For those of you touring Napa Valley wine country, it’s sometimes nice to spend one day in one place, without a car, but still get the complete food and wine experience.  There are others of you visiting San Francisco who only have a day or two to spend in wine country.  Downtown Napa has more than 20 tasting rooms, wine bars and wine lounges to get a taste of Napa Valley wines, at your convenience.  While the local wine tasting rooms owned by Napa Valley wine producers pour their own …

The new 1313 Main upscale wine bar and lounge in Downtown Napa opens officially on May 27th.  It is the latest addition to Downtown Napa’s wine tasting scene that differentiates itself by offering a range of local and international wines that are hard to find by the glass and available in 2 oz. and 5 oz. pours.  Even better, the price points are accessible, allowing wine lovers to discover wines they wouldn’t normally buy by the bottle.  For example, Kistler Chardonnay at $7 per 2 oz. pour.
According to proprietor and …

Napa Valley isn’t just about food and wine, it’s also about the arts.  In Downtown Napa, one can have it all, and without a car.  Napa’s music and arts history is not new either, it began in 1880 with the opening of the Napa Opera House on Main Street, which still stands today as an historic landmark and as a performance venue.  In Downtown Napa, one can enjoy music at several classic venues as well as enjoy art from the street or the gallery.
The Music Scene
The art deco Uptown Theatre …

Downtown Napa has a range of accommodations ranging from international resort chains to boutique hotels to historic inns in landmarked districts, so you are bound to find something that suits your interests.
On Main Street at the Historic Napa Mill is the jewel of Downtown Napa hotels, the Napa River Inn.  It is made up of three buildings, each with its own character, with the Embarcadero and Plaza Buildings right on the river.  The restoration of the historic landmark and surrounding properties in 2000 by Harry Price marked the beginning of …

Downtown Napa, as the Gateway to the Napa Valley, has a wide range of casual and fine dining to meet every palate and occasion.  There is also a variety of specialty food purveyors, farmers’ markets, bakery/cafes and even take-out that feature what Napa Valley does best, serve up local, fresh and sustainably grown food that is vibrant with flavor.
Reservations Recommended
For serious dining, you don’t need to go up-valley to experience a range of world-class cuisine from French at Michelin star La Toque in the Oxbow District to southern Italian at …

One can’t truly get a sense of our food culture here without visiting the seasonal farmers’ markets in the Napa Valley.  Downtown Napa has two farmers’ markets with slightly different themes but each will appeal to all.
The traditional farmers’ market which features seasonal produce, specialty foods as well as some crafts, operates on Tuesday and Saturday mornings from 7:30 am to noon from May through October.  It is conveniently located next to Oxbow Public Market where there is plenty of street parking.
The other is the Napa Chefs Market on First …

No matter where you turn, Downtown Napa has great bakeries and sweet shops for a relaxing breakfast with coffee, that afternoon treat with tea, a take-out snack or freshly-made bread to bring home.
Model Bakery at Oxbow Public Market is the go-to bakery for artisanal bread made with organic ingredients.  A branch of the Model Bakery in Saint Helena which was established over 80 years ago, the bakery serves a variety of breads – including a to-die-for Fatted Calf bacon bread on weekends – as well as breakfast breads, cakes, cookies, …

Since most visitors to Napa Valley come for the great food and wine, why not learn how Napa Valley cooks and take the knowledge home for a lifetime?  Here are a couple of ideas to to round out your food and wine adventure.
Dinners
Susie Pope, co-proprietor of Cedar Gables Inn, used to run a culinary school in Los Gatos, where her husband worked in high tech.  It was natural that when they renovated the kitchen, that they make a spacious, professional kitchen that guests would feel welcome in.  They offer cooking …

 Beyond the cult cabs and posh brands, sometimes one comes across a cabernet sauvignon wine that is a reflection of what the Napa Valley is about, not just in terms of terroir, but in terms of history, friendships and families.  Trivium is such a wine.
Trivium is a 100% cabernet sauvignon wine created by three partners and friends who have left their footprint on dozens of prestigious Napa Valley wines over their long careers, Stu Harrison as a marketer, Jack Stuart as winemaker and Doug Wight, as a 5thgeneration grower.  All three …

Jonathan Maltus, producer of cult St.-Emilion Grand Cru Le Dome, released his inaugural 2008 Napa Valley wines last week under the brand name “World’s End,” an homage to the American wine lover. The red wines range from exclusive single-vineyard cabernet sauvignon wines from Oakville to regional Napa Valley wines.
Making Napa Valley wines was a natural move for Maltus, who was born to be a man of the world. Although English by citizenship, he comes from a family of expatriates going back to the …