

side of a hill overlooking a vineyard.  The design blends the winery in with the surrounding environment, melding nature with modernity.   They specialize in producing premium red wines.   Although Quintessa charges $50.00 for a tasting, on the day I visited they seemed extremely generous with their pours.  Each tasting also comes with some appropriate appetizers. 


        ZD Wines has a very friendly staff and a beautiful facility with soaring ceilings and lots of natural light.  They make a myriad of wines, but focus mostly one Bordeaux varietals.  Their premium wine, Abaccus, combines some of their best Cabernet Sauvignon from each vintage since the winery began production into a final cuvee.   Like most of the wineries listed, they have a number of tasting options.


        Vegas Wine News featured Pina Cellars as its winery of the month in the May/June 2008 edition.  You can read about the winery and the fun of visiting Pina by going to the links page of this issue and then checking the featured winery page of that edition.  Suffice it to say here that Larry Pina, one of the owners, makes everyone who visits feel welcome.   Pina also produces some exceptional red wines

  Rombauer makes an impressive list of wines at reasonable prices.  Their Chardonnay probably takes the prize as the most notable, but the red wines are delicious as well.  The winery sits back a bit from the Trail (although the sign and driveway lie alongside the main road), atop a hill with a panoramic view of the entire southern part of the valley. 


  Quintessa has an ultra modern establishment that exemplifies the exterior; a  swath of stone cut into the 


 



    Besides the obvious wine related activities, Calistoga has a reputation as a center for hot air ballooning, health spas and hot springs.  A geothermal geyser, similar to Yellowstone’s Old Faithful, spews water upon timely cue at 1299 Tubbs Lane.  This natural phenomena proves quite impressive.  Make plans to see it by calling (707)942-6463.  You can easily do this in between visiting the wineries also located along Tubbs Lane.

The Paraduxx tasting room...

    One of the newer wineries in the Valley, the owners of Black Stallion spared no expense in building their facility.  Constructed entirely from rock, wood and glass, the place has a spacious interior and a helpful staff.  As a newcomer, they feature relatively reasonably priced wines, as they seek to gain a committed customer base in the competitive business world of wine production. 


    Downtown Napa lies only a few miles south of Black Stallion, and once there you have come full circuit around the entire Valley by way of Vegas Wine News (the last edition taking the reader through Napa and north up Highway 29 to Calistoga, and this edition coming south on the Silverado Trail to return to Napa).  The Napa Valley provides an easy destination to visit, and would-be tourists should not hesitate to explore this area on their own.  Of course, as with any wine tasting event, drivers should always use discretion when wine tasting. A designated driver is always a good idea if visiting more than a couple of wineries in any one day. 


    One last tip about visiting the Napa Valley:  Once there, pick up a copy of the latest edition of Wine Country This Week magazine.  You may find a free copy at almost any grocery or liquor store.  It’s packed full of helpful suggestions about the area, including useful maps to many of the wineries. Should anyone have any questions about this important and beautiful wine region, please feel free to contact Vegas Wine News through the contact email at cm3inc@cox.net. 


Brannon’s (707-942-2233) provides an upscale dining scene with a nice wine list and an eclectic choice of elegantly prepared entrees, most for under $30.00.  It also prides itself on a beautiful, long bar that provides probably the best (only???) night life in town. The Flat Iron Grill (707-942-1220) features mostly grilled meats with a nice ambience at reasonable prices.  Conveniently located right at the intersection of Washington Street and Lincoln Avenue (in the very  center of Calistoga), the Hydro Bar & Grill (707-942-9777) has informal dining, soaring ceilings and a U-shaped bar that serves more cocktails than wine.  It makes a good place to take in a quick lunch while planning the afternoon. Another place on Lincoln worth checking out is Bar Vino (707-942-9900), a finely appointed wine bar that specializes in serving many boutique wines by the glass and pairing them with freshly prepared appetizers.

     Paraduxx, part of the Duckhorn family of wineries, has a newer, charming facility on the west side of the Trail.  It looks at first glance like a small yellow farm building.   But the exterior belies the spacious and well-appointed tasting room.  This winery specializes in blending Zinfandel with Bordeaux varietals with some fine results.  They offer a number of tasting options.

    The Robert Sinsky winery, located on the east side of the Trail, blends its wooden structure into the hillside so that the driver almost has to do a double take to see it.  Definitely worth a visit, the winery produces a plethora of wines, including a rare rose’ that one can only purchase at the winery. 


     Pine Ridge is tucked in a small arroyo right off the Silverado Trail, and always seems popular with visitors.  Located in the Stag’s Leap appellation, they predictably emphasize big, bold red wines.  


    Just beyond Pine Ridge, the traveler will come to Hartwell.  Simply put, I love these wines.  Rich, big, and flavorful, I have never felt disappointment from one of their wines.  This is a smaller winery, and Hartwell does require a reservation prior to a visit.  It proves well worth the effort to call ahead for that reservation. 


    Stag’s Leap Cellars occupies a prestigious place in the history of the Napa Valley.  Its Cabernet Sauvignon won the famous Paris wine tasting event in 1974 in which California wines competed against some of the best French wines in the world.   That competition helped put California wines, and especially the Napa Valley, on the map in the world of wine.  They still produce some lovely wines, although I find the winery a bit touristy and often overcrowded. 


    Chimney Rock, Vegas Wine News’ featured winery of this edition, always makes for a fun place to visit.  For more details, see the featured winery page of this site.


    The French owned Clos du Val always has a very friendly staff and produces lots of different wines at relatively reasonable prices.  Check out the podcast of this edition to find out about playing a game of Petanque during your visit here.  The game originated in the south of France and is often played by tossing a steal ball with one hand while holding a glass of wine in the other.  It all makes Clos du Val a fun place to visit.


  Darioush has a spectacular facility on the southern leg of the Trail, just before the driver comes to the town of Napa.  Touristy?  Yes.  Worth the visit?  Absolutely!!!  The Persian owners have seemingly re-created a middle-eastern palace in the heart of the wine country.  This certainly qualifies as the most unique building in all of the Napa Valley.  Soaring columns and sparking pools of blue water enhance the impressive exterior, while the tasting room epitomizes elegance.  It makes a great place to take pictures, and to taste some nice red wines

The unique Darioush Winery...

The northbound view from the Silverado Trail as it approaches the town of Calistoga...

    Several quality wineries make Calistoga their home, including T-Vine, Chateau Montelena, Bennett Lane and Summers Estate Wines.  The latter three do not require appointments for visits and are located along Tubbs Lane at the northern edge of town.